Oklahoma basketball: Sooners lose another starter to transfer portal
By Chip Rouse
Multiple sources, including the OU Daily, are reporting that Oklahoma basketball two-year starter Umoja Gibson is entering the transfer portal.
Gibson, who led the Sooners in scoring this past season with a 13.3 average and was the team’s best three-point shooter, placed his name in the transfer portal on Wednesday. He had previously announced that he was declaring for the NBA Draft but did not plan to hire an agent, leaving open the possibility that he could return to OU for his final year of eligibility.
In two seasons at OU, the 6-foot, 1-inch shooting guard out of Waco, Texas, averaged 11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. The former North Texas transfer made 39 percent of his three-point shots in the two seasons he played for the Sooners.
Gibson is the fifth OU player and the second starter to enter the transfer portal following the 2021-22 season. Starting guard Elijah Harkless announced earlier that he was transferring.
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Harkless has committed to UNLV. Other Sooners who entered the transfer portal were guard Alson Mason (Missouri State), forward Akol Mawein (Sacramento State) and center Rick Issanza, who has not yet committed to another school.
In addition, starting point guard Jordan Goldwire completed his eligibility and will be trying his luck in the professional ranks. Senior reserve forward Marvin Johnson also ended his eligibility.
That leaves head coach Porter Moser and the Sooners with just one of its top four scorers from this past season, Tanner Groves, himself a transfer from Eastern Washington. Groves was OU’s second leading scorer in 2021-22, averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
The Sooners have gone to the portal themselves this offseason, adding Joe Bamisile, a 16.3-point scorer from George Washington, but he may require an NCAA waiver to play in the 2022-23 season. OU also has added 6-foot, 9-inch forward Sam Godwin from Wofford.
Oklahoma ended this past season tied for seventh place in the Big 12 standings with a 7-11 conference record and 19-16 overall.