Oklahoma basketball: Sooners sign highly touted in-state star for 2023
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma basketball coach Porter Moser on Monday announced a big hoops signing for the Sooners 2023 class.
Kaden Cooper, a 6-foot, 6-inch /forward/guard prospect from Ada, Oklahoma, has signed with the Sooners over a host of top programs that were after him. Cooper, a four-star recruit, is rated as the No. 8 shooting forward nationally and the No. 5 player in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.
Among the suiters for Cole’s services were Gonzaga, LSU, Kansas, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Texas and Kansas State, clearly an indication of his high talent level.
"“Kaden is the type of player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor,” Moser said in a press release posted on the school’s athletic website…Kaden’s ability to go downhill, knock down shots and impact our transition game fits us offensively.”"
Cooper is ranked 44th in the ESPN Top 100 and joins Jacolb Cole, No. 69 in the ESPN 100 in Moser’s second OU recruiting class. Cole, another four-star prospect, is a 6-foot, 7-inch small forward from Branson, Missouri
The Sooners’ 2023 signing class ranks 29th in the 247Sports team rankings. The Sooners’ 2022 class, Moser’s first as the new Sooner head coach, replacing the retired Lon Kruger, was ranked 38th by 247Sports.
Moser’s 2023 OU recruiting class joins the 2022 class as the second straight with multiple players in the ESPN Top 100. Current freshman Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh were also in that category.
The Oklahoma men return to action Tuesday night after logging its first win of the season on Friday with a 66-48 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Sooners are 1-1 after the opening week of action in the 2022-23 season.