Oklahoma basketball fans have probably noticed that 6-foot, 10-inch forward Sam Godwin is seeing the court more frequently off the bench for the Sooners.
In his first four games for Oklahoma this season, Godwin was averaging 10.5 minutes a game. In his next six games, his playing time has increased by almost five minutes to 15.2 minutes of action.
The junior forward has emerged as OU’s best contributor off the bench, averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 10 games. His best game thus far was in an ESPN Events Invitational semifinal contest against Seton Hall. Starter Tanner Groves was seriously limited because of foul trouble, which opened the opportunity for Godwin to see more action than usual.
The Wofford transfer rose to the occasion in the Seton Hall game, scoring a season-high 12 points, pulled down six rebounds and recorded two blocks in 21 minutes of action in helping the Sooners defeat The Hall 77-64 and advance to the tournament championship game against Ole Miss.
Godwin contributed another 11 points, six rebounds and a block in OU’s 59-55 championship win over Ole Miss.
Godwin is back home in the Sooner State after a couple of seasons playing at Wofford in the Southern Conference. A native of Ada, Oklahoma, the Wofford transfer played his high school basketball at Southmoore in Oklahoma City.
His senior year, Godwin was named Southmoore Male Athlete of the Year and finished his high school career as the all-time school leader in rebounds and blocks. He was rated the No. 4 player in the state of Oklahoma by Preps Hoops in the 2020 class.
When Porter Moser learned that Godwin was in the transfer portal and was a native Oklahoman and a former high school standout, the OU head coach began digging further into Godwin’s background. And he and Sooner fans should be glad he did.
While Godwin was playing for a mid-major team at Wofford, Moser noticed on video tape that some of his best games were against some of the better programs in the country.
Moser likes the energy Godwin provides coming off the bench for the Sooners.
"“He uplifts us when he gets in there,” Moser said in an interview recently with The Oklahoman. “He comes in…that energy is going up. I think it’s in his mindset. (That’s) why he’s been so valuable.”"
He is especially strong on the boards. His offensive rebound percentage is 16.3 percent. No other OU player is above nine percent in that category.