The Oklahoma men's basketball program has been arguably the biggest disappointment among the OU athletic department since Porter Moser arrived in 2021 while continuing to lose promising players that flourished somewhere else.
The Sooners have only one NCAA Tournament appearance in that time and were the first team out for the second time in the last three seasons this year. The pressure is on for Moser to take that next step in 2026. They are off to an excellent start this offseason with the retention of four huge players to build around next season.
Porter Moser finally keeps promising talent at OU with more resources
Xzayvier Brown was the biggest returner for the Sooners program. The junior guard was one of Oklahoma's best players last season and provides instant stability at the point guard position. Brown averaged 15.4 points per game and has the ability to score at all three levels of the offense.
Kai Rogers is an extremely interesting piece to this team's future. We saw a lot of Rogers in the early part of the season behind Mohamed Wague, but the mid-season addition of Krill Elatonsev and the late season surge of Wague left Rogers on the bench more often than not. Rogers appeared in only nine SEC games but Sooner fans saw some glimpses of what could be in the future. If Rogers is able to build off last season's play and combine it with a strong summer and fall, he could burst onto the national scene next season.
The final two additions were made official on Tuesday afternoon with forward Derrion Reid and guard Dayton Forsythe. Reid decided to return to Norman instead of testing the NBA waters or transfer elsewhere. The sophomore forward transferred to Oklahoma last year after spending his freshman season at Alabama. He averaged 11.7 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game. He provided instant stability and will be an even bigger part of the offense in 2026-27.
Forsythe has become a fan favorite in his two seasons in Norman. The former Dale Pirate missed nine games this season with injuries in both of his ankles, but if you watched any game where he played, fans could see the impact he had on the team. The energy he brings on the court was severely missed and a healthy Forsythe could add another explosive element to this team next season.
Those four join Transfer Portal additions Khani Rooths from Louisville and Tyler Hendricks from Utah Valley, with more to come.
One of Moser's biggest flaws had been failing to keep great in Norman, but with more promised resources, it seems that problem might be solved now.
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