After the Oklahoma Sooners were bounced in the first round of their first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, head coach Porter Moser was more concerned about winning battles in the months ahead than in March.
The 8-seed UConn Huskies beat the 9-seed Sooners 67-59 on Friday night despite a heroic effort from freshman Jeremiah Fears. After the game, Bob Przybylo of SoonerScoop asked Moser if he was happy about the direction OU was headed in now that his fourth season leading the way was over.
The short answer was no, although Moser didn't actually say that. There is speculation Moser could leave OU for Villanova, where men's basketball is king. And as he mentioned the structural issues OU's men's basketball program has no matter who's the head coach, Moser was also listing reasons to leave.
"You have to win in April and May with the NIL," Moser answered.
The transfer portal is already filling up and bidding wars for those players will soon begin. Those are the upcoming battles Moser is referencing. OU has lost talent every offseason during Moser's tenure, and Moser suggests they tend to follow the money that OU won't give a basketball player.
Last year, Otega Oweh left the Sooners for Kentucky. On the same night OU lost to UConn, Oweh put up 20 points to get the Wildcats to the second round. He also single-handedly beat his former team twice this season with a pair of game-winning shots while scoring 27 and 28 points.
Milos Uzan also left Norman last offseason for Houston and will play in the second round on Saturday. He was the Cougars' leading scorer with 16 points when they beat SIU Edwardsville in the first round.
Both of those players left for places where basketball is a top priority, which is not the case in Oklahoma.
Moser also mentioned injuries down the stretch the past two seasons and having to play in the toughest conference in the nation the last four years, even after switching conferences. But NIL was certainly his biggest complaint.
Asked #OU HC Porter Moser:
— Bob Przybylo (@BPrzybylo) March 22, 2025
Four seasons in, are you happy with the program’s direction? pic.twitter.com/RuKjmedGGz
The team that beat Moser on Friday night and the program that could want him as its next coach don't really have the issues Moser listed, other than injuries, which are unpredictable.
UConn, with a traditionally terrible football program, has won the past two national championships and is on to the second round even during a down season.
UConn and Villanova both play in the Big East. It's a traditionally proud basketball conference, but still not nearly as daunting as the SEC was this season or the Big 12 has been recently. It's full of schools with less money in the bank but still more resources designated toward basketball.
For some, the reasons Moser listed for OU's struggles could be considered excuses. For others, it's reality. And nothing from that list will be crossed off anytime soon, so now it's a matter of if Moser is willing to overcome it or head elsewhere.