Christmas came early with a massive gift for Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners' men's basketball team.
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 reported on Tuesday that Kirill Elatontsev, a 23-year-old big man from Russia, is expected to join the Sooners this season for a monster boost just as SEC play tips off at the start of the new year, when Elatontsev can join his new team. According to Goodman, Elatontsev was just cleared by the NCAA and has one semester of eligibility left.
Russian big man Kirill Elatontsev expected to join Sooners midseason
Elatontsev is listed at 6-foot-11, making him the second-tallest player on the Sooners' roster behind 7-foot freshman Andreas Holst. Size has consistently been the Sooners' biggest flaw, especially during SEC play, so Elatontsev comes as a perfectly timed gift with OU starting conference play against Ole Miss on Jan. 3.
Elatontsev has spent the past two seasons playing for Lukomotiv Kuban in the VTB United League, which is the top level of Russian club basketball. He was named the league’s Best Young Player the last two seasons.
Last season, Elatontsev averaged seven points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 37 games while shooting 62.2% from the field. Although he doesn't shoot from beyond the arc often, he made 53.3% of his 3-pointers.
Elatontsev also has experience on Russia's national team.
Here’s a look at Russian prospect Kirill Elatontsev, who will fill the #Sooners open roster spot for the second semester.
— Brody Lusk (@BrodyLusk) December 23, 2025
The 6-foot-11 big has experience playing with the Russian national team. pic.twitter.com/EbvqxrtcoL
The Sooners had a vacant roster spot after two-sport freshman Alec Blair decided after the season opener to play just one sport at OU and focus on baseball.