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In 2nd year, Moser’s trips abroad build trust

Sherfield finds home at OU after transfers

Men’s basketball looking forward to hopeful spring

Projecting strong women’s basketball finish

Women’s gym striving for title repeat

OU softball eyeing series 3-peat

22 years ago at OU: First national championship

In 2nd year, Moser’s trips abroad

BUILD TRUST

BY: JASON BATACAO Jason.F.Batacao-1@ou.edu

It was 95-degrees in Florence, Italy, when 6-foot-8, 235-pound Ben Averkamp found himself huddled inside an elevator with a group of his Loyola-Chicago teammates 10 years ago.

Moments earlier, freshman forward Matt O’Leary had stopped the elevator and forced his way in, but the journey lasted only a half-flight up. Averkamp, O’Leary and their teammates were stuck in the non-air- conditioned box for nearly 25 minutes before a technician lowered them safely back to the lobby.

Then-Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser chuckled when he heard of the group’s conundrum. He had hoped for moments like that — fostering lasting memories that build team chemistry — when he planned the Ramblers’ 13-day foreign tour in Italy.

Fast forward a decade, and Moser, now Oklahoma’s head coach, has traveled on four foreign tours, dating back to the first he took as a senior walk-on guard in summer 1989 with Creighton coach Tony Barone. There, Moser learned the importance of testing a team’s mettle and the bonds a team trip can forge.

Moser was known as the vocal and energetic leader who helped sustain Barone’s culture on the Bluejays. Coming off a Missouri Valley Conference championship and an appearance in the 1989 NCAA Tournament, Moser led the charge to explore Italy, hoping to build on the success from the season before.

Although OU’s head coach always had a knack for leading with a firm culture and foundation, he finds himself stuck in a box — much like his Loyola players 10 years ago in Italy.

Due to the recent developments of the NCAA Transfer Portal, which grants players the right to transfer with little limit, Moser is facing the reality of potential roster churn every offseason, impacting the longevity of his cultural foundation with the Sooners.

Entering his second season, Moser welcomed four transfers and four freshmen, while losing guards Elijah Harkless, Umoja Gibson, Alston Mason, forward Akol Mawein and center Rick Issanza to the portal during the offseason. Moser, in turn, utilized the foundation of returners and reinforcements from the portal to revamp the roster.

With the lessons learned from past jobs, Moser must battle the destabilized college basketball environment with the strengths of his program culture. In year 32 of his coaching career, Moser has been forced to adapt, with hopes of sustaining his culture moving forward like he did during his tenure with Loyola-Chicago and Little Rock-Arkansas.

“My first thought on the transfer portal, it’s a reality,” Moser said. “I think you have to balance it with your program. I think for me, I signed some high school guys I really liked, and we added some transfer portal pieces. It’s a reality. It’s here. But I think you have to have a balance with it and you still have to try to recruit to who you are and your style.”

Moser has used foreign trips to quickly acclimate his teams’ newest recruits and transfers in his second season. This last summer was no different, as Oklahoma took a 10-day trip to Spain and France, helping bond the Sooners’ newcomers with overseas chemistry ahead of Moser’s second season.

He brought in Sherfield, junior guard Joe Bamisile and sophomore forwards Yaya Keita and Sam Godwin to replenish depth. Bamisile and Sherfield headline the bunch as a pair of top-level scorers who averaged 16.3 and 19.1 points per game,

respectively.

The Sooners also welcome freshman guards Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh — both four-star recruits— plus Benny Schröder and Luke Northweather.

Moser’s trip was the first step in finding the ‘balance’ he’s looking for in season two.

“I think foreign trips, in general, can be very beneficial experiences,” Averkamp said. “Hanging out with your coaches and teammates out of a different setting is always enjoyable because you get to kind of see a little bit more about who they are.”

Building trust

The orange that lined the stands was almost as loud as the crowd inside Gallagher-Iba Arena when Moser, a first-year head coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and senior guard Alan Barksdale walked to the locker room on Dec. 19, 2000.

The Trojans trailed Oklahoma State by six points at halftime, and Barksdale, who finished the season with a career-high 44.9 percent from 3-point range, was held to a gamelow three points after being double teamed by the Cowboys every possession.

Taking a seat in the locker room, Moser broached Barksdale with an honest assessment of his performance.

“Look, Alan, whatever we’re doing, it’s not working,” Moser said. “We got to figure out something different. … The only way that we can make an adjustment is we’re gonna have to put you at the top of the key. We’re gonna have to run you off the point.”

Moser wanted Barksdale to anticipate the double team, so the guard, UALR’s single-season record holder with 95 3-pointers, could set up his teammates in space or shoot from 3-point range before the coverage converged. Following that plan, Barksdale finished with 20 points, though the Trojans lost 70-60 to OSU in overtime.

Barksdale’s eagerness to accept Moser’s plan was a testament to the first-year head coach’s ability to garner his players’ trust. The Trojans were 4-24 the season before Moser took over and he led them to an 18-11 record — the quickest turnaround for a program in Sun Belt Conference history.

On paper, the Trojans were vastly overmatched. Coach Eddie Sutton had led Oklahoma State to eight NCAA Tournament appearances before the 2000-01 season. Still, Moser’s foundation and culture instilled a belief within his players, and it helped Barksdale adjust against Oklahoma State.

“When I think about all of the coaches that I’ve been around, Porter has a true gift for understanding and relating to his players,” Barksdale said. “And then in turn, converting that into an

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

OU men’s basketball head coach Porter Moser during the game against Sam Houston State University on Nov. 15, 2022.

on-the-floor gameplan, he’s great in the game as well.”

After former UALR head coach Sidney Moncrief was fired, Moser, a three-year UALR assistant, was promoted. The first thing he did was communicate expectations.

Moser asked every player what they wanted to achieve, and then he laid out a pact between himself and the athlete. Moser provided an expectation for the effort necessary to reach those goals, and the player would then agree to Moser’s contract.

“He’s had it from day one,” Barksdale said. “It wasn’t just like he figured it out halfway through. The perfect fit for him is when he has 100 percent buy-in from his team. Then, when you cross that over with his preparation, passion and knowledge, that’s an excellent recipe for success.”

Barksdale knows how Moser wants to build through the new NCAA landscape. Oklahoma’s coach will be able to add players that are talented and fit his system, but will also weed out players that won’t meet his standards.

“He has consistency and he’s gonna attract people who have the same culture,” Barksdale said. “He has an honest, forthright and straightforward approach and method. Unfortunately, because of that, guys are going to transfer because it’s going to weed out the ‘me’ guys. But what it will attract is the guys who are committed.”

After establishing expectations, Moser pushed players to meet his standard. The head coach built a family atmosphere off the floor — inviting players to his house for barbecues and doing team-building activities created by his wife, Megan — as the work in practice built the team culture.

Then-senior forward Stan Blackmon finished the 19992000 season averaging a career high 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. After Moser was hired, the head coach told him “you don’t play hard enough,” which left Blackmon muddled following a career year offensively.

After working under Moser’s system for a season, working relentlessly in practice, the senior forward averaged 3.5 points and 0.4 blocks more than the previous year.

“He’s gonna hold you accountable,” Blackmon said. “I see what he was talking about now. … But it just depends on your personality and how you take things. You can’t take it personally. It’s just a challenge. So I think he challenged everybody individually, as well as a team, and I think that was the difference for our success.”

Moser’s system didn’t just build trust among his players in Little Rock. It was also up to the assistant coaches to maintain the buy-in. Former Trojans assistant Steve Shields’ relationship with Moser was founded on trust when Moser first received the UALR job.

Shields, an assistant at McLennan Community College, became acquainted with Moser when he was an assistant at Texas A&M under Barone from 1990-93. Almost a decade later, Shields was on the road recruiting when he received a call.

Sidney Moncrief was let go and Moser thought he was up for the UALR job, so he offered Shields a spot on the bench. The caveat: he wasn’t offered the position yet.

“He always called me ‘Bucket’ and he said, ‘Bucket, if I get this job in Little Rock Arkansas, would you consider coming here with me?” Shields said. “I remember telling him, ‘You’re not getting that job’ because Moncief’s staff won four games previously, but he thought he got it.”

After about two weeks, Shields’ phone rang again and Moser said, “Bucket, I got the job.”

Shields immediately resigned from his position with

McLennan and left Waco — where he and his family had lived since 1976 — for Arkansas.

“For me to move away from there was a leap of faith for a guy who had never called a time out,” Shields said. “I just believed in the man. He’s an enthusiastic, energetic, positive thinking guru who’s infectious to the people around him. I remember we came in and nobody was gonna outwork him. Nobody was gonna have more enthusiasm, more energy than Porter.”

Twenty-two years and three coaching jobs later, the ways Moser cultivated trust at Little Rock are comparable to how he’s doing so in his second-year at Oklahoma. It’ll be significant to earn players’ commitment and keep them bought in to continue building a winning foundation.

Barksdale, who is friends with Grant Sherfield and his father, Antione, thinks Moser is forming the same relationship with Sherfield that he had with him 22 seasons ago. After transferring from Nevada, Sherfield will be a pivotal offensive weapon for Oklahoma in his final college season.

Like Barksdale, Sherfield is a scoring guard who can create at all levels, but he was also sold on Moser as a person and a coach. Senior forward Jalen Hill hosted the 6-foot-3, 183-pounder’s visit to campus, and Sherfield immediately felt the welcoming energy, instilled in Moser’s first season at Oklahoma. The Nevada transfer described Moser as the most energetic coach he has ever seen.

“We both wanted to win, so that’s why I came here,” Sherfield said. “He’s also 54 years old and jumping and running around, and that’s always fun. It really makes you want to get out there and run on defense for sure.”

Creating buy-in

A curious Moser sat on a bench inside Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, staring at the banners hanging from the rafters during Loyola-Chicago’s pre-game shootaround on Feb. 14, 2012.

Gazing at the left side of the rafters, the Ramblers’ coach analyzed Butler’s championships from the 1960s. He then slid his eyes to a gap in the middle and finally over at the right, where the Bulldogs’ ceiling was flush with a new banner from their second-place finish in the 2010 NCAA championship.

“Something happened there,” Moser said to his assistant coaching staff as he pointed to the banners. “Some coaching staff came in and the whole thing started, and we have to do that for Loyola.”

A year later, after Brad Stevens left Butler for the Boston Celtics, Moser flew to Massachusetts to visit with the former Bulldogs coach about culture building for two days.

Moser learned, through Stevens’ ascension from competing in NCAA championships to an NBA job, having players and recruits who were bought into his program was the most important path to success. To start, that meant investing and building into the current system before growing outward with recruits.

“We visited for a long time there and we talked about achieving what you emphasize,” Moser said of his chat with Stevens. “As the head coach, you have to have your standards, and (have to commit) everything about getting guys and recruiting guys that are about what you want.”

Billy Clark, who played three seasons at Loyola-Chicago, was one of the main players Moser trusted with his system during his first three seasons. Like his coach, Clark was a walkon guard, but he didn’t transfer onto the team until his sophomore year after focusing solely on academics his freshman

year at Indiana.

During his official visit in 2011, Clark learned of Moser’s experience at Creighton. Moser couldn’t guarantee a roster spot, but he promised he would give him a call if one opened.

Months passed and Moser accrued two more commitments to build out the roster. But finally, in the first week of August, Clark received a call from Moser to join the Ramblers. Clark was fully prepared to continue his studies at Indiana, serving in a campus-wide YMCA camp before Moser rang.

“Moser called and said, ‘Hey, if you’re still interested, I’d love to have you on the team,’” Clark said. “There were no separate lines for walk-on guys or scholarships. He expected the same from everybody and wanted to win a league championship there.”

Most of Moser’s players in his first season were holdovers from former coach Jim Whitesell’s tenure. They struggled to a 7-23 mark in year one, and success eluded Moser for the next two years.

In 2012-13 and 2013-14 the Ramblers had 15-16 and 10-22 records, respectively, marking three straight seasons under .500. Then, Moser met up with Stevens and their conversation significantly altered his recruiting philosophy

“If there’s one thing about Porter, the man knows what he wants, and it’s that culture that he talks about so much,” Clark said. “At Loyola, it took a little time to get that buy-in (because) he started out there with a bunch of guys that weren’t his recruits.”

It was players like Clark — those who bought into the system — who Moser had to rely on for future trust. The walk-on guard earned Moser’s belief through memorizing sayings from the Ramblers’ culture wall, which Moser has recreated at OU, and quoting them in practice.

Every player was given a white binder of the sayings every season. Within were mantras like “talk, touch it, deny it,” which meant the Ramblers needed to switch the ball screen, or admonitions like “first three steps” because Moser believed the player three steps ahead on the fast break would win a possession.

Clark still uses Moser’s sayings in men’s league games at his local gym when he plays with fellow Loyola-Chicago alums like Averkamp. Now an orthopedic surgeon, Avercamp was recently reminded of the saying, “economy in motion,” while in the operating room.

The memories of Moser’s former players were once the humble beginnings to his foundation of winning with the Ramblers and beyond.

“He respected all players who were willing to buy into the culture because he understood that that culture that he’s developing needs to be one that is 100 percent buy-in,” Clark said. “The guys that weren’t buying in it didn’t make it. And, honestly, he would rather lose a game with a guy that was buying into his culture because he knew long term that was going to pay off.”

While Moser struggled in his first three seasons, Clark and Avercamp, along with Stevens’ advice, helped sustain his next generation of success. The Loyola-Chicago coach hosted barbecues with the team, and they’d play games in the basement analyzing recruits to see if they fit with the foundation.

Clark even remembered the team not clicking with one of the recruits after a visit, and Moser stopped pursuing the player. Clark was also pivotal in hosting Ben Richardson’s official visit in 2014. Richardson went on to become 2017-18 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and helped

spur Loyola-Chicago to its first Final Four appearance since 1963.

With Oklahoma, Moser is building the same culture that he constructed at Loyola.

“I think Porter is the type of guy that’s actually going to benefit from the transfer portal,” Clark said. “This new kind of climate is ideal for someone like Porter who relies on people to buy in, they’re not the type that are going to leave … if you’re the type of person who can stick out and put up with that and want to put up with that, he’s going to love you.”

The present Moser has been intentional with enhancing his culture in year two. In his first year, Oklahoma finished 19-16, missing March Madness for the first time since 2017, and lost to St. Bonaventure in round two of the National Invitational Tournament.

When Moser hosted an open practice at the Lloyd Noble Center recently, he was coached through a microphone connected to the arena speakers. Standing in the paint with a playsheet rolled in his left hand, Moser asked his players, “What is important in transition defense?”

Each player let off memorized quotes from the Sooners’ culture wall.

Moser later addressed the media and said, “They fired off like 20 things on my culture wall. I love that.”

For Moser, that moment is a sign his plan is working. Despite massive roster turnover, he thinks he has the pieces to sustain success.

Throughout the offseason, Moser was adamant that senior forwards Tanner Groves, Jacob Groves and Jalen Hill and sophomore guards CJ Noland and Bijan Cortes are preserving the culture he cemented in year one, helping build on top of it in season two.

“It’s everything,” Moser said in October at Big 12 Media Days of his five returners. “When I got there, we were in a pandemic, so I was meeting them for the first time in June at the recruiting class. We had to sign everybody through June.

“So just the difference of when they get there, just everything from our first practice to having five guys that have a familiarity with what we do and how we do it. And not only do you have guys that did it, it was with who. Jalen Hill and Tanner are just really, really good leaders, vocally and with their work ethic.”

Like Clark, who was as a captain at Loyola-Chicago for three seasons, Moser has five players he’s relying on to instill success. Moser has also used the transfer portal to his benefit this offseason.

New recruits Uzan and Oweh fit his system, too, and he has a plan for them moving forward. Oweh, a versatile guard from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, received a personal visit from Moser. According to Joe Mantegna, Oweh’s high school coach who was present for Moser’s stop, the OU coach’s

foundation and vision for Oweh included him as a potential founding-father in the next iteration of Sooners basketball.

“His vision for (Oweh) was that he’s an extremely hard worker, and they were going to build a gym rat culture,” Mantegna said. “That’s not a direct quote, but he wants a culture of guys that take their development really seriously. And then, I think Porter’s just competitiveness comes through. He’s a great dude, but he’s a tough guy, and there’s no back down and Otega’s like that himself.”

At dinner with Oweh and his parents, who are first-generation immigrants from Nigeria, Mantegna could feel the energy reverberating from Moser, and he joked about “signing himself” to Oklahoma’s roster.

In season two with Oklahoma, Moser has taken the lessons he’s learned from Little-Rock Arkansas and Loyola-Chicago and used it to weather the challenges of the transfer portal.

“Everyone is completely bought in and is completely all in here,” Moser said. “I think the newcomers who have been recruited are guys that I think really felt that fit us. … Now we have a whole journey, this whole journey right now. We’ve got to be a program to get better. And where we are today is not going to be where we are in January, February. But this group has been really good about being all in.”

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

OU men’s basketball head coach Porter Moser during the game against Arkansas in Tulsa on Dec. 10, 2022

Sherfield finds home at OU after transfers

NICK COPPOLA

nicholas.w.coppola-1@ou.edu

Tommy Brakel’s eyes were on one player.

Informed that a sophomore from nearby Mansfield Summit in Arlington, Texas, could transfer to his North Crowley High School team in Fort Worth, the coach wanted to see what he could do at a summer camp in 2017.

That player was Grant Sherfield, and Brakel was quickly amazed by him. Whether it was dribbling, shooting or passing, Sherfield seemed to excel at it. Brakel’s excitement grew the more he watched, feelings that compounded when it was confirmed Sherfield would transfer to his school.

Sherfield played well at Mansfield Summit, averaging 20 points per game his sophomore season. But, the Jaguars finished 13-18, and he wanted to shine at a higher level. Brakel and North Crawley, who were coming off a 27-7 season, gave Sherfield that chance.

Sherfield was still two years from graduation, but Brakel already knew he had a future Division I athlete on his hands.

“There was no doubt,” Brakel said. “The combination of what we already knew about him prior to watching him and his work ethic and skill level, there was no doubt that he was going to be a college basketball player. And even beyond that, we thought he was going to be a major college basketball player.”

Brakel’s determination to find the biggest opportunities led him to North Crowley, and later to Sunrise Christian Academy, a college prep school in Bel Aire, Kansas. Sherfield has had a similar journey in college, initially committing to UCLA before flipping to Wichita State after the Bruins’ then-coach, Steve Alford, was fired during the 2018-19 season. He later transferred to Nevada before arriving at Oklahoma in May.

Like in high school, Sherfield traveled the country to find his home. The stops finally led him to Norman, where he’s found home and is excelling as OU’s leading scorer and one of the best guards in the Big 12.

When the Sooners need a bucket, they turn to the Fort

Senior guard Grant Sherfield during the game against Arkansas in Tulsa on Dec. 10, 2022.

Numerous cross-country moves lead guard to become Sooners’ go-to scorer

Worth native. It’s a move that’s benefitted both team and player, as Sherfield provides the scoring OU desperately needed after guards Umoja Gibson and Elijah Harkless transferred out after last season. He ranks third in the Big 12 Conference with 18.3 points per game and is the nation’s fourth-best 3-point shooter, going 52.2 percent from beyond the arc.

OU coach Porter Moser has many superlatives for Sherfield, but he always describes him as a player who can control the tempo and create shots with little time on the shot clock.

“Grant really controls the tempo,” Moser said. “He’s got really good ball speed and he’s really good at making other guys better, but he can also score in bunches. (The Big 12) is so good defensively that you need what we call a shot-clock guy.”

After biding his time, Sherfield is becoming the star at the Power Five level he’s long projected to be. What Brakel saw in 2017 has been on display for the Sooners. And just like that summer day six years ago, he stood out among his peers.

“He’s just wired a little bit differently, and I mean that in a good way,” Brakel said. “Some of his peers and his teammates just weren’t quite on the level he’s at. A lot of times, when they’re wired that way, it just drives them to a whole other level.”

‘He’s one of those rare guys that can really score at all three levels’

Sherfield declared for the NBA draft last April, but withdrew his name and entered the transfer portal a week later. His move to Reno, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, had made him feel distant from his family, and he wanted to play in a place where they could easily travel to watch him.

He connected with Moser at the beginning of May and visited Norman with his father, Antoine. They were joined by Moser’s staff and senior forward Jalen Hill. Sherfield was impressed with Moser’s passion and energy and got along well with Hill.

Norman also put him close to his family — a three-hour drive from his birthplace of Wichita — where some of his family resides, and Arlington. All of this persuaded Sherfield to transfer to OU on May 25, becoming the third and final player in the Sooners’ 2022 transfer class, joining junior guard Joe Bamisile

Hill and senior forward Tanner Groves. Brady helped tweak Sherfield’s shot and improved his passing, with Moser calling Sherfield one of OU’s elite passers this season.

Moser helped Sherfield improve his defense, spending hours with him on the court and off, watching film of his games at Nevada and his practices at OU.

“He just wants to be able to compete extremely hard on both ends,” Antoine said. “He worked on all facets of his game to adjust to Porter’s scheme. He wants the same energy on offense as he does on defense and to just be a competitor on both ends.”

Sherfield also started bonding with his new teammates, hosting several team nights at his house before the season began and playing “NBA2K” with his teammates in his spare time.

“It was pretty easy to mesh here,” Sherfield said during OU’s local media day. “We have a bunch of great guys that are very welcoming. When I got on campus, it was really easy to mesh with all the guys. Everybody’s super cool and likes to play video games.”

Like at Nevada, Sherfield immediately became OU’s primary scorer. He attempts a team-high 12 field goals per game and ranks second in the Big 12 Conference in points per game. Moser has schemed his offense around Sherfield, making sure he’s OU’s “shot clock guy” who has the final shot when little time remains.

In the final five minutes against South Alabama on Nov. 18, Sherfield drained a pivotal 3-pointer to cut the Sooners’ deficit to one before drilling two free throws to cement a 64-60 victory. Against Florida on Dec. 20, he recorded nine of the Sooners’ final 13 points in a 62-53 win.

“(Sherfield is) a really good offensive player, and he really can see the floor,” Moser said on Sept. 29. “He’s one of those rare guys that can really score at all three levels. He can shoot the three, he’s got one of the best mid-range games and he gets to the rim. But, what makes him hard to guard on ball screens is you’re going to have to pick a forest because he can really pass out to the bigs.”

‘His focus has always been trying to get better’

Sherfield had become fond of Brakel, but wanted to find a place that would help him prepare for college.

He and his dather began talking about the move to Sunrise, where former OU and current Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield played from 2010-12. The two ultimately decided it was the best move to help him prepare for college, as Sherfield again looked for the best place to grow.

“He knew at some particular point, he was gonna have to leave the traditional high school and to really be prepared for college,” Antoine said. “It was his decision, and he knew he had to make that jump … to be an immediate contributor at the (Division I) level.”

He immediately set his sights on Nevada, where Alford was hired a year earlier. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he couldn’t visit. But, he had numerous conversations with Alford, a former national championship-winning guard at Indiana in 1987, continuing to build on their relationship.

Sherfield didn’t want to go anywhere else, and he transferred to the Wolfpack that May.

“It was just because of Steve Alford,” Antoine said. “That’s why he went there. He didn’t even go to the campus. It was only the relationship that he had built with Steve. As a point guard, he wants to have that relationship with a coach. For him, it’s important.”

Sherfield immediately started for Nevada, averaging a teamhigh 18.6 points per game during his sophomore season, earning Mountain West Conference First-team and Newcomer of the Year honors. He scored 26 points and shot 57 percent from the field in the MWC Tournament quarterfinal against Boise

“

State, but the Wolfpack fell against No. 19 San Diego State in the semifinal before missing the NCAA Tournament with a 16-10 record.

Sherfield improved his junior year, averaging 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, receiving another AllMWC selection. Again, Sherfield performed great in the MWC Tournament, recording a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds in the first round against New Mexico. But, after narrowly losing to Boise State in the quarterfinal, Nevada’s season was over with a 13-18 record.

Sherfield found himself in the same situation he was in at Mansfield Summit, starring on the court and hungry to play at a higher level. Sherfield considered declaring for the draft or transferring to a Power Five school. Like at North Crawley, he loved his coach in Alford. But, Sherfield knew he needed to move up to find the best opportunity to shine.

from George Washington and junior forward Sam Godwin from Wofford.

“It just really made sense for him,” Antoine said. “He wanted his family to have the opportunity to watch him play and enjoy his success. I think that was the biggest thing. Porter had a lot of energy as well, so he really liked him.”

He arrived in Norman last summer and immediately got down to business. Sherfield worked with former assistant coach Matt Brady, who was called the “shot doctor” by teammates

Sherfield moved in with a host family in Wichita provided by Sunrise and led the Buffaloes to an appearance in the GEICO Nationals. Antoine didn’t go with him, but Sherfield was still close to several family members, including his grandma, whom he’d always take time to see.

Then, he began college down the road at Wichita State. But, it didn’t start as expected.

While he played well, averaging 8.1 points in 30 games, the Shockers’ season was clouded by alleged physical and verbal abuse from their coach, Gregg Marshall, that would be uncovered after the season ended. It led to six players, including Sherfield, transferring out of Wichita State after the 2019-20 season. For the third time, Sherfield was a recruit.

As he contemplated, he continued working on his game, wanting to be prepared for whatever came next.

“For him, there’s never really an offseason,” Antoine said. “Basketball is year-round for him. He’s always trying to get in better shape, be a better shooter, be a better ball-handler, you name it. He spent a lot of time doing many reflections. All of that just comes with time … and patience. It’s no different than any other job. His focus has always been trying to get better.”

‘He’s really worked hard, and he’s phenomenal because of it’

Sherfield’s work ethic started from an early age.

Father and son attended their local YMCA gym at 5 a.m.

“

There was no doubt that he was going to be a college basketball player.

-TOMMY BRAKEL, North Crowley High School head coach

“ “

For him, there’s never really an offseason. Basketball is yearound for him.

-Antoine Sher eld, Grant’s father

every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to work on shooting before playing pickup games with friends at 6 a.m. When Sherfield turned 10, and his skill level outgrew kids his age, he began playing pickup games with Antoine and his friends.

That maturation continued when Brakel saw him in 2017. At that summer camp, Sherfield outperformed older players, and he did so when he got to North Crawley. Brakel was impressed with how he carried himself off the court as well.

“He was mature beyond his age,” Brakel said. “He could fit in with his peers, but he almost could fit in with the adults in the room better. He could just sit there and have an adult conversation with you … and it was almost like you had another coach in the room. You’ve got another adult in the room. That really stood out.”

At North Crowley, Sherfield’s work ethic led him to take on whatever challenges Brakel threw at him. They spent many hours watching film before games and after practice, working to improve his defense or body language.

He’s continued that trend at OU, impressing Moser.

“Most of the time, we look at off-the-ball defense,” Moser said on Dec. 16, four days after Sherfield earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for scoring 23 points against then-No. 9 Arkansas. “We always want him to stay connected with the other guys. He’s really improving in that area, and those are some of the things we’re intentionally working on with him.”

From the moment Brakel saw Sherfield at Mansfield Summit, he knew he would be special. Now at Oklahoma, Sherfield has made his former coach’s words sound more like a prophecy

than a prediction.

He’s become the high-level player he wanted to be when he transferred to OU and may be on track to reach the professional level. Sherfield has not just exceeded Brakel’s expectations, he’s become the standard Brakel wants everyone to play like.

“When I was here, I think it was very easy to point to Grant and say, ‘Hey, if you want to be special, and if you want to play beyond high school, this is what you have to be.’” Brakel said.

“This is the work ethic you have to have and this is the time and energy that you have to dedicate to it. He’s really worked hard, and he’s phenomenal because of it.”

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY Senior guard Grant Sherfield during the game against Arkansas in Tulsa on Dec. 10, 2022.

STARTHERE GO THER E

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Information current as of 1/6/2023

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RENTER EDUCATION

Looking forward to hopeful spring

JASON BATACAO jason.f.batacao-1@ou.edu

Baylor

Baylor touts one of the best programs in the Big 12, coming off a national championship just two seasons ago.

Bears coach Scott Drew’s program is led by freshman guard Keyonte George, redshirt senior guard Adam Flagler and junior guard LJ Cryer, one of the best backcourts in the conference this season.

Entering the first contest between OU and the Bears, George was averaging 17.7 points per game and Flagler was averaging 16 while Cryer was adding 14.2 a game.

The Sooners face Baylor again on Feb. 8 in Waco.

Kansas State

The Wildcats finished the 2021-22 season 14-17, losing their final six games and missing the tournament. Bringing in new head coach Jerome Tang, the Wildcats are the conference’s most surprising team thus far.

Kansas State has wins over tough conference foes Kansas, Texas and Baylor so far.

Senior forward Keyontae Johnson, a Florida transfer, is leading the charge after missing most of the last two seasons with a medical condition. KSU also boasts senior guard Markquis Nowell, who leads the Big 12 in assists and is also a potent scorer.

The Sooners will face the Wildcats on Feb. 14 in Norman and on March 1 in Manhattan.

Kansas

Kansas head coach Bill Self led his program to a national championship in 2022, and they’re a favorite to repeat this season.

The Jayhawks are led by junior forward Jalen Wilson and freshman guard Gradey Dick, who top the team in scoring. Wilson is among the top scorers in the Big 12 and is a contender for national player of the year.

OU fell to Kansas 79-75 on Jan. 10 in Lawrence and blew a 10-point lead in the loss. Oklahoma hasn’t defeated KU in Lawrence in 30 years.

Oklahoma is 9-30 all-time against Kansas, with its most recent win coming on Jan. 23, 2021. OU rematches the Jayhawks in Norman on Feb. 11.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton is in his sixth season with the Cowboys, with hopes to make a return to March Madness.

OSU is led by junior guard Bryce Thompson and senior guard Avery Anderson on offense this season.

One of the worst offenses in the Big 12 this season, the Cowboys exploded for 48 second-half points against the Sooners on Jan. 18. OU fell to OSU 72-56, one of its worst losses of the season thus far.

Oklahoma faces the Cowboys again Feb. 1 in Norman.

Texas

The Longhorns already have one win over the Sooners this season, taking a 70-69 victory on Dec. 31 in Norman.

Oklahoma struggled to close the game after giving up 11 offense rebounds in the second half and four in the final minute of the game. The Sooners missed out on an early win in conference play against a top-10 ranked opponent.

Rodney Terry has led the Longhorns as the interim head coach after Chris Beard was fired on Jan. 5. Senior guard Marcus Carr and sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter have been one of the best backcourt duos in the conference.

Oklahoma played well against the pair, forcing them to shoot a combined 5 for 19 total.

The Sooners face the Longhorns again on Feb. 18 in Austin.

TCU

TCU returns nearly its entire team from last season that nearly upset No. 1-seeded Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

The Horned Frogs are led by Mike Miles Jr, their leading scorer who was picked as the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. Miles is joined by senior forward Emanuel Miller and senior Damian Baugh who are TCU’s other top scorers.

Head coach Jamie Dixon has revitalized a program not known for its basketball prowess, and in 2023, TCU is hoping for one of its best seasons in school history.

OU faces TCU on Jan. 24 in Fort Worth and March 4 in Norman.

Texas Tech

The Sooners defeated the Red Raiders for the first time in Lubbock since 2015 on Jan. 8.

It was Oklahoma’s first conference win of the season, clinching a 68-63 victory in overtime. Freshman guard Milos Uzan and junior forward Jalen Hill combined for 18 points each.

Texas Tech is led by coach Mark Adams and leading scorers, senior forward Kevin Obanor and former Sooner senior guard

BOB NGUYEN/OU DAILY

De’Vion Harmon. Harmon scored a team-high 23 points against the Sooners in Lubbock, including 19 second half points that spurred a 13-point comeback in the second half. Oklahoma will face the Red Raiders for a second time on Feb. 21 in Norman.

West Virginia

The Sooners earned a 77-76 hard-fought win over West Virginia on Jan. 14 in Norman.

The Mountaineers are led by leading scorers senior guard Erik Stevenson, a South Carolina and senior forward Tre Mitchell, a Texas transfer.

OU’s Grant Sherfield scored 22 points with three 3-pointers in the win. WVU was led by Mitchell, who scored 16.

The Mountaineers’ best win of the season came against then-No. 14 TCU on Jan. 18, when they won 74-65.

The Sooners meet West Virginia again at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 in Morgantown.

Iowa State

The Sooners lost 63-60 to Iowa State in their first matchup on Jan. 4 in Norman.

Oklahoma traded leads with the Cyclones late in the second half, but missed a chance to take a lead with 16.1 seconds remaining. After the Cyclones turned the ball over, sophomore guard Bijan Cortes lobbed a pass to junior forward Jalen Hill under the rim, but the pass resulted in a turnover and eventual loss for the Sooners.

Oklahoma struggled offensively against Iowa State’s tough defense, Sherfield, OU’s leading scorer, scored a season-low four points on a season-worst 1-for-7 shooting from the field.

Porter Moser’s squad will have a chance to recover against the Cyclones on Feb. 25 in Ames.

Projecting strong women’s basketball finish

RYAN MITCHELL ryanmarie@ou.edu

West Virginia

The Sooners defeated West Virginia 98-77 in the teams’ first outing on Dec. 31 in Morgantown.

OU shot 56.7 percent from the field and made 14 3-pointers in the win.

Despite losing by a wide margin, the Mountaineers had success in the backcourt. Guards JJ Quinerly and Madisen Smith combined for 51 points in the loss. Oklahoma was led by senior guard Ana Llanusa, who scored 28 points in the contest.

Oklahoma will look to sweep the season series at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2 in Norman.

Baylor

Oklahoma historically struggles when matched up against Baylor. The Sooners were victorious against the Bears twice last season before falling to them 91-78 in the Big 12 Tournament.

OU fell to the Bears 81-70 on Jan. 3, its first loss in conference play. The Sooners shot only 31.1 percent as a team in the loss.

The Bears are led by guard Sarah Andrews, who was an All Big-12 second team selection last season. She scored 30 points against Oklahoma in the first outing.

The Sooners are 2-6 against the Bears in the last eight meetings. OU will look for a win in a rematch at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 in Waco.

Iowa State

Oklahoma will look for the season sweep against Iowa State on the road in Ames at 3 p.m. on Jan. 28.

The Sooners defeated then-No. 11 Cyclones 82-79 on Jan. 8 in Norman, led by Llanusa, who scored 23 points.

Iowa State is led by Ashley Joens, perhaps the top player in the Big 12. She leads the Cyclones in points per game this season. Last season, she was a unanimous All-Big 12 first team member for the third time in her career. Ashley’s sister, Aubrey’ transferred from Iowa State to OU before the season.

The Sooners lost to Iowa State in both matchups last season. Ashley Joens scored a combined 45 points in both wins against the Sooners.

Texas Tech

Oklahoma will look for another season sweep when it faces Texas Tech at 6 p.m. on Feb. 15 in Norman.

The Sooners defeated the Red Raiders 89-79 in their first matchup on Jan. 11, where Llanusa led the team with 20 points.

Texas Tech is led by senior guard Bre’Amber Scott, one of the better scores in the Big 12. Scott scored 23 points off the bench against OU in the first meeting.

Kansas

Oklahoma defeated then-No. 23 Kansas 80-74 on Jan. 14 in Norman. The two teams meet again on Feb. 19 in Lawrence.

OU was led by senior forward Madi Williams, who scored 20 points, in the first contest. The Sooners were able to win despite shooting 33.3 percent as a team.

The Jayhawks are led in scoring by senior guard Holly Kersgieter, a Sand Springs, Oklahoma, native. Kersgieter is joined in the backcourt by Wyvette Mayberry and Zakiyah Franklin, who are also averaging double-digits. Kansas also boasts center Taiyanna Jackson, who stands 6-foot-6 and is one of the best shot blockers in the conference.

TCU

The Sooners defeated the struggling Horned Frogs 93-66 on Jan. 18 in Fort Worth, their largest win of conference play so far.

Williams led OU with 19 points, and was followed by Llanusa with 17 and senior forward Liz Scott with 12. Oklahoma held TCU to 34.8 percent shooting and only 4 3-point makes in the first meeting.

The Horned Frogs are led by Tomi Taiwo, their leading scorer who transferred from Iowa before the season. Taiwo was held to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting against the Sooners.

OU rematches TCU at 6 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Norman.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma faces the new-look Cowgirls under first-year head coach Jacie Hoyt on Jan. 21 in Norman and March 4 in Stillwater.

The Sooners defeated Oklahoma State on the road 79-76 near the end of the 2021-22 season, led by Robertson who scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double.

The Cowgirls are led in points per game by Naomi Alnatas, who followed Hoyt from Kansas City. In 2021-22, Alnatas was second in the Summit League in scoring with 18.6 points per game.

The Cowgirls also have another transfer averaging double-digit points per game in Claire Chastain, who spent the

past four seasons at UT-Arlington.

The Sooners will look to contain the Cowgirls newcomers’ to secure Bedlam wins.

Texas

The Sooners face their rivals across the Red River on Jan. 25 in Austin and Feb. 25 in Norman.

The Longhorns are led by DePaul transfer Sonya Morris, who leads them in scoring. Last season at DePaul, Morris was tabbed an All Big-East first team selection averaging 17.6 points per game.

In last year’s match up against the Sooners on Jan. 29, Moore, Oklahoma, native Aaliyah Moore scored 10 points and recorded a pair of blocks. She also ranked second on the team in field goal percentage, shooting 51.3 percent from the field.

Oklahoma will have to contain Texas’ new talent whenever they match up to secure a victory over the Longhorns.

Kansas State

The Sooners will go on the road to face the Wildcats in Manhattan at 1 p.m. on Feb. 12. They will face each other again at 6 p.m. on March 1 in Norman.

Oklahoma will contend with a familiar face in Gabby Gregory, who transferred to Kansas State after battling injury and struggling for playing time at OU last season.

Gregory is among the top scorers in the conference at her new school.

In her sophomore season at Oklahoma, Gregory started in all 24 games for the Sooners and averaged 16.6 points per game, second most on the team. Gregory also shot 84.7 percent from the free-throw line to rank third among Big 12 players.

Outside of Gregory, the Wildcats are a young team. Their next three leading scorers— Jaelyn Glenn, Serena Sundell and Brylee Glenn — are all sophomores.

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

Sooners before the game against Robert Morris University on Dec. 11, 2022.

Motivation in past team’s legacy

of virtually all its players added maturity to talent and allowed a familial atmosphere to thrive in the program’s culture.

“It was terrible. Any loss is tough, but (when) you know it’s gonna be your last game that season … it’s just devastating,” Stevenson recently said, looking back on her career at OU. “We had a lot of talent, so it was just hard to know we didn’t have that next game to play. We definitely built off of it though.”

following their highest win total in over a decade and the return of a big three.

After a pleasant start to the campaign, OU faced adversity early at the hands of a 124-78 blowout loss to No. 15 Utah. The loss seemingly exposed a stream of flaws previously neglected, such as rebounding, where Utah held a distinct 51-31 advantage over the Sooners.

LOUIS RASER Louis.d.raser-1@ou.edu

Nyeshia Stevenson recalls a quiet ride back to Norman, where the Sooners let their upcoming bulletin board material sink in.

Oklahoma’s 2008 season had just concluded with a 79-75 overtime loss to then-No. 5 seed Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. OU, while talented, carried no seniors on its roster and three juniors. Though the lack of experience hurt the Sooners at the time, the group’s returning

After waiting months for a shot at its sought out redemption, OU rebounded with one of its best seasons ever, reaching the Final Four and claiming a share of the Big 12 title with a 15-1 conference record.

Just over 13 years later, the Sooners lost to No. 5 seed Notre Dame again in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. This year’s Oklahoma team — ranked No. 23 and bolstered by fifth-year seniors Taylor Robertson and Madi Williams, and sixth-year Ana Llanusa — parallels OU’s experience and talent of the 2009 season.

Second-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk and the Sooners entered the 2022-23 season with heightened expectations

As for the popular phrase “live and die by the 3-pointer,” the latter was true of the Sooners, who shot just 3-of-16 shots from 3-point range in the contest. Additionally, their defense had surrendered over 90 points for the second time in just four games.

“Every team has (weaknesses), it’s about how well you can minimize them,” former OU head coach Sherri Coale said. “We used to ask our team ‘what do you think you can do better than anyone in the country?’ There might’ve been a long list of things we couldn’t do better than five teams in our league, but if there was one thing we could do better than anybody else in the country. … We focused on that. That doesn’t mean you

Today’s Sooners looking to past performances from 2008-09 season for inspiration

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

don’t try to get better at defense, or rebounding … any of that stuff. It just means you can’t forget what you’re good at while you’re working on those things. There has to be a proper ratio there.”

“(Despite) those things that maybe aren’t going great for them right now, the fact that they can score points in … truckloads is hard for people to deal with. At the end of the night, who has the most points on the board (wins) the game … and this

(current) group of kids can put the ball in the basket, there’s no question.”

OU faced its next real challenge when Mississippi, ranked fifth in the nation in offensive rebounds at the time, stormed into Norman looking to overpower the Sooners in the paint. OU stepped up and held Mississippi to a season-low 11 offensive rebounds while pulling down 15 of its own.

While OU rides high at the moment, its senior trio knows

their continued efforts of improvement and leadership throughout the season will be crucial to whether the deep postseason run by the 2009 team will be repeated.

“I definitely see some similarities,” Stevenson said of the current squad compared to her Final Four teams. “(The Final Four) is just a totally different level. What will make them meet that bar is how hard they work right now to get to the later part of the season.”

‘Nothing but grit and will’

Courtney Paris stood in front of Lloyd Noble Center on senior night in 2009, striking a deal with the Sooner faithful. Paris, one of the top WNBA draft prospects at the time, promised to return her scholarship money if OU didn’t win the national championship.

“I didn’t expect something so concrete to come out of a … 21 year old,” then-freshman guard Jasmine Hartman recalled. “If anything, you would expect someone in the NBA (or) WNBA making that statement. But you could tell she was definitely all in. I thought that showed her leadership in terms of wanting to do something special … (and) that made us rise to the occasion.”

OU backed Paris’ claim by claiming double-digit victories in each of the first three rounds, then taking down No. 6 seed Purdue in the Elite Eight. While the Sooners fell short, letting an early 14-point lead slip and ultimately losing 61-59 to Louisville in the Final Four, the group nonetheless set the standard for the program’s future.

“We were very on edge because we were chasing something that we wanted to achieve,” Hartman said. “Every practice was so intense, everyone was just getting after it. We were running a mile per day. It was kinda insane for us at the time. You could see the tides turning, we had team bonding going on, we were tight (knit). ... Everybody had their different personalities but everybody knew they had a role to fulfill.”

The determination and countless hours of work propelled the Sooners to a 32-5 record, second best in program history. Despite six Big 12 teams finishing the season ranked in the Top 25, and four advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, OU cruised to a 15-1 record in conference play, marking the last time an OU team has won a share of the Big 12 title.

“We were a family,” Stevenson said. “It was literally nothing but grit and will. I just really enjoyed the fight that we had together.

“Talent can get you a lot of places, it can get you far. But if it’s a one man show or no one is sticking to the plan … it’s just gonna fall apart every time. At the end of the day you have to outscore the other team, that’s done with teamwork.”

The 2009 team was one of three Final Four squads coached by Coale, distinguishing itself from the others by taking advantage of mismatches in the paint, thanks to Paris. The 6-foot-4 center used the game plan to continue her streak of 112 double doubles, most in NCAA history, through most of her senior year.

Though each of Coale’s Final Four teams were unique in styles of play, the three shared one main characteristic.

“All three Final Four teams I coached, the similarity was that the whole was greater than the sum of the parts,” Coale said.

“The players cared more about what we got done together than what any of them got done individually. It’s the big goal, the cause outside of themselves that drove them. … (That) was the distinguishing trait.”

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

Senior forward Liz Scott during the game against Robert Morris University on Dec. 11, 2022.

‘I just didn’t wanna let that go’

Williams, Robertson and Llanusa had a decision to make toward the end of last season.

Each was granted an extra year of eligibility, conflicting with their goals of playing at the highest level. Robertson and Williams capped the 2021-22 season by receiving unanimous first team All-Big 12 selections, boosting already attractive WNBA resumes.

For Williams, it was her second consecutive first team All-Big 12 honor and accompanied her being named one of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award, given to the nation’s top small forward. Robertson was also named one of five finalists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale award and amassed the Big 12 career 3-point record last season.

By opting to declare for the WNBA draft, the trio was aware of the unfinished business they’d be leaving in Norman, similar to that of Paris years ago.

“We didn’t even have to have a conversation,” Williams said. “We just all had the same vision (of) what we wanted next year and we knew we’d be able to get that. We’ve built so much chemistry and so many memories. … I just didn’t wanna let that go.

“I have so much belief in this team and what we can do, I have belief in this staff and their plan for us, so we’re ready to see what we can do.”

The 2022-23 campaign marks the fifth consecutive season OU’s trio competes alongside one another, a seemingly uncanny mark in the age of the transfer portal.

The trio has made it clear that their on-court play is rivaled only by the off-court bond.

“It just speaks to our team and that we all believe,” Robertson said. “I think why we’re so good on the court is because of our great relationship off the court … (and) it’s just grown over the years. We’re all our own unique person and when you mesh them together we just always have a good time and that leads to success on the court.”

The connection was apparent from the season-opening 10594 victory over Oral Roberts in which the three combined for 45 points and 10 assists.

Their journey hasn’t always produced results, however. They first stepped on the court together during the 2018-19 season, when OU finished with a 8-22 record, its worst in over two decades. Though the Sooners weren’t finding success, the sophomore and two freshmen at the time displayed their potential by capping the season as the three leading scorers on the team.

The Sooners have since surrounded their core with much-needed depth. Through the first eight games of the 2022 campaign, 11 of their 14 active players have appeared in every contest with 10 averaging double-digit playing time. The trio’s growth as well as new additions elevated OU to a 17-win improvement in just four years.

“Their experience (is) the number one thing,” Coale said. “They have so many minutes logged in live games where people are keeping score and everybody’s paying attention. There’s no substitute for that. They had to play a lot before they were probably ready to play a lot. And while it was painful at the time, when they were young, they’re now reaping the benefits of those minutes logged and those hard lessons learned.

“They had to make mistakes, they had to learn and grow from them quickly. They didn’t have the luxury of … worrying about it because they had to turn around and play again in two days. There’s a cumulative power in that … (and it) results in a real sense of confidence. There’s an added value to it that there’s not

a column on the stat sheet for, and those guys have it.”

‘She was ready for the position’

When Coale retired after the 2021 season, the program was left in question for the first time in over 20 years.

Coale set a new bar for Oklahoma basketball, appearing in three Final Fours and winning a share of the Big 12 title seven times over a 25-year tenure. The Sooners also made 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2000-2018.

Enter Baranczyk, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year who took over for an OU squad that hadn’t appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2018. In her opening season, the former Drake coach managed the first 25-win campaign since 2010 along with a victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“You don’t know that when you walk away, you hope that’s the case,” Coale said of her uncertainty regarding the open coaching position. “My impression since she’s been here is that she’s incredibly capable. She’s respectful of the tradition, she’s been extremely inclusive. … She cares about (her players’) growth and who they become as well as what they do while they’re here. Those are things that make me very happy and very proud.”

Baranczyk thrives off the phrase “rip it out,” which has become a go-to saying as well as an accurate description of her fiery coaching style, according to Robertson. The aggressive style of play Baranczyk instilled during her initial season propelled the Sooners to an average of 83.3 points per game, third-highest nationally.

“Leading is lonely,” Coale said, “and being the head coach of any program is a daunting task. Not many people know what it feels like to sit in that chair. She was ready for the position (though), there’s no question.”

Entering her second season, Baranczyk faces even higher expectations.

OU capped last season as the No. 22-ranked team and appeared as high as No. 12 throughout the year. After returning over 90 percent of its scoring output and eight of its nine players who started games last season, OU was ranked No. 15 in the 2022 preseason AP Poll. Despite being the highest initial ranking the Sooners have received since 2013, the polls appear to have gone unnoticed through OU’s locker room.

“We’re only worried about one expectation (and) that’s our own,” Williams said. “We have high expectations for ourselves and we’re ready to meet those expectations. We’re ready to go out and perform every night … come out with as many wins as we can and have a pretty deep run in the season.

Baranczyk also understands the challenge of winning the Big 12, a conference with four teams ranked in the top 25, as well as two others receiving votes. The Big 12 was also the only Power Five conference to go undefeated in the first round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.

“There’s so many different styles of play. … You have to prepare differently every night,” Baranczyk said. “That’s what makes our conference so unique. Any given night anybody can beat anybody. Because of that … nothing really shocks you when you get into postseason play.”

Baranczyk and the Sooners have a chance to accomplish a multitude of feats as they delve into the 2022-23 season with focus and determination.

“The way we ended last season has really made us hungry,” Baranczyk said. “(It) keeps our motivation at getting better every day. … I’m really excited about this team.”

‘It’s tradition as a family’

When Hartman stepped into one of the premier programs in college basketball, she felt lost.

Hartman was entering a championship-caliber team with years of built-up chemistry on and off the court. The homesickness and loneliness she felt was short-lived due to the efforts of senior Carolyn Winchester, who took Hartman under her wing as part of a long lived tradition in OU basketball.

“Her leadership (and) the way she would communicate (with me),” Hartman said, “she would take notes for me, she would drag me in and we would have conversations about how I’m feeling and … how I can get through those moments of feeling down.

“It’s tradition as a family. … Everyone was taking care of each other.”

Winchester was first in a long line of Sooners to comfort Hartman. Courtney and her sister Ashley as well as Danielle Robinson, despite accounting for the starpower of the team and going on to play in the WNBA, took the time to forge a bond with the freshman.

“Courtney and Ashley … they were just very open and they’re still open,” Hartman said. “I can call them (or) text them if I need. They’re still … family (and) people I can trust.”

“Danielle Robinson (played) a big part because we were playing the same position at the time … we were tight. I didn’t care if I was competing against Danielle or where I should be in terms of that ranking. … We were family oriented.”

The tradition of mentorship lives on in OU’s culture in 2022, highlighted by the trio of veterans. Their leadership faced its first test of the season following a blowout loss to Utah on Nov. 16, in which Robertson sent a message to her teammates to “get back to being us.” OU rebounded by stringing together consecutive wins in the following weeks.

Part of their leadership will be aimed toward nurturing a pair of freshmen in 6-foot-4 forward Kiersten Johnson and 6-foot3 center Beatrice Culliton. Their development will be key for the Sooners, who conceded an NCAA all-time record 61 points to 6-foot-6 center Ayoka Lee in their Jan. 23 matchup against Kansas State last season.

“It’s hard for freshmen to come into an elite team and feel like they’re already there, they’re lost,” Hartman said. “You have to grab a hold of them and teach them the way n… ‘this is what we want to do, this is what we expect.’ For me to have that family, (those) people I can trust … that’s what a freshman needs, someone to be that big sister.”

OU’s shortcomings from its loss to Notre Dame 13 years ago were patched from the year of experience gained transitioning from 2008 to 2009. The experience that propelled it from the second round of the NCAA Tournament to a Big 12 title and Final Four appearance serves advantageous to the current squad, headlined by a trio entering their fifth year together.

The trio is now spoiled with more depth than ever before, including a highly touted freshman class ready to fill the struggles of last season. OU’s experience and talent flooding the 2022-23 team gives it a chance to repeat, and possibly further, the efforts of the 2009 squad.

“We understand how close and how far we are at the same time,” Baranczyk said. “I think we have a lot of potential. (With) the versatility … of our new players and the versatility we’ve continued to strengthen and grow with our returners, it’s gonna be a really fun season.”

Women’s gym striving for title repeat

COLTON SULLEY colton.m.sulley-1@ou.edu

Oklahoma women’s gymnastics is looking to repeat as national champions for the second time in program history this spring after going back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.

Led by legendary coach K.J. Kindler in her 17th season in Norman, the Sooners finished with a 31-2 overall record in 2022 and defeated Utah, Florida and Auburn in the NCAA Finals to win their fifth title.

OU enters the season ranked No. 1 in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association’s preseason poll and returns NCAA medalists junior all-around Audrey Davis who finished second in bars, sophomore all-around Jordan Bowers who finished second in floor and fifth-year senior Allie Stern who finished third in vault.

Oklahoma also brings back veterans all-around senior Ragan Smith and fifth-year senior all-around Olivia Trautman. Senior balance beam Jenna Dunn, who will leadoff on the beam for OU this season, also returns. The Sooners also added elite freshmen all-arounds Ava Siegfeldt, Caitlin Smith and Faith Torrez.

OU opened its season with a tough win at the Super 16 against superstar Suni Lee and No. 5 Auburn, No. 4 Michigan, and No. 10 UCLA on Jan. 7 in Las Vegas. Oklahoma is also scheduled to compete in the Metroplex Challenge against Stanford, Alabama and Arkansas on Saturday, Feb. 11 in Fort Worth.

Other notable meets on the Sooners’ schedule include at LSU at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16, vs. Utah at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22 on ESPN, vs. Florida at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, March 3 on ESPN2 and a second matchup against the Wolverines at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 6 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

OU faces Big 12 foes Denver on Jan. 29, Iowa State on Feb. 3 and West Virginia on Feb. 24.

The Big 12 Championship begins on Saturday, March 18, while the NCAA Norman Regional is scheduled to begin on March 29. If Oklahoma advances, the NCAA Championships begin on April 13.

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

Senior Olivia Trautman during the Metroplex Challenge on Feb. 19, 2022.

At No. 1 with established veterans, Sooners look to win back-to-back national championships

OU softball eyeing world series 3-peat

AUSTIN CURTRIGHT austincurtright@ou.edu

In 2023, Oklahoma is looking to become the second program in Division I softball history to win back-to-back-to-back national championships.

Following a 56-4 record last season, the Sooners cruised through the postseason with a 10-1 record in legendary head coach Patty Gasso’s 28th season at the helm.

OU opens its season on Feb. 9 at the Mark Campbell Invitational in Irvine, California, against Duke. It’s also scheduled against Liberty, Stanford, Washington and San Jose State. After appearing in six tournaments, the Sooners will start their Big 12 slate against Iowa State on March 24.

Despite losing Jocelyn Alo, the best hitter in the history of the sport, OU returns a star-studded lineup, headlined by shortstop Grace Lyons, infielder Tiare Jennings, center fielder Jayda Coleman, each of whom were first-team All-Americans last season.

Oklahoma also added an impressive transfer portal class, adding infielders Cydney Sanders and Alynah Torres from Arizona State, along with Michigan pitcher Alex Storako and Texas A&M utility Haley Lee.

Sanders was also a first-team All-American last season, hitting 21 home runs as a freshman. Her teammate, Torres, hit 16 home runs with a .339 batting average as a junior last season.

Storako, a first-team All-American in 2021, was not quite as effective in 2022, but still ranked sixth nationally in strikeouts with 300. In Lee, the Sooners are adding one of the SEC’s best homerun hitters of the last two seasons, with 40 combined in 2021 and 2022.

Also returning is ace pitcher Jordy Bahl, a fellow first-team All-American in 2022 who recorded a 1.05 earned-run average as a freshman. She’s joined by junior Nicole May, who’s pitched over 177 innings in her first two seasons.

Possibly following Bahl’s footsteps from last season is freshman left-handed pitcher Kiersten Deal, the No. 1 ranked player in the 2022 class by Extra Innings Softball. Deal will help lessen the blow left by Hope Trautwein, who started all five of OU’s Women’s College World Series games as Bahl recovered from injury.

Deal is joined by three other freshmen in Avery Hodge, Jocelyn Erickson and SJ Geurin, who were ranked as the sixth, ninth and 20th best recruits in the 2022 class, respectively.

Sooners during game two of Friday’s double-header against Iowa State on April 22, 2022.

Other returning contributors include senior catcher Kinzie Hansen, senior outfielder Rylie Boone, junior outfielder Alyssa Brito and redshirt senior utility Grace Green. OU also returns sophomore utility Sophia Nugent, sophomore outfielder Hannah Coor and redshirt freshman infielder Quincee Lilio.

The 10-time defending Big 12 champions will face four Women’s College World Series participants from last season — UCLA, Texas, Oklahoma State and Northwestern — in 2023. OU faces the Bruins on Feb. 26 at the Mary Nutter

Collegiate Classic, and meets Northwestern at the Omni Hall of Fame Classic on March 17 in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners’ championship rematch against Texas takes place in a series from March 31-April 2 in Norman, before closing the regular season with Oklahoma State on May 4-6 in Stillwater.

Gasso and the Sooners, as the likely favorites to win the national championship yet again, will look to add their seventh in program history and fifth since 2016, in 2023.

OU coach Patty Gasso hopes to lead Sooners to third-straight national championship victory

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

First national championship

June will mark the 23rd anniversary of Oklahoma softball winning its frst national championship, which was the frst by a women’s sports program in school history.

2000 was legendary head coach Patty Gasso’s sixth season at the helm, and the Sooners swept UCLA in a three-game series. The win was OU’s frst of the now-softball dynasty that has claimed six total national championships, including back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

“It’s been an incredible ride, an incredible story and a perfect ending,” Gasso said in an OU Daily story that was printed on June 6, 2000.

OU Daily covered Oklahoma’s improbable win against one of softball’s juggernauts, and then-Daily staffer Josh Ward wrote, “OU had solidifed its place among the nation’s elite softball teams.”

The Sooners not only did that, but eventually put together one of the most dominant stretches in sports history, fnishing the last two seasons with a combined 115-7 record. Gasso and OU will look to become the second team to three-peat national titles in softball history, only behind none other than UCLA, who captured the feat from 1988-90, and was the team Oklahoma bested that kicked off its dynasty.

CALENDAR

Men’s basketball vs. Alabama at 1 p.m. on Jan. 28 in Norman

Wrestling vs. Missouri at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3 in Norman.

Women’s basketball vs. Baylor at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 in Waco.

Men’s basketball vs. Kansas at 12 p.m. on Feb. 11 in Norman

Women’s gymnastics vs. Stanford, Alabama and Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Metroplex Challenge in Dallas.

Men’s gymnastics vs. Stanford at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 in Norman.

Wrestling vs. Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. on Feb. 16 in Stillwater.

Women’s basketball vs. Texas at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25

in Norman.

Softball vs. Florida State at 6 p.m. on March 14 in Norman.

Softball vs. Auburn at 6:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. on March 18 and 19, respectively, at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Softball vs. Texas on March 31-April 2 in Norman.

Baseball vs. Texas on April 21-23 in Austin.

OU football spring game on April 22. Time not yet announced.

Softball vs. Oklahoma State on May 4-6 in Stillwater.

Baseball vs. Oklahoma State on May 18-20 in Norman.

46 Items on monuments’ walls 48 Garden hose problem 49 Dean’s compilations 50 ___ colada 51 Winter malady 54 Add to the poker pot 55 “Wrecking Ball” singer 58 March 15, notably 59 Head-heels connection 60 Catches wind (of) 61 Flitter 62 Some have rows of roses 63 “New paragraph” key DOWN 1 Clammy 2 Actress Falco 3 “If it ___ broke, don’t fix it” 4 Sign before Virgo 5 Boots up 6 Courting 7 Shipwreck remnant 8 Smelting furnace input 9 Complete jerk 10 Strive 11 Metalworker with an anvil 12 Knife variety named for an Alamo defender Universal Crossword

13 1983 Barbra Streisand film 18 Umbrella weather 22 “Whatever ___ Wants” (“Damn Yankees” song) 23 Slightly open 24 Stash in the overhead bin 25 Evening, informally 26 Not yours 27 “I’m with you, sister!” 28 Private school authority 29 Knife brand originally called Quikut 33 Soothing shaving cream ingredient 34 Lairs 36 Frosted dessert

37

SOLUTION © 2023 Andrews McMeel Universal

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD WINNER

Competing against professionals, the OU Daily was presented the 2022 Carter Bradley First Amendment Award, for work that aimed to reset norms around transparency at OU and in Norman. Its winning entry included stories that:

Examined how the university handles records requests, including response times in comparison to other universities and resources available to the

Broke down

data from the Nor man Police Department to show on a per capita basis, the city’s Black residents were three times more likely than their white neighbors to be contacted, arrested or have force used against them by the police.

Monitored the football team’s quarterback controversy via the jour nalism school windows near

athletic department to institute a 72-hour national media blackout.

OKLAHOMA