Sooners Host Mississippi Valley State

NORMAN – Oklahoma men's basketball hosts Mississippi Valley State on Friday, Nov. 10. Tip is at 7:01 p.m. inside Lloyd Noble Center. The non-conference contest will air on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing and be broadcast by ESPN+ with Chad McKee (PxP) and Bryndon Manzer (analyst) on the call.

Oklahoma vs. Mississippi Valley State
Date: Friday, Nov. 10
Tip Time: 7:01 p.m.
Location: Norman
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center
(Lloyd Noble Center doors open one hour prior to tip)

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LAST TIME OUT

Junior Javian McCollum and sophomore Otega Oweh combined for 37 points and Oklahoma beat Central Michigan 89-59 to open the 2023-24 slate. Oweh wrangled a team-high eight rebounds and three steals and matched his career high with 18 points. McCollum led the Sooners with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including 3 of 6 from deep. Redshirt junior John Hugley IV added 10 points and five boards in 17-plus minutes off the bench.

Oklahoma shot 56.0% (28-50) from the floor, 45.0% (9-20) from three and 80.0% (24-30) from the free throw line. The Sooners held the lead for 34-plus minutes and entered the break up 40-21. OU forced 17 turnovers and recorded seven blocks and seven steals.

2023-24 ROSTER

Sophomore Milos Uzan, Oweh, senior Sam Godwin, redshirt-sophomore Yaya Keita, redshirt-freshman Luke Northweather and junior Jake Moser compile the group of returners from the 2022-23 season. Uzan appeared in all 32 games and made 24 starts. Oweh started nine games last season and appeared in 28 contests. Godwin, who joined the Sooners as a preferred walk-on, appeared in all 32 games and earned a scholarship following the conclusion of last season. Keita appeared in two games before a season-ending injury and Northweather redshirted.

Uzan was named to the 2022-23 Big 12 All-Freshmen Team, marking the second OU selection in as many seasons. In conference action, the Las Vegas product averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. Uzan shot 44.6% (66-148) from the field, 38.6% (22-57) from deep and 73.9% (17-23) from the free throw line. Oweh appeared in 15 Big 12 contests and started eight games, averaging 6.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per outing. Godwin made appearances in all conference contests, adding 5.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.

In addition to Oklahoma's returning core from 2022-23, the Sooners added six transfers and two freshmen to complete the 2023-24 roster. Super senior Le'Tre Darhard (Utah Valley), Hugley IV (Pittsburgh), McCollum (Siena), super senior Rivaldo Soares (Oregon), super senior Maks Klanjscek (Houston Christian) and junior Jalon Moore (Georgia Tech) made their OU debuts against Central Michigan. Kaden Cooper and Jacolb Cole signed with the Sooners and were ranked No. 71 and No. 86 in the 2023 ESPN100, respectively. Cooper made his Crimson and Cream debut against CMU.

2023-24 COACHING STAFF

Armon Gates (assistant coach), Clayton Custer (assistant coach), Brock Morris (director of player personnel and assistant coach) and Paul Jesperson (director of player development and assistant coach) are new additions to the 2023-24 coaching staff. The four new staffers joined assistant coach Ryan Humphrey, who is in his second season on the sidelines in Norman after six seasons at Notre Dame.

Custer returns to the Sooners after a brief stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater Loyola Chicago. The Overland Park, Kan., native spent two seasons as the director of video operations and player development at OU from 2021-23 and one season on Moser's staff at Loyola as director of player development in 2020-21.

Before joining the Sooners, Gates was an assistant at Oregon under Dana Altman for the 2022-23 season. The Ducks finished 21-15 and were one of the final eight teams in the NIT. The Chicago native also made stops at Nebraska (2019-22), Northwestern (2013-18), Loyola-Chicago (2011-13), TCU (2010-11) and at his alma mater, Kent State (2008-10).

Morris and Jesperson joined the Sooners after the NCAA increased the number of men's and women's basketball assistant coaches by two. Prior to joining the Sooners, Morris spent one season as an Ole Miss assistant coach. He also made stops at Louisiana (2019-22 & 2010-13), Daytona State College (2018-19), South Alabama (2015-18) and College of Southern Idaho (2013-15). Jesperson joined the Sooners after three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, serving as player development coach for two seasons from 2021-23 and assistant video coordinator during the 2020-21 campaign.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Oklahoma holds a 66-25 record at Lloyd Noble Center since 2017. The Sooners have won 82.7% (599-125) of their games at LNC since the building opened in 1975. OU's winning percentage at Lloyd Noble Center is second in the Big 12 only to Kansas' 87.8% at Allen Fieldhouse (846-117).

2024 SIGNING CLASS

Dayton Forsythe, a 6-foot-2 combo guard, is a three-star prospect by On3, 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. The Dale, Okla., product attended Dale High School and is the No. 1 recruit in Oklahoma by On3 and 247Sports.Forsythe was named the 2023 Tulsa World's State Boys Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the first junior to win the award since former Oklahoma standout Trae Young earned the honor after his 2015-16 campaign at Norman North. The Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association tabbed him as the 2023 2A Player of the Year and 2022 Region Player of the Year. He also garnered 2022 Tulsa Word All-State first team honors as a sophomore.

Forsythe led Dale to back-to-back Oklahoma Class 2A State Championships in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Dale remained unbeaten during the 2022-23 slate, finishing the season 32-0 and capping the year with a 78-52 triumph over Oklahoma Christian Academy. Forsythe recorded 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists. In the 2023 Tournament of Champions, Forsythe propelled Dale to the tournament crown and earned MVP honors, averaging 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists over three games. During his junior campaign, Forsythe averaged 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest. He shot 53% from the field, 40% from three and 81% from the free throw line. In the 2021-22 Class 2A title game, Forsythe tallied 37 points, eight rebounds and four assists, helping Dale win its first boy's championship in program history. The Pirates finished the season 29-2.

In 25 games for Team Griffin in the Nike EYBL, he averaged 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per outing. Forsythe shot 39% (89-229) from the field, 35% (35-101) from three and 84% (85-101) from the free throw line.

Kuol Atak, a 6-foot-9 forward, is a four-star prospect by On3 and ESPN and a three-star by 247Sports and Rivals. The Haltom City, Texas, product is ranked No. 70 nationally by On3, No. 113 by 247Sports and 127 by Rivals. He is the No. 3 prospect in Texas and No. 11 power forward by On3.

During the 2022-23 campaign, Atak averaged 22.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per outing. He shot 45% (223-499) from the field, 39% (92-237) from three and 89% (136-153) from the line. Atak was named to the Texas District 4 6A first team and earned team MVP honors for Haltom High School. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.3 assists per contest and was named Haltom's offensive player of the year. Atak earned Texas District 3 6A first team honors in 2021-22 and honorable mention accolades in 2020-21.

He competed on the NY2LA Association AAU circuit for 3D Empire and was named the top prospect at the U16 level. Atok averaged 31.0 points per outing in four games of the 2022 Mavs Fall Classic.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma hosts Texas State on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. inside Lloyd Noble Center.

LAST TIME OUT

2023-24 ROSTER

2023-24 COACHING STAFF

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

2024 SIGNING CLASS

UP NEXT

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kaden Cooper

Jacolb Fredson-Cole

Sam Godwin

John Hugley IV

Yaya Keita

Maks Klanjscek

Javian McCollum

Jalon Moore

Jake Moser

Luke Northweather

Otega Oweh

Rivaldo Soares

Milos Uzan

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