Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Baylor on April 4, 2026 , Win , 82, to, 69
Final
Men's Basketball
82
vs Baylor
69
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU BLACK HISTORY MONTH ALUMNI & COACHES SPOTLIGHTS
Third-year OU men's basketball assistant coach Ryan Humphrey spent his first two years of college as a Sooner, earning Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors in 1997-98 and third-team All-Big 12 accolades in 1998-99. The springy forward from Tulsa was a McDonald's All-American in basketball and a Parade All-American in football as a tight end at Booker T. Washington High School. His sophomore season at OU he averaged 11.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and a team-high 2.0 blocked shots per game, and his tip-in with 21 seconds left against No. 4 seed Arizona lifted the Sooners to a one-point first-round NCAA Tournament win (they eventually advanced to the Sweet 16). Humphrey transferred to Notre Dame for his final two seasons and averaged 18.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and a school-record 2.8 blocks per game as a senior. He was a first-round NBA Draft pick (No. 19 overall) by the Utah Jazz and played three seasons for the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies before embarking on an international playing career.
Oklahoma native Stacey King starred for the OU men's basketball program from the 1985-86 through 1988-89 seasons, helping the Sooners to a combined 115-29 record, 1988 and '89 Big Eight regular season titles, the 1988 Big Eight Tournament crown, the 1988 NCAA Championship Game and the 1987 and '89 NCAA Sweet 16s. The 6-10 left-handed center, who grew up in Lawton, was a second-team All-American as a junior when he averaged 22.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a game, and a first-team All-American (Big Eight Player of the Year and Sporting News College Player of the Year) as a senior when he averaged 26.0 points and 10.1 boards, helping the Sooners to No. 1 NCAA Tournament seeds both years. OU's No. 6 all-time-leading scorer, King was the Big Eight's all-time blocked shots leader (228) and scored at least 30 points 16 times, second most in program history. He was selected No. 6 overall in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and won three NBA titles (1991-93). King has enjoyed a lengthy post-playing career as the Bulls' TV analyst.
Phylesha Whaley arrived in Norman in 1996 as Sherri Coale’s first recruit, setting the foundation for a new era of Oklahoma women’s basketball. A standout from Slaton, Texas, Whaley finished her career as the Sooners’ all-time leading scorer with 2,187 points, a record that stood until Courtney Paris rewrote the history books a decade later. A three-time All-Big 12 selection, she capped her career in 2000 as an All-America honoree and a finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year. That season, she led OU to a Big 12 championship and a Sweet 16 appearance, cementing her legacy as one of the program’s all-time greats.
Assistant coach Michael Neal is in his fourth season on the Oklahoma women’s basketball bench after joining Jennie Baranczyk’s staff in 2021. During his tenure, he has helped guide the Sooners to two Big 12 championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, and has coached 13 All-Big 12 honorees. Before Oklahoma, Neal led the Norman High School girls team to two state championships and was named The Oklahoman’s Super 5 Coach of the Year and USA Today’s Oklahoma Coach of the Year in 2021. As a player, he starred for the OU men's basketball team in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, helping the Sooners reach the 2006 NCAA Tournament before playing professionally in Europe.
Fourth-year football assistant Todd Bates is known as one of the top defensive line coaches and recruiters in the country. He was named Oklahoma’s associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator in January 2022, and coaches OU’s defensive tackles. Bates is part of an Oklahoma defensive staff that helped the Sooners rank fourth nationally in tackles for loss in 2022 (104), 11th in 2023 (98) and 14th in 2024 (96). He is the only defensive line coach in the country since 2019 to produce at least three NFL Draft picks in each of three drafts (2019, ’23 and ’24). Prior to joining the Oklahoma staff, Bates spent five years at Clemson, helping the Tigers to three College Football Playoff appearances and the 2018 national title. Named Rivals’ Recruiter of the Year in 2019, Bates played college football at Alabama from 2001-04. He earned three letters and served as a team captain as a senior.
Regarded by many as the greatest tight end in University of Oklahoma history, College Football Hall of Famer Keith Jackson shined for the Sooners in the mid-1980s. The Little Rock, Ark., product was a three-time first-team All-Big Eight selection and a two-time unanimous All-American, and helped OU to a 42-5-1 record from 1984-87 (27-1 in Big Eight play), four conference titles and the 1985 national championship. He finished his collegiate career with 68 receptions for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns, but is perhaps best remembered for his 88-yard rushing score against No. 2 Nebraska in 1985. Jackson was the 13th overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and starred for nine years in the NFL. He won Super Bowl XXXI with the Green Bay Packers during the 1996 season, a year in which he registered 10 regular season receiving touchdowns. A former member of the OU football radio broadcast crew, Jackson was presented with the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 2013.
David Henderson played a key role in Oklahoma’s men’s gymnastics dominance, helping the Sooners capture three national championships during his four seasons. A standout on still rings, he claimed the 2005 NCAA individual title and earned All-America honors five times—three on still rings along with selections on vault and in the all-around. A native of Crosby, Texas, Henderson also helped lead OU to three Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships (2002, 2003 and 2005) and secured the individual conference vault title in 2005.
A member of OU’s women’s gymnastics teams that claimed back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2017, AJ Jackson was an integral part of OU’s success. In 2016, she turned in the clinching performance on floor in the No. 5 spot to give OU its second national title. The list of Jackson’s individual accolades is extensive. The 2015 and 2017 Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year, she snagged nine All-America honors and claimed four individual Big 12 titles during her four seasons as a Sooner.
A standout rower for Oklahoma, Taylor Gillespie played a key role in the Sooners’ success from 2013-16, contributing to multiple Big 12 and Conference USA championships. A four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, she was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year in 2013 and helped lead OU to its first NCAA Championships appearance. Competing primarily with the second varsity eight, she secured victories over top-ranked teams and earned multiple Boat of the Week honors. Her senior season saw her crew place second in the Grand Finals at the Big 12 Championship, capping off a decorated collegiate career.
A forward from Plano, Texas, Whitney Palmer finished her career as OU’s all-time leader in goals scored (38) and points (83). A three-time All-Big 12 honoree and 2009 second-team All-Region selection, Palmer played in 80 matches over four seasons and was a candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award in 2010. She was a president’s honor roll and dean’s honor roll recipient and big contributor in the greater Oklahoma City community as a regular visitor to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital and as a volunteer at the YMCA.
Shay Knighten enjoyed a star-studded career for the Oklahoma softball program from 2016-19 and helped OU to two national championships. Hailing from Buena Park, Calif., Knighten started in 233 of her 239 career games, batting .360 with 247 hits. She finished her OU career ranked fourth in sac flies and sixth in RBIs, and provided some of the most clutch Women’s College World Series performances in program history. She earned second-team NFCA All-America honors in 2016 and ’17, and was tabbed 2017 WCWS Most Outstanding Player. Knighten served as a student assistant at OU before starting her current tenure with the San Diego softball program as an assistant coach.
Charles “Chuckie” Caufield joined the Sooners as an accomplished high school and junior college prospect out of Ada, Okla., and Seminole State College. Caufield started 122 games for the Sooners in the outfield throughout his two seasons (2005-06) and concluded his time in Norman with a .335 career batting average, 43 extra-base hits and 28 stolen bases. His 95 hits in 2006 still rank in the top 10 in program single-season history. Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2006 MLB Draft, Caufield went on to play or coach for the organization for 17 years before recently taking the role of Special Advisor and Rover Hitting Coordinator for the Houston Astros in 2024.
From East London, South Africa, Siphos Montsi made an immediate impact at Oklahoma in his lone 2022-23 season. Competing primarily at the No. 3 singles position, he compiled a 13-8 singles record (four ranked victories) to go along with a 12-9 doubles mark. Montsi was instrumental in the team’s success, clinching four singles matches and four doubles points. His strong play earned him a career-high ITA singles ranking of No. 42. He was named the 2023 All-Big 12 No. 3 Singles Position Champion and earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team.
Hermon Brhane made an immediate impact in her two seasons with the Sooners after transferring from Oklahoma Christian in 2012. Holding down the No. 1 singles position, she led the team in back-to-back seasons with a combined 29-14 record. Brhane was named the 2013 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and finished the season ranked No. 9 nationally. That same year, she and partner Whiney Ritchie advanced to the round of 16 at the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships. A standout both on and off the court, Brhane earned Academic All-Big 12 honors in both of her seasons.
Yukon, Okla., product Vernon Turner was a standout high jumper for Oklahoma from 2018-23. While at OU, he claimed the 2022 NCAA indoor title and secured five NCAA first-team All-America honors. Turner dominated the Big 12 Conference, earning four high jump conference championships. He remains OU's indoor and outdoor program record holder. On the global stage, Turner represented the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympics and continues to build his legacy as a professional athlete for adidas, competing at World Athletics Championships and in the Diamond League.
Tia Brooks, a powerhouse in the shot put for the Oklahoma track and field program from 2010-13, was a seven-time first-team All-American who swept the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in 2012 and 2013. She was a semifinalist for the 2012 Bowerman Award and added an NCAA Indoor Championships record the following year. Brooks also flourished in the Big 12 Conference, earning five league titles. She extended her success to the international stage, finishing 19th at the 2012 London Olympics.
Mookie Salaam is one of the most decorated sprinters in Oklahoma track and field history. A seven-time All-American and a five-time Big 12 Champion, he was named the 2011 Big 12 Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA Midwest Region Athlete of the Year. He currently holds Oklahoma's indoor 60m (6.54) and 200m (20.39) records and outdoor 100m (9.97) and 200m (20.05) records. A two-time Olympic Trials qualifier (2012, 2016) and a silver medalist in the 4x100-meter relay at the 2013 World Championships, Salaam ran professionally for adidas from 2011-17 as a member of Team USA.
Two-time Big 12 Libero of the Year Keyton Kinley was a force to be reckoned with during her three years at Oklahoma. Kinley helped the Sooners to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019 after leading the Big 12 with 506 digs on the season. A three-time All-Big 12 selection, two-time All-Region honoree and an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2018, Kinley finished her career with 1,308 digs, which ranks sixth all-time in program history.
Byron Tucker was a dominant force on the mat for the Sooners, earning four NCAA qualifications and capping off his collegiate career with an undefeated senior season. Tucker posted a perfect 34-0 record in 2000, securing his first national championship with a 3-0 victory over Edinboro’s Josh Koscheck in the 174-pound title match. He became just the 14th Sooner in program history to complete an undefeated season, with his 34 wins ranking as the second most by an Oklahoma wrestler in such a campaign. Tucker concluded his collegiate career with 109 total victories.
Teyon Ware is considered one of OU's all-time wrestling greats after accumulating a 112-15 record for the Sooners under former head coach Jack Spates. He won two NCAA individual championships at 141 pounds in three finals appearances. In 2003, he was a Big 12 champion and earned the league’s outstanding wrestler award. In 2006, he was named to the Big 12’s 10th Anniversary Team. A member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Ware won a bronze medal for the United States at the 2011 Pan-American Games and wrestled at the 2011 World Championships.
