Three needs OU should address via portal
There is no real offseason for OU head coach Porter Moser.
After going 19-16 (8-12 Big 12) last season before being bounced in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), the Sooners must shift their focus to reloading for Moser’s second year at the helm.
Here are the three biggest needs OU should address via the transfer portal this offseason and some potential targets.
Need No. 1: A veteran ballhandler
OU leaned heavily on Jordan Goldwire last season.
The graduate transfer embraced an increased scoring role in his final year of eligibility, averaging a career-high 10.4 points per game, but his facilitating still shined the brightest. Goldwire averaged a team-high 3.6 assists per game while recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.7.
Soon-to-be sophomore Bijan Cortes served as OU’s backup point guard, but he fell out of the rotation during postseason play as Moser opted to roll with more experienced options.
It’s unlikely that Moser is prepared to hand Cortes the keys to the offense next season, meaning the Sooners must go shopping in the transfer portal for a veteran ballhandler.
Top target: Princeton’s Jaelin Llewellyn
Jaelin Llewellyn is a 6-foot-2 guard who averaged 15.7 points and 2.5 assists per game last season as a senior. He finished with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4.
There are guards who are more pass-minded in the transfer portal, but Llewellyn is an athletic veteran who can put the ball through the hoop. He shot 44.7% from the floor and 38.6% from deep last season.
Llewellyn told Stockrisers’ Jake Weingarten on March 15 that he has heard from Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas and others.
Potential fit: East Carolina’s Tristen Newton
Tristen Newton is a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5 assists per game last season as a thirdyear sophomore.
Newton did it all for East Carolina on his way to a Second Team All-AAC selection, but his passing vision stood out the most. He recorded an assist rate of 34.4, which ranked 24th in the nation.
Newton is sure to be a popular name in the portal. While there haven’t been any reports of OU reaching out, the versatile guard would fit nicely in the team’s system.
Need No. 2: A rim-protecting center
The biggest name OU added via the transfer portal last offseason was Tanner Groves, a 6foot-10 senior from Eastern Washington.
Groves averaged 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in his first year with the Sooners, although he struggled against opponents with more physicality and athleticism. He committed the second-highest amount of fouls per 40 minutes on the team (4) and only tallied 14 blocks in 34 games.
Groves is expected to return to OU this upcoming season for his final year of eligibility, but OU would be wise to bring in someone who specializes in protecting the paint.
Top target: Utah Valley’s Fardaws Aimaq
Fardaws Aimaq is a 6-foot-11 center who averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game last season as a redshirt sophomore.
In addition to ranking second in the nation in rebounds per game, Aimaq finished with a block percentage of 4%. No OU player tallied a block percentage above 2.7% last season.
Aimaq was named the WAC Player of the Year following the 2020-21 campaign before testing the waters for the 2021 NBA Draft. He told Weingarten on March 18 that he has heard from OU, Gonzaga, West Virginia and others.
Potential fit: Morehead State’s Johni Broome
Johni Broome is a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game last season as a second-year freshman.
Broome dominated the paint on both ends of the floor. He ranked third in the nation in blocks per game and shot 55.6% from inside the arc en route to a First Team All-OVC selection.
Numerous teams have reached out to Broome following his decision to enter the transfer portal on Monday. There have been no reports of OU joining that list, although it would be an ideal fit.
Need No. 3: A proven scorer
Scoring came at a premium last season in the Big 12, which saw eight of its 10 teams finish in the Top 40 for adjusted defensive efficiency.
OU ranked fourth in the conference in points per game (69.1), but it needs to reload its artillery this offseason. The team is set to lose 23.5% of its scoring following the graduation of Goldwire, Marvin Johnson and Ethan Chargois.
The Sooners are holding out hope that they’ll get back Umoja Gibson, who averaged a team-high 13.3 points per game last season, but they should still stockpile scorers via the transfer portal.
Top target: Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves
Antonio Reeves is a 6-foot-6 guard who averaged 20.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season as a junior.
Reeves established himself as a three-level scorer by shooting 51.5% from inside the arc, 38.5% from 3-point range and 81.6% from the free throw line. The Chicago native earned a spot on the All-Missouri Valley Conference second team in the process.
Both Chicago and the Missouri Valley Conference were Moser’s stomping grounds during his time as Loyola Chicago’s head coach from 2011-21. He also served as Illinois State’s head coach from 2003-07.
Reeves told Weingarten on March 27 that he has heard from OU, Alabama, Duke and others.
Potential fit: Oregon State’s Jarod Lucas
Jarod Lucas is a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 13.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season as a junior.
A mid-range specialist, Lucas knows how to get to his spots without forcing things. The former four-star recruit recorded a true shooting percentage of 56.9% last season while also posting a team-low turnover rate of 10.5.
Weingarten reported on Monday that Lucas has heard from OU, Illinois, Xavier and others.