How did OU basketball fare in the transfer portal?
The transfer portal has become the rage of college basketball, with virtually every team using the system to some degree. The Bedlam rivals are no exception.
OU has six transfers from the portal, while OSU has three.
When a player transfers from a fellow power-conference program, the comparisons are apples to apples. But when a player transfers in from a lower level, the adjustment can be a little dicey. I like to see what a mid-major player has done against power-conference opponents.
Javian McCollum, Siena
The 6-foot-1 guard from Fort Myers, Florida, made five starts as a freshman, then 27 starts as a sophomore last season.
McCollum has played five games against power-conference opponents. He scored just two points (though with six assists) against Georgetown as a freshman.
But last season, when he averaged 15.9 points a game, McCollum was quite productive, though not efficient, against power-conference teams. He averaged
17.0 points, 2.25 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game against Florida State, Ole Miss, Seton Hall and Georgetown, with 8-of-26 3-point shooting. So not great, but encouraging.
Le’Tre Darthard, Utah Valley
The 6-foot-4 wing from Denton, Texas, is a super senior who averaged 10.5 points over 87 career games at Utah Valley of the Western Athletic Conference. He was a career 37.8-percent 3-point shooter for the Antelopes.
Darthard played 10 games against power-conference teams (counting Big 12 newcomers Brigham Young and Cincinnati), plus a National Invitation Tournament semifinal against Alabama-Birmingham.
Darthard didn't do much against high-level competition his first season at Utah Valley, but in Year 2, he averaged 12.0 points and shot 40 percent from deep against the trio of BYU, Washington and Wake Forest.
Last season against top-level competition (counting UAB in the NIT semifinals), Darthard averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 rebounds, with 7-of-23 shooting on 3-pointers. So a mixed bag. But at least interesting.
John Hugley IV, Pittsburgh
Hugley, a 6-foot-9 post man from Cleveland, Ohio, brings physicality to the Sooners. Hugley played in just 47 games over three seasons for Pitt, due to injuries and mental health issues, but he started 38 of those games.
In 23 Atlantic Coast Conference games, Hugley averaged a healthy 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds, with 0.4 blocked shots per game. He shot 47.3 percent from the field. Seems like a solid candidate to fill the Sooner center slot.
Rivaldo Soares, Oregon
The 6-foot-6 wing from Boston, a junior-college transfer, came off the bench in 2021-22 but started 33 of 36 games last season for the Ducks.
For his career at Oregon, Soares averaged 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, while shooting 25.9 percent from 3-point range.
In 44 Pac-12 games, Soares averaged 5.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists, while shooting 24.7 from deep. Not much of an offensive threat.
Jalon Moore, Georgia Tech
The 6-foot-6 wing from Gardendale, Alabama, played in 45 games over two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, including 32 ACC games.
In his first G-Tech season, Moore played just 80 minutes of ACC action, over 10 games. But in his second year, Moore averaged 6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He made just four of 22 3-point shots.
So a little bit of a carbon copy of Soares.
Maks Klanjscek, Houston Christian
The 6-foot-5 guard was a late addition to the Sooners' roster, just joining the squad within the past week.
Klanjscek, who averaged 15 points per game last season, has bounced around in his college career, playing at Maine, Salt Lake Community College and Missouri-Kansas City before suiting up for Houston Christian.