Hard to believe, but it is already year five of the Porter Moser era in Norman. The Sooners are coming off of a 20-14 season, where they went 6-12 in conference play, while reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Moser’s tenure. Although the Sooners made the big dance last season, they were bounced in the first round.

The perception around the country isn’t very high in regards to this Oklahoma, but maybe just maybe, they might just be the best kept secret. Entering the 2025-2026 season, the Sooners were picked to finish 12th in the SEC Preseason Poll. 

Moser’s squad was only ranked above Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. While that may seem a bit disrespectful, keep in mind the strength of the SEC, which sent a record of 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament a season ago.

The Sooners aren’t getting much respect from the national media either. In the Preseason AP Poll, Oklahoma received just one single vote.

While expectations aren’t very high from outside the program, on paper, this looks like Moser’s best team. It would be a disappointment for Sooner fans if his squad finished as low at 12th in the SEC standings, even though that is where they’ve been projected by the conference poll.

What To Watch For

1. Nijel Pack

Even though Pack has been around the program for a bit, he feels like a transfer portal addition to the roster this year. Pack spent four seasons at Miami, helping lead the Hurricanes to the 2023 Final Four. Last season, his year was cut short after injury, and he was given a medical redshirt. He averaged 13.9 points and 4.3 assists per game last year prior to the injury. He should be a big help to the Sooners’ offensively, in a multitude of ways. Pack is an elite perimeter shooter, with career numbers at 40.3 percent from three, on 6.4 attempts per game. His range is basically from Norman to Tulsa. However, his defense can be a problem at times, mainly because of his height. Moser will need Pack to stay consistent, as he was known at Miami to have games where he laid massive eggs. 

2. Tae Davis

Speaking of transfers, the Sooners have a lot of potential in the pairing of Pack with Tae Davis. Davis comes over from Notre Dame, where he averaged 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds last season. He also scored 20 points or more in eight different games. With Pack and Davis together, Oklahoma could have an offense capable of hanging with anybody. Davis brings some flexibility to the Sooners’ lineup as well. At 6-foot-9, Davis gives Oklahoma the chance to play a smaller lineup, without having to downsize too much.

3. Derrion Reid

Former five-stars and McDonald’s All-Americans don’t walk through Norman very often, but now Moser has a player coming into the fold in Derrion Reid, who could change everything for the Sooners. Reid did not do too much in his one season at Alabama last year, he was hurt for much of the 2024-2025 campaign, averaged just 6.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game. However, he has the most upside of anyone on the Sooners’ roster. With Reid, the Sooners could have a size advantage on their opponents. He comes in as a 6-foot-8 wing, which should give Moser much more athleticism and length on the floor with the rest of Oklahoma’s lineup. 

Projected Starting Five

C: Mohamed Wague

PF: Tae Davis

SF: Derrion Reid

SG: Nijel Pack

PG: Xzayvier Brown

Notable Non-Conference Matchups

11/8: at Gonzaga

11/15: vs. Nebraska (Sioux Falls)

11/28: vs. Marquette (Chicago)

12/2: at Wake Forest (ACC/SEC Challenge)

12/6: at Arizona State (Phoenix)

12/13: vs. Oklahoma State (Oklahoma City)

Notable Conference Matchups

1/13: vs. Florida

1/17: vs. Alabama

1/24: at Missouri

1/27: vs. Arkansas

1/31: vs. Texas

2/4: at Kentucky

2/18: at Tennessee

2/24: vs. Auburn

3/3: vs. Missouri

3/7: at Texas

Prediction: 22-9 Overall, 11-7 SEC

The trio of Davis, Reid and Pack could be a really dangerous group, making some serious noise in SEC play. However, it could take a bit of time for this squad to gel. Don’t be surprised if they take their lumps in the non-conference, which will be a bit of a challenging slate. The SEC should be the toughest conference in the nation once again, but the Sooners should be able to hold their own, setting up for a potential run in March.