OU basketball announces Quincy Wadley, transfer class all signed, all official

Give yourself a hand, OU basketball fans. The month-long journey has reached its conclusion. Head coach Porter Moser and staff have put together the roster for the upcoming season.

They’re all signed. All official. Buckle up.

“I think we did a great job addressing our needs and meshing that with the way we want to play,” said Moser in a press release. “We approached the portal with a mindset of trying to be longer defensively while maintaining pace and space on offense, which helped us lead the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage last season. We were 18th in the country in offensive efficiency, and we feel like we’ll be able to maintain that level of play on that end of the court while making a big jump defensively due to improved length and athleticism.”

OU portal commits (5)

Yaak Yaak, 6-11, 230, Oregon State (1 year)
Stats: 6.6 ppg, 2.2 rebs, 0.5 blocks

If OU can duplicate the number for Yaak during his season with the Beavers, it would gladly take that. Yaak is someone who can give you a strong 10-15 minutes per game. He has nice size and length. The Sooners have not had a strong trio of centers in a long time. Moser has absolutely addressed this.

Moser says…

“One thing we’ve seen from some of the best teams in the SEC is depth at the post position. At 6-11, 250, Yaak brings us physicality and depth in the post. I think he has a great upside in terms of his skill and ability to shoot. He’s also shown an ability to duck in and post up and will bring a defensive presence and help us on the glass.”

Akoldah Gak, 6-11, 225, C (1 year)
Stats: 7.5 ppg, 3.7 rebs

There is the mystery center that all OU fans have been wanting to know about. The Sooners are dipping into the G League to make this happen. Gak will be 24 years old when he suits up for his initial game. He will have one season of eligibility. His uncle might be a familiar name for OU fans… Longar Longar. Let’s do this.

Moser says…

“AK has played at a high level in Australia and most recently with the G League’s Capital City Go-Go. He plays the modern five-out offense like we play. He’s extremely mobile and gives us a great defensive presence, especially around the rim. What drew us to him is his versatility and mobility. I love how he effective he is at screen-and-roll offense, the pace at which he’s able to play and his ability to run the floor.”

Pop Isaacs, 6-2, 182, G, Texas A&M (1 year)
Stats: 9.8 ppg, 2.6 assts, 2.5 rebs

Isaacs’ usage rate with the Aggies took a dip. However, when he was asked to play more minutes during his years at Texas Tech and Creighton? He delivered. The Sooners are banking on Isaacs being more than ready to rack up the minutes, points, assists and everything else. OU gets its big-time transfer portal guard.

Moser says…

“We’re really familiar with Pop, having faced him when he was at Texas Tech and Texas A&M. He’s been a consistent, high-level scorer throughout his career, and he does it at all three levels. I just love his experience and that he knows the SEC. He’s a terrific competitor and I’m excited he’s on our side now and we don’t have to play against him anymore.”

Tyler Hendricks, 6-6, 185, G, Utah Valley (1 year)
Stats: 11.8 ppg, 4.3 rebs, 1.9 assts

OU needed a shooter, another type of experienced guy coming off the bench. Hendricks checks both of those boxes. He shot nearly 45% from 3-point territory and had 12 games where he connected on at least three 3-pointers. He also averaged 1.2 steals and just under a block.

Moser says…

“Tyler is going to positively impact us on both ends of the floor. He brings length and a strong mentality on defense and is a very capable shooter from long range. I like that he’s older and gained experience in the Big 12. He gives us another long and athletic guard. We led the SEC in 3-point shooting last year and Tyler will help us continue to be good there with his ability to play with pace, space and shoot with range.”

Khani Rooths, 6-10, 215, F, Louisville (2 years)
Stats: 5.3 ppg, 4.3 rebs, 1.0 assts

This is not a center. Repeat. This is not a center for OU. But you have to replace Tae Davis as well, so you’re gonna need at least another body in the post. Rooths could be that guy, someone who played just under 16 minutes per game for the Cardinals.

Moser says…

“Khani fits everything we’re trying to do and be in terms of pace of play, athletic ability and having length on defense. He’s a fierce competitor, which is something you absolutely need in the SEC. His mobility at 6-9, 6-10 is special, and he’s effective because he combines that with toughness and a competitive edge.”

Incoming (2)

*Quincy Wadley

Better late than never. Someone no OU fan even considered a week ago is now, perhaps, the crown jewel of the class and someone to build a foundation with going forward. Injuries slowed his recruitment down a bit, but Wadley is back. Ranked No. 65 by Rivals and No. 52 overall in the Industry Composite.

Moser says…

“The things that jump out at you about Quincy are his length, his speed and his athletic ability. He’s a really long and active player. And he’s got an edge to his mentality. That’s another thing I love about him. He’s also got a tremendous release on his shot. He can shoot from long distance with ease. I love his shooting ability.

“We’ve really tried to recruit length and mobility, which really help on defense. He’s got length, mobility and a quick twitch. We played better defense the second half of the season, and we made a run. He’ll help us on that side of the court, as well.”

*Gage Mayfield

It’s another Mayfield coming to OU, ha. Mayfield is a consensus top-100 prospect and the No. 1-ranked recruit in Alabama. He brings nice size and someone who stuck with the Sooners throughout that roller coaster ride of last season.

Will return (5)

Xzayvier Brown (1 more year)
Stats: 15.4 ppg, 3.2 rebs, 3.3 assts

Brown showed the move from St. Joe’s to OU was not too big for him. Time and time again, Brown was the one who wanted the clutch shot, came up big in the huge moments. Give him a summer to get stronger, and this time around? Nothing will surprise him.

Kai Rogers (3 more years)
Stats: 1.6 ppg, 1.9 rebs, 0.4 assts

Ignore the numbers, or at least most of them. Rogers showed in The Crown why he will be someone to watch for OU going forward. Four points and four rebounds followed by six points and eight rebounds. His development is going to be crucial going forward.

Derrion Reid (2 more years)
Stats: 11.7 ppg, 4.4 rebs, 1.1 assts

Brown and Reid are going to be the key figures here. Reid, at times, showed what type of athletic freak he can be. That will need to be more consistent. As, too, will his ability to handle the ball. But he already has one OU memory that cannot be taken away with that overtime 3-pointer at Texas in the final seconds to secure the win.

Dayton Forsythe (2 more years)
Stats: 5.3 ppg, 1.4 rebs, 1.8 assts

Numbers are a bit skewed when you think of his injuries. Forsythe was huge for OU during the final month of the season. Give him some healthy ankles, after the surgery, and watch what he can do. A Sixth Man who can give you starter minutes on a regular basis. A hometown kid sticking around for year No. 3, big shot in the arm.

Finley Keeffe (4 more years)

Keeffe was put on scholarship last month and redshirted last season. A big piece for the OU scout team when it comes to practice and preparation.