Huge basketball week.
Mon: vs. Sam Houston (7 p.m. ESPN+)
Wed: Signing period begins (Jacolb Cole, Sebastian Mack (?), Kaden Cooper (?))
Fri: vs. Ark-Pine Bluff (7 p.m. ESPN+)
Year No. 2 of Porter Moser.
Challenges from Sam Houston?
“They’re really well coached. That program has been very very good. Everyone in college basketball knows how good it is. Jason Hooten is an outstanding coach. They really guard you. They’re tough as nails. And they run a lot of stuff. And early on, when you know a program runs a lot of stuff, you don’t really have a lot of film on them because they’ve played two scrimmages. I know the program is really good at the foundation of it. He’s won a lot of games there. I’m anticipating a really, really tough team defensively and a team that can really execute and run a lot of stuff offensively.”
Starting five?
“I think some of the veterans have been going there. But I really like some of the newcomers. Coach Majerus used to always say, ‘starting five is for a high school.’ We need that bench. We need to be deep. We need to have depth. So whoever's not starting, they need to understand we’re counting on everybody to bring what they can bring. That’s the hard part about when you feel like you have confidence in a lot of guys. You can only start five. So it doesn’t mean you don’t have confidence in the other ones. It just means they’ve got a different role. Their minutes are going to be at a different time in the game. So that’s kind of been our focus on things. That’ll be something that’ll evolve through the year. The starting five. We’ll see when we start Monday.”
Oregon scrimmage generalities?
I’m not allowed to really talk details, but I can kind of say in generalities. I like how this team plays together. They want to get better. I think there’s an energy about this group. I like it. Obviously, the thing about college basketball is that everybody is excited right now. Everybody’s optimism is at a high. The key is to maintain that optimism throughout all the ups and downs of a basketball season. There’s going to be ups and downs. When there’s a down, that doesn’t mean the floor is dropping out. It means you have to keep day by day grinding. I really like the mentality of this team. They work really hard. I think people are going to see a team with a lot of energy and play really hard.
Los?
Milos is doing great. I really like his defense and his length. When he’s come off the bench, every time he’s given us a lift. I feel very good that we have three guys that I consider high-level passers. I think Bijan, Milos and Grant are three guys – we talk about starting the domino in our offense. Starting the domino of rotations in our offense. I think Milos, Grant and Bijan can really pass.
What do are you looking for out of the freshman in the early going?
From my experience, freshman, especially at the start, they hang onto every play too much. Every play seems monumental. You just have to learn how to play next play. Next play. Stay in the moment. They're kind of filled with excitement and wound up with like, 'I've got to do something great every play. The NBA says college people are too sped up. They go too fast. They're too sped up. We say high school people are too sped up, and we also say freshmen are too sped up. You've got to let the game come to them. That's the thing when you watch them. It's because their eagerness, they get here and want to do great. Sometimes the best play is simple. You don't have to hit grand slams right out of the gate. And I'm not saying our freshmen are doing that. I'm just saying that's a generality of freshmen when you see them come in. But I'm excited because our freshmen are going to play.
How do you decide starters?
I've never had a set rule like, 'I'm always going to start my veterans.' It's who I feel at that time is the best mesh to start the game. If that's some freshmen, it's going to be some freshmen. I've had many years in my career when I've started freshmen. I've had many years when I've had an older team. It's not a set philosophy. I've always had it where if a freshman is going to earn it, they're going to get what they earn. And they do. But I can't say it enough, just because someone doesn't start doesn't mean they're not going to have a huge role. I'm counting on a lot of guys to have big roles. You only start five. I think so many people make such a big deal out of a starting lineup. One of the big conversations I had with Rick Majerus when I worked for him was how much he didn't value a starting five. He just valued everybody that was going to play. It's just when you're playing. Those happen to be playing the first five minutes.
How different does it feel now heading into opening week?
“Last year, it’s all about coming in and getting so much in. You’re teaching your offense, you’re teaching defense, you’re teaching your culture, you’re teaching your staff, the ones that haven’t been with you. It’s so much the summer having those guys that are back, and I just think all the guys that are back that played last year are more mature, bigger, stronger. They’re just locked in. There’s not an uncertainty on what it is to play for Oklahoma and me.
“I’ve talked a lot about it with Tanner and Jacob Groves, Bijan, CJ, Jalen. They have more of a sense of what to expect. And that’s valuable.”
C.J. adding more in his game?
“CJ has a great burst, like a point-A to point-B burst. And it’s just getting into the game. I think you saw him get it into the game at the end of the year, Bonaventure game, and we saw it the summer. He’s got himself in way better condition than his first year. He’s a phenomenal student of the game. He studies the game, he looks at the game, he’s got great IQ. And he just physically is getting his athleticism into the game more.
“His athleticism, he’s got tremendous quick burst, point-A to point-B. He’s got confidence with it. I really think you’re going to see a lot more of that point-A to point-B burst from CJ Noland this year.”
Mon: vs. Sam Houston (7 p.m. ESPN+)
Wed: Signing period begins (Jacolb Cole, Sebastian Mack (?), Kaden Cooper (?))
Fri: vs. Ark-Pine Bluff (7 p.m. ESPN+)
Year No. 2 of Porter Moser.
Challenges from Sam Houston?
“They’re really well coached. That program has been very very good. Everyone in college basketball knows how good it is. Jason Hooten is an outstanding coach. They really guard you. They’re tough as nails. And they run a lot of stuff. And early on, when you know a program runs a lot of stuff, you don’t really have a lot of film on them because they’ve played two scrimmages. I know the program is really good at the foundation of it. He’s won a lot of games there. I’m anticipating a really, really tough team defensively and a team that can really execute and run a lot of stuff offensively.”
Starting five?
“I think some of the veterans have been going there. But I really like some of the newcomers. Coach Majerus used to always say, ‘starting five is for a high school.’ We need that bench. We need to be deep. We need to have depth. So whoever's not starting, they need to understand we’re counting on everybody to bring what they can bring. That’s the hard part about when you feel like you have confidence in a lot of guys. You can only start five. So it doesn’t mean you don’t have confidence in the other ones. It just means they’ve got a different role. Their minutes are going to be at a different time in the game. So that’s kind of been our focus on things. That’ll be something that’ll evolve through the year. The starting five. We’ll see when we start Monday.”
Oregon scrimmage generalities?
I’m not allowed to really talk details, but I can kind of say in generalities. I like how this team plays together. They want to get better. I think there’s an energy about this group. I like it. Obviously, the thing about college basketball is that everybody is excited right now. Everybody’s optimism is at a high. The key is to maintain that optimism throughout all the ups and downs of a basketball season. There’s going to be ups and downs. When there’s a down, that doesn’t mean the floor is dropping out. It means you have to keep day by day grinding. I really like the mentality of this team. They work really hard. I think people are going to see a team with a lot of energy and play really hard.
Los?
Milos is doing great. I really like his defense and his length. When he’s come off the bench, every time he’s given us a lift. I feel very good that we have three guys that I consider high-level passers. I think Bijan, Milos and Grant are three guys – we talk about starting the domino in our offense. Starting the domino of rotations in our offense. I think Milos, Grant and Bijan can really pass.
What do are you looking for out of the freshman in the early going?
From my experience, freshman, especially at the start, they hang onto every play too much. Every play seems monumental. You just have to learn how to play next play. Next play. Stay in the moment. They're kind of filled with excitement and wound up with like, 'I've got to do something great every play. The NBA says college people are too sped up. They go too fast. They're too sped up. We say high school people are too sped up, and we also say freshmen are too sped up. You've got to let the game come to them. That's the thing when you watch them. It's because their eagerness, they get here and want to do great. Sometimes the best play is simple. You don't have to hit grand slams right out of the gate. And I'm not saying our freshmen are doing that. I'm just saying that's a generality of freshmen when you see them come in. But I'm excited because our freshmen are going to play.
How do you decide starters?
I've never had a set rule like, 'I'm always going to start my veterans.' It's who I feel at that time is the best mesh to start the game. If that's some freshmen, it's going to be some freshmen. I've had many years in my career when I've started freshmen. I've had many years when I've had an older team. It's not a set philosophy. I've always had it where if a freshman is going to earn it, they're going to get what they earn. And they do. But I can't say it enough, just because someone doesn't start doesn't mean they're not going to have a huge role. I'm counting on a lot of guys to have big roles. You only start five. I think so many people make such a big deal out of a starting lineup. One of the big conversations I had with Rick Majerus when I worked for him was how much he didn't value a starting five. He just valued everybody that was going to play. It's just when you're playing. Those happen to be playing the first five minutes.
How different does it feel now heading into opening week?
“Last year, it’s all about coming in and getting so much in. You’re teaching your offense, you’re teaching defense, you’re teaching your culture, you’re teaching your staff, the ones that haven’t been with you. It’s so much the summer having those guys that are back, and I just think all the guys that are back that played last year are more mature, bigger, stronger. They’re just locked in. There’s not an uncertainty on what it is to play for Oklahoma and me.
“I’ve talked a lot about it with Tanner and Jacob Groves, Bijan, CJ, Jalen. They have more of a sense of what to expect. And that’s valuable.”
C.J. adding more in his game?
“CJ has a great burst, like a point-A to point-B burst. And it’s just getting into the game. I think you saw him get it into the game at the end of the year, Bonaventure game, and we saw it the summer. He’s got himself in way better condition than his first year. He’s a phenomenal student of the game. He studies the game, he looks at the game, he’s got great IQ. And he just physically is getting his athleticism into the game more.
“His athleticism, he’s got tremendous quick burst, point-A to point-B. He’s got confidence with it. I really think you’re going to see a lot more of that point-A to point-B burst from CJ Noland this year.”
