(The Beard in all its glory)
Quasi-media day for OU basketball this afternoon.
Here were my Qs to Porter.
Porter, injury updates for Benny Schroeder and Yaya Keita? Know they were dealing with the knee issues heading into the foreign tour.
Both are full go, both are going full contact. Benny started on Monday, Yaya started two weeks ago. Benny is two practices in and Yaya is two weeks in.
How much further along are the freshmen for this class, particularly Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh?
It’s hard to say, to compare them to anybody. It’s always hard for freshmen. They just don’t know. I will say Milos and Otega, physically – I don’t know if it was because they went to prep school or if it was the competition that they played day in and day out- they’ve both physically 6-4 size-wise. They are both athletic. They’ve handled it really well with all that we’ve thrown at them. They’ve both been sponges. I think sometimes, as you see with freshmen, they get overwhelmed early. I don’t feel like they are overwhelmed mentally. We had full practices this summer so maybe they got used to it. I love coaching them. They’re freshmen, but when you watch them, you don’t sit there and go ‘they are so far … they’re freshmen’ I know their freshmen. I like where they are at. I love their coachability.
Comfort level for C.J. Noland & Bijan Cortes. Mentally, how different are those two guys as they enter their sophomore season?
Freshman year is just so hard for everybody across the country. The expectations, always been the best player. Always playing the whole game to not playing. That’s always a tough mental adjustment. Our guys were no different. They had their ups and downs, mentally and physically. You grow and grow out of it and realize it. I think those two, Bijan and C.J., have grown so much. They’re coming in with such a – the unknown is hard for anyone in anything. But once you start to know what to expect – the standards, how we do things offensively, that information is power. They’ve come in more confident with that knowledge. Physically, they’ve come in much better as well as mentally. They gotta take that step. And I think they have, to this point.
Moser was non-committal on the beard staying for the season, ha.
***
Quick-hit:
- 'Shot doctor' Matt Brady has come in and immediately tweaked shot for Tanner Groves, Jalen Hill and C.J. Noland.
- TGroves spent the whole summer eating so he can be 242 pounds today. Tougher, faster, more athletic than ever before.
- Grant Sherfield loves the chemistry he's built with Joe Bamisile in such a short period of time.
- Noland admitted about the ups 'n downs of last season. Mindset is good this year. He's ready to get to work.
- Jalen Hill takes pride in being a four-year senior at the same school, in the age of the transfer portal. Doesn't regret anything.
Have a full notebook Friday.
