For Porter Moser, every offseason is the same offseason
Following the Oklahoma men’s and other programs’ choice to forego the NIT, ex-Marquette, Indiana and Georgia coach Tom Crean laid into those who’d rather not continue practicing, developing or just coaching and playing the game they purport to love.
“Give your players and coaches a chance to keep coaching and playing … If a guy doesn’t want to play, go sit down. If a coach doesn’t want to coach, go recruit,” he said. “But there’s got to be enough people to put five, six, seven people on the floor and go play.”
Porter Moser, of course, would have you believe, given the shock and disappointment of learning their NCAA tournament fate and the scant time afforded to make a decision, the Sooners simply couldn’t commit to the NIT, no matter the ancient glittering history the venerable old tourney claims.
From where Moser sat then, and decent chance now, the reasons the Sooners balked were and remain accurate.
Nonetheless, it’s become quite a collection of facts.
OU could not say yes to the NIT. Shock, disappointment, emotional overload and a tight deadline made it so. Yet, two weeks and change later, while the NIT continues through Thursday, Moser’s Sooner roster had been torn to shreds by last Sunday.
Perhaps point guard Milos Uzan and forwards Otega Oweh and John Hugley did not already know they’d be entering the transfer portal on the day the Sooners were left out, but they’re in it now, having not only failed to reach March Madness but triggering the program’s fourth straight roster rebuild, too.
Indeed, every offseason since Moser replaced Lon Kruger atop OU’s once proud men’s basketball program might as well be the first offseason, because in every one, pretty close, the Sooners return to ground zero.
It would be one thing if OU was killing it, annually sending players into the draft, becoming a victim of its own success, but that’s emphatically not happening.
Instead, since Moser came aboard, the Sooners are 54-45 overall, 20-34 against regular-season Big 12 foes, 1-3 at the Big 12 tournament and 0-0 in the NCAA tourney, missing it for three straight seasons under the same coach for the first time since the 1970s.
And here we go again.
Though headed for a new conference, it’s still the same old rebuild because not only can Moser not get the program into the NCAA draw, nor can he inspire any loyalty from the players he brings into it, a state of affairs that’s become a regularly vicious cycle, each making the other more likely.
At the same time, Moser’s bosses remain silent.
Sooner athletic director Joe Castiglione has not given Moser a dreaded vote of confidence, nor publicly placed him on the hot seat.
“As we dug deep into the backgrounds of candidates, his attributes, acumen and record of success totally aligned with what we were seeking,” offered Castiglione the day Moser was introduced. “He’s a purposeful and proven leader who prioritizes positive culture, accountability, academics, player development, innovation, transparent communication and a holistic approach to the student-athlete experience.”
Maybe so, but the proof is in the pudding and the pudding is not pretty.
See there?
Joe C’s not the only one who can alliterate with the letter “P.”
More importantly, what on earth can Moser’s bosses continue to see in him beyond the terrific guy, not big time college basketball coach, he may very well be.
Uzan, Oweh and Hugley were three of the eight Sooners that played about 90 percent of the minutes until injuries hit near the end of the season.
Two of the others, La’Tre Darthard and Rivaldo Soares have no eligibility remaining.
Sam Godwin, should he choose to take advantage of it, still has the extra season made possible by the COVID-19 pandemic. Javian McCollum and Jalon Moore, who would be seniors next season should they choose to return, round out the eight.
Godwin is a good hand, but not a difference maker. McCollum, who lost his game for almost the length of the conference schedule, and Moore, still could be.
If they stay.
Last offseason, Moser thought he had pillars in Uzan and Oweh, but they were done with him after another year.
Now, perhaps, he’ll bring back McCollum and Moore, who only have one more year.
Maybe Moser can find a point guard, break even in the SEC and eke into the tournament next season.
Even then, treading water season after season is no way to build a program.
In life, the Oklahoma Standard is real, cool and to be celebrated. In college basketball, the Oklahoma standard ain’t what it used to be.
Who decided it needed to be relaxed for Porter Moser?
Wow! Talk about hitting that nail on the head! Great insights into a situation that has to be addressed, sooner rather than later. Moser may be a great guy, but he is a big fat zero as a major college HC. Losing almost the entire squad this offseason sets OU basketball so far behind the eight-ball that we may never see the light. The fact that he is still around falls squarely on the shoulders of Castiglione. How many years does a loser get to show that he's really something else?