Basketball season has arrived just in time to give Oklahoma fans something better to hold onto.
The football season had already gone sideways before Saturday, and the 42-25 home loss to South Carolina only pushed Sooners fans deeper into frustration. Booing echoed through Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for much of the night. Two days later, though, both OU basketball teams are ready to offer a fresh start.
The 2026-27 seasons begin Monday for Oklahoma’s men and women. The women open in Paris, France, with a top-25 matchup against No. 12 North Carolina, while the men stay home at Lloyd Noble Center to face East Texas A&M on Monday night.
There’s reason to believe both teams can matter in March. That’s easier said than done with the men, where Porter Moser enters his sixth season and still has to convince people this group can deliver. Even Moser says this may be his strongest roster yet.
"So, yes, on paper I feel that way," Moser said when asked if this is the most talented roster he's had. "We just haven't had them all together yet. When they come all together and grow deep, that's going to be a fun, fun problem."
For the women, Jennie Baranczyk has already earned the benefit of the doubt. Oklahoma returns sophomore point guard Aaliyah Chavez, who could end up as the best player in college basketball by season’s end.
Chavez arrived with plenty of attention as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, and she backed it up right away. Last season, she was named the 2026 ESPN National Freshman of the Year and CBS Sports National Freshman of the Year after averaging 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game and adding 43 steals on defense.
With Baranczyk’s young talent and Moser’s veteran-heavy roster, both teams look built to chase the newly expanded NCAA Tournament and make some noise once they get there. For Oklahoma fans, that kind of postseason run would feel a whole lot better than whatever bowl game the football team ends up in, if it gets there at all, needing two more wins.
That’s the beauty of college sports. One team drags you down, and another is waiting to lift you back up.
In Other News...
OUs Offensive Reset Now Hinges On One Huge Brent Venables Decision
Oklahomas offensive reset has already taken one major turn, with Ben Arbuckle out as offensive coordinator and Jason Witten now handling play-calling duties after the Sooners 4-4 start. The move signals how much urgency has built around an offense that has not found its footing, and it puts the spotlight squarely on Brent Venables as he tries to steady a season that has drifted off course.
The quarterback situation is part of the same conversation, with John Mateer coming off a rough stretch and Whitt Newbauer potentially in line for an opportunity, even though no official change has been announced. Beyond the immediate shuffle, the bigger question is where Oklahoma goes next on offense and who Venables ultimately trusts to help define that direction. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Landed A Texas Legacy Fans Will Love
Oklahoma added an eye-catching name to its 2028 recruiting class when Logan Lokey, a four-star defensive lineman from Denton Guyer High School, announced his commitment. The son of former Texas defensive lineman Derek Lokey, he arrives with plenty of pedigree and plenty of attention, especially as an in-state recruit who had several major offers on the table.
What makes the decision stand out for Sooners fans is the school he passed over. Lokey is ranked No. 29 among defensive linemen in his class and has already made a strong impression at Denton Guyer, but Oklahoma beat out Texas and others to land him. For a program always looking to win key battles on the trail, getting a legacy recruit with Texas ties is the kind of early victory that tends to resonate. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces Another Offensive Reset Under Brent Venables
Another offensive reset is underway in Norman, with Brent Venables moving on from Ben Arbuckle during his second season running the Oklahoma program. The change leaves the Sooners searching again for stability on that side of the ball, and it adds another layer to a coaching tenure that has already seen plenty of turnover.
Jason Witten has been named interim offensive coordinator, giving Oklahoma a temporary answer while Venables sorts out the longer-term plan. The next hire will be especially significant, because it will be the fourth full-time offensive coordinator of Venables six-year run with the Sooners, a sign of how hard it has been to find continuity on offense. [Read more 🡒]