Oklahoma is trying to turn the page quickly, and Porter Moser thinks Derrion Reid is helping point the way.
After a season-opening stumble, the Sooners answered with a convincing win in their second game, and now they’ll try to keep that momentum going Monday night when they host North Alabama in Norman, Okla.
Reid has been at the center of that response. In Oklahoma’s 84-57 win over Mississippi Valley State on Friday, he scored 17 points and went 8-for-14 from the field.
“He’s confident. He’s not pressing,” Moser said.
“He’s that in-the-program, second-year guy that’s confident where he needs to be. He’s thinking about winning and making the right play instead of thinking about like, ‘Am I doing good?’
I think that’s what newcomers sometimes do. Derrion’s in the moment of what needs to be done to win.”
Moser also pointed to Reid’s growing voice within the group.
“He’s not a naturally overly loud communicator, but he’s working on it,” Moser said. “Really proud of him on how he’s trying to take ownership and lead. I don’t think we have any one alpha dog on the team but I think we can [find] strength in a pack of four or five guys.”
B.J. Edwards is another piece Oklahoma is leaning on.
The SMU transfer’s eligibility was in question until just before the season, but he bounced back from a rough opener by coming off the bench and delivering 18 points against Mississippi Valley State. Edwards hit 6 of 10 shots and knocked down four 3-pointers after going 1-for-7 in the 68-64 loss to East Texas A&M.
North Alabama arrives in Norman unbeaten, but this is a different kind of test. The Lions opened with close wins over UC Davis and Union, and Monday begins a stretch of back-to-back road games against major conference opponents. They head to Miami on Friday.
So far, North Alabama has been driven by its guards. Mike Evbagharu is averaging 15 points, while Caden Harris is putting up 13.0 points through two games. Both are new to the roster, with Evbagharu arriving from Canisius and Harris joining from Division II Point Loma Nazarene in the offseason.
The Lions are still chasing their first win over a major conference team since beating Ole Miss in December 2022.
In Other News...
Oklahomas New SEC Schedule Leaves One Rivalry Choice Open To Debate
The SECs move to a nine-game conference schedule has already changed the way Oklahoma has to think about the calendar, trimming nonconference flexibility and making every permanent opponent matter a little more. From 2026 through 2029, the league will have each team visit and host every other school once, while still preserving three annual rivals, and for the Sooners that list now includes Texas, Missouri and Ole Miss.
The first two choices make obvious sense in the context of the league and the programs history, but the third has sparked plenty of curiosity because Ole Miss is a newly designated rival despite no prior history between the schools. It is the kind of scheduling wrinkle that can shape the feel of a conference slate for years, and it leaves one open question hanging over Oklahomas SEC future: whether this is the rivalry setup that best fits the Sooners, or just the one the league settled on for now. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Suddenly Has A Bowl Path Fans Will Want To See
The upset win over Florida changed the conversation around Oklahoma in a hurry, putting the Sooners one victory away from bowl eligibility and keeping alive a streak that has stretched for 27 straight seasons. What looked like a murky late-season picture now has some real shape to it, with the program suddenly within reach of another December trip and a chance to keep the postseason run going.
Several bowl projections are already floating around for Oklahoma, and the possibilities have a little extra appeal for fans watching the path ahead. Among the scenarios being discussed are a Las Vegas Bowl matchup with USC or Arizona, along with a Texas Bowl pairing against Oklahoma State, though everything still depends on how the rest of the season plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Got A Troubling Trell Harris Update
Trell Harris recovery has become one of the more sobering storylines around Oklahomas season. The wide receiver has been dealing with a lacerated internal organ suffered in the game against Michigan, and Brent Venables said Harris also had a post-surgery infection that required antibiotics. Even so, the coach said Harris remains in good spirits as he continues the long road back.
Harris is expected to return to Norman by the end of next week, which at least gives the Sooners a clearer timeline for the next phase of his recovery. The bigger reality, though, is that a return to play this season is unlikely, leaving Oklahoma to keep waiting on one of its more difficult injury situations to fully resolve. [Read more 🡒]