No. 21 Oklahoma opens a new season in an unusual setting, with Jennie Baranczyk’s team taking on No. 12 North Carolina in Paris.
It’s a road trip, but not the kind that usually comes with a bus ride and a hotel. For sophomore Daffa Cissoko, who lives in Paris, the opener carries a personal twist.
“I’m so excited and also thankful because as an international student… I don’t think a lot of people get to play in their hometown,” Cissoko said. “I live literally 30 minutes from the arena, so I’m really thankful and can’t wait to show where I live, where I go, to show my environment to all those people because they are my family here, but they also get to see my hometown.
For Oklahoma, though, the bigger story is what this trip means for a roster that looks very different and is still taking shape. Aaliyah Chavez and Sahara Williams are back, but the Sooners are also bringing along a wave of new pieces that need time on the floor together.
OU added two fifth-year bigs through the transfer portal in Sa’Myah Smith and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, along with former 5-star sophomores Jordan Speiser and Norman native Keeley Parks. The Sooners also brought in three freshmen, led by forward LeeLee Bell, with all of them expected to help create more shooting around Chavez.
Baranczyk said the depth is there, but figuring out how it all fits is the next step.
“I really like our depth, and the best thing we can do with depth is to get experience,” Baranczyk said. “And in order to get experience you’ve got to have game minutes and there’s only 200 game minutes.
So that’s one thing that’s going to be fun to watch our team. We’re kind of this scattered puzzle right now.
“… You really have to figure out how those pieces work together and which pieces work together the best.”
Replacing Raegan Beers won’t fall to one player, so Baranczyk is looking for the production to come in pieces. Smith, who came to Norman from Virginia after beginning her college career at LSU, gives Oklahoma size and skill, but Baranczyk also sees her as a stabilizing presence.
“What Sa’Mayah brings is an incredible amount of experience,” Baranczyk said. “… She’s won a National Championship.
She’s the only one on this team or in this program that has. So she knows what it takes.”
The Sooners also want more shooting and playmaking around Chavez, and Baranczyk is eager to see what Chavez and Parks can do together. She believes that pairing can put pressure on defenses during a tough nonconference slate and another run through the Southeastern Conference.
“(Parks has) grown a lot this summer,” Baranczyk said. “… What she does so well is she just has a very good feel for the game. … I love watching her and Aaliyah play.”
By the time Oklahoma reaches conference play, Baranczyk expects the Sooners to have already been tested. That’s part of the appeal of starting the year this way, even if the opener comes thousands of miles from home.
“We’re just at the beginning stage of this next wave to see where they can go,” she said.
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What makes this one stand out is the family connection. Lokey is the son of former Texas defensive lineman Derek Lokey, and he had options that included the Longhorns, but he still chose Oklahoma. For Sooners fans, it is the sort of early recruiting win that can resonate well beyond one commitment, especially when a player with local ties and a strong profile decides Norman is the place he wants to be. [Read more 🡒]
LeeLee Bell Already Looks Like A Problem In Oklahomas Offense
LeeLee Bell did not waste any time making an impression in her first game for Oklahoma. In the No. 21 Sooners 91-79 win over North Carolina, the versatile newcomer scored a game-high 25 points and added eight rebounds and four assists, the kind of all-around debut that immediately shows why the staff was so eager to bring her in.
Bells fit in this offense was part of the appeal from the start, since she picked Oklahoma for its playing style and the freedom it offers on the court. After the opener, coach Jennie Baranczyk and teammate Sahara Williams both pointed to Bells skill set and work ethic, and if this first outing is any indication, the Sooners may have found another player who can make defenses uncomfortable in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]