A win or two in the regular season, or a win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, would have been enough to bring the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament. While at the summit, it is unlikely that Porter Moser’s first Sooners team will be able to do enough to score a run.
And that’s where Oklahoma has been in basketball more and more often. The Sooners are typically competitive in a deep big 12 basketball conference, with a strong argument for being considered the best in the country. Unfortunately, that competitiveness hasn’t culminated in consistent tournament performances or title runs.
But while he’s had many really good teams over the past 40 years, his bid to hold on to that elusive NCAA championship fell short. Looking at some of the best teams to never win a title, Eric Smith of USA Today Sports ranks the Oklahoma Sooners as one of the best teams to never win a title.
Other than making the Final Four in 1939 and 1947, the Sooners had no NCAA history to speak of before the arrival of Billy Tubbs in 1980. 1 four times in a span of six years starting in 1984 and losing the national championship game from 1998 to Kansas. Overall, Oklahoma is equal to Gonzaga in terms of being the No. 1 seed five times. Only six teams have made it any more. Calvin Sampson and Lon Kruger also led the school to the Final Four in 2002 and 2016, respectively, giving the school five national semifinal appearances. – Smith, USA Today Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners have been able to attract superstar players over the years and this has helped keep the program relevant. At some point though, they have to come up with a title to establish themselves as a basketball school.
This is the task ahead of Porter Moser. Turning the Oklahoma Sooners into an annual participant in March Madness and making them into a title contender.
It was a promising first year for Moser, but the struggles of January and February revealed a schedule with work to do. Now in his first full season, Moser can begin building out his recruiting and transfer portal classes to help propel the Sooners back to the top of the Big 12.
The good news is there’s a solid foundation to build on soon.
Contact/Follow us @ soonerswire Like our page on Twitter Facebook To follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinion. Tell us your thoughts, comment on this story below. join the conversation today,
