As an Oklahoma fan, I really enjoyed the Lon Kruger era. The Sooners men’s basketball team was not in a good place before he replaced Jeff Capel as head coach prior to the 2011-12 season. They had just become punished by the NCAA with three years probation, a $15,000 fine, reductions in recruiting, the loss of a scholarship, and vacation of all wins for the 2009-10 season.
Kruger brought the Sooners back to prominence with a Sweet 16 and Final Four appearance in his time at Oklahoma. He is a future Hall of Famer and a Sooner for life.
However, Porter Moser was the best possible hire for Joe Castiglione.
Moser spent 10 years (2011-2021) at Loyola University Chicago. He led the Ramblers to the Final Four in 2018 and the Sweet 16 this season. He brings a type of energy that all Sooner fans should be excited for.
“The style is defense is gonna create offense”
Moser said in his introductory press conference.
“I start every shoot around with we’ve got to run. We’ve got to get the tempo going, we’ve got to pass it ahead and space it. You get that by guarding. I talk about that in the recruiting process. I’m talking about being a two-way player.”
Moser didn’t waste any time on the recruiting trail. He picked up his first commitment on April 7, the same day as his introductory press conference. The commitment came from 3-star point guard Alston Mason, a 6-foot senior from Overland Park, Kansas. Mason averaged 22.4 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals for Blue Valley Northwest High.
My favorite quote from Moser was this: “The key to culture is every day. It can mean different things to different people, but it’s got to be every day, or it’s not real. It’s habits, standards, the way you go about your business every day.”
I am excited to see the new era of Sooner basketball, but I believe it is in good hands with Moser. He has a chance to prove himself against other elite coaches, and he isn’t going to back down against coaches in the Big 12 that have won championships and been to the Final Four.
“I look forward to it because I’ve been on that stage, too, and I’m not going to take a back seat. I think there’s some of the best coaches in the country in this league, top to bottom.”