Oklahoma's March Toward Basketball Redemption Begins With East Texas A&M

NORMAN - Porter Moser's 2026-27 Oklahoma Sooners appear to be the best roster the sixth-year head coach has had during his time in Norman.

"Retention" was the word of the offseason. Moser even boasted at SEC Media Days that he was excited to return a point guard in Xzayvier Brown, a luxury never afforded to him as the Sooners' head coach. In addition to Brown, forwards Derrion Reid and Tae Davis also came back.

Now, with the transfer portal merely accenting the roster instead of building it out entirely, OU looks to not only rebound from a sequence of lackluster years, but truly return to the NCAA Tournament as a team to be reckoned with.

On the schedule first is East Texas A&M, a program who won 11 games in the 2025-26 season.

How to Watch Oklahoma vs. East Texas A&M

• Date: Nov. 2
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Where: Norman, OK
• Channel: SEC Network+

Just below retention on Oklahoma's reasons to be optimistic, impact transfers like big man Duke Brennan from Villanova and guard B.J. Edwards from SMU give Moser dynamic play on both ends of the court.

Both players were also the central figures in recent court decisions on eligibility. Both have been ruled eligible for the start of the season, a matter on which Moser had much to say during Oklahoma's Media Day.

Brennan provides Oklahoma with consistency, production and leadership. Since beginning his career at Arizona State and Grand Canyon, Brennan's teams have made the NCAA Tournament every season. During his lone season at Villanova, Brennan nabbed 10.6 rebounds per game.

Mo Wague, OU's center last season, averaged 6.8 boards a game.

Edwards missed the final portion of last season due to injury, but for 28 games at SMU, he was a sensational player on both ends of the floor.

His 12.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game pair well with Oklahoma's backcourt. Edwards earned ACC All-Defensive Team recognition twice as well.

In addition, OU also returns Dayton Forsythe as their sixth man. Forsythe, as well as Davis, have spent the last week in concussion protocol, according to Moser. Both are expected to be ready for the opener.

35% three-point shooter Pop Isaacs, freshman forward Gage Mayfield - who Moser described as the most athletic player on the team - and center Kai Rogers give the Sooners a balance of experience and potential big-play ability from the bench.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Oklahoma's March Toward Basketball Redemption Begins With East Texas A&M.