Porter Moser excited to see what retooled OU men's basketball roster can do in Europe
NORMAN — The Sooners begin a trip to Spain and France on Tuesday, and in between tourist stops and a river cruise, there will be three basketball games to play.
The 10-day trip will include games against the Mataro Select Team (7:30 p.m. Thursday), the Maresme Select Team (7:30 p.m. Saturday) and the Paris All-Stars (7 p.m. Aug. 9).
While there are no streaming options, the trio of games will provide OU men's basketball coach Porter Moser a glimpse of a team that has a retooled roster after going 19-16 (7-11 Big 12) last season.
"I think that’s going to be great," Moser said. "With so many new guys and veterans, it's a chance to get a feel of where you’re at. On a trip like this, there are so many benefits. The practice, the games, the culture, the team bonding. It’s going to be a great experience for us."
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OU is expected to roll out its new-look backcourt duo of Grant Sherfield and Joe Bamisile.
Sherfield is a 6-foot-2 point guard who averaged 19.1 points and 6.4 assists per game last season as a junior at Nevada. The two-time transfer received a waiver from the NCAA to become immediately eligible on July 20.
OU is still holding out hope that Bamisile will also receive a waiver. The 6-4 guard averaged 16.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore at George Washington.
Bamisile is also a two-time transfer and currently ineligible for OU this upcoming season, but Moser said he feels pretty good about Bamisile's chances of receiving a waiver. The first-year Sooner can to play during the foreign tour.
"Grant is elite at off-ball screens," Moser said. The thing about it is he gives you a scoring threat from the point, but he also gives you – he was fourth in the country in assists. He can do both.
"Joe Bamisile, he's an athletic scorer who can put the ball in the hole. He can knock down threes and can slash. He gives you an older guy who knows how to score."
OU's backcourt is bolstered by sophomores Bijan Cortes and C.J. Noland, who both showed promise as freshmen last season.
Noland averaged 3.9 points in 12.6 minutes per game while shooting 52.7% from the floor and 43.6%t from deep. The 6-2 guard earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
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Meanwhile, Cortes averaged 2.0 points and 1.4 assists in 11.6 minutes per game. The 6-3 guard fell out of the rotation during OU's postseason push, but he and Noland are expected to see a larger role this time around with one year of experience under their belts.
"They know what to expect," Moser said. "I can see the degree of dedication in the summertime with Bijan and C.J. is at a way higher level. They’ve come back in better shape physically and mentally."
Another duo looking to build off last season is the frontcourt pairing of brothers Tanner and Jacob Groves.
Both had an immediate impact after transferring from Eastern Washington last offseason. Tanner averaged 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on 38.1% shooting from deep as a center. Jacob ultimately earned the starting power forward spot and finished with an average of 4.6 points in 17.4 minutes per game.
The physicality of the Big 12 proved to be the biggest learning curve for Tanner, but the 6-10 senior has since increased his weight from 235 pounds to 244 pounds.
Jacob also hopes to become a more reliable stretch big for the Sooners. After shooting 36.4% from distance in his sophomore campaign at Eastern Washington, the 6-9 forward only shot 30.7% in that department last season.
"There were a lot of questions about (Tanner) jumping up to the Big 12, the No. 1 conference," Moser said. "I thought he had a great jump. He’s gotten bigger. I’m not so sure Jacob hasn’t grown taller than him. Jacob Groves has grown, a full and legit 6-9."
The foreign tour will provide the first look at a trio of freshmen.
Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh are a pair of four-star guards who ranked 53rd and 72nd in the ESPN 100, respectively. Then there's Luke Northweather, a 6-11 forward with a three-star status.
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"(Uzan) is terrific, really like him," Moser said. "He’s a taller point guard who has a great feel. He can really pass. Otega Oweh does not have a freshman body if you look at him. He has a college-built body right now. Really athletic, goes downhill, very strong. He gives us some increased athleticism.
"Then Luke Northweather. Every day he’s getting better. He’s 6-11, can really shoot it and stretch it... The newcomers are giving us a great addition to what we’re doing."
OU will be without two players during its foreign tour.
Freshman Benny Schroeder and Missouri transfer Yaya Keita have yet to practice with the Sooners due to meniscus injuries, although Moser expects the duo to be available in a month or so.
The eventual return of Schroeder and Keita might not be the only change to OU's rotation. The team still has a 13th and final scholarship spot remaining, which could be used to add one more weapon.
"You never know," Moser said. "Trust me. Every day, we look. You never know, whether it’s overseas or someone late came in the portal through graduation. But I’m not going to waste it. If something arises that I think benefits our program, we’ll use it."
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Euro trip
OU's trip to Spain and France will feature three international games:
Thursday: vs. Mataro Select Team, 7:30 p.m. in Barcelona, Spain
Saturday: vs. Maresme Select Team, 7:30 p.m. in Barcelona, Spain
Aug. 9: vs. Paris All-Stars, 7 p.m. in Paris, France
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Porter Moser excited to coach retooled OU Sooners roster in Europe
