NORMAN — After being picked to finish 15th out of 16 programs in the Southeastern Conference, the OU men’s basketball team will open 2025 undefeated at 13-0 and ranked in the top 10 in the USA TODAY SPORTS Coaches Poll.
With six days off after the conclusion of non-conference games, the earliest will open their conference schedule with an Alabama road trip at 5 p.m. Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Before OU looks to continue its impressive start to the season, here are three things we’ve learned about Oklahoma heading into the new year:
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True freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is a star
Eighteen years old Jeremiah fears appears to be on the verge of becoming a freshman All-American and first-round pick.
Fears began the season as one of the top freshmen in the country, averaging 18.1 points, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Sooners head coach Porter Moser has coached some talented players in his first three seasons with the program, but he hasn’t had a consistent scorer and playmaker like Fears.
He dropped 20 points and five assists on 7-of-10 shooting in his first start against East Texas A&M on November 21. He then scored 20 points and dished out seven assists against Providence and finished with 26 points against Arizona in the Bahamas. But his breakout came when he converted a four-point play in the final seconds and recorded a career-high 30 points to lift OU over Michigan in front of a national television audience.
A top 25 recruit committed to Illinois in the 2025 class, Fears reclassified to 2024 so he could play immediately. He is ranked as the 16th player in ESPN’s latest 2025 NBA Draft big board, which ranks the top 100 prospects.
If the Sooners continue to rack up wins and secure an NCAA Tournament berth, Fears will be one of the most talented players in the field.
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OU men’s basketball has multiple scorers
Make no mistake, OU is not a one-man show.
While the Sooners certainly haven’t had a player like Fears during Moser’s era, they also haven’t had scoring depth on a single team. Fears, Kobe Elvis, Duke Miles or Jalon Moore can score more than 20 points every night.
Moore has scored 20 or more points seven times this season. Elvis has lost 24 and 26 in games this season and Miles might be the team’s top scorer right now, he’s averaging 21 in his last three games.
And that’s not even taking into account the depth of veteran actors like Sam Godwin, Brycen Goodine and Glenn Taylor Jr.
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Oklahoma plays together
When asked what he learned about his team after a non-conference game, Moser was quick to respond.
“They’re resilient,” Moser said. “All the expectations that were previously told to us are out the window.”
There were several non-conference first halves in which the Sooners downplayed some lowly opponents. But they still bounce back strong in the second half. OU trailed Michigan for most of the contest before coming back strong and winning.
Moser’s team also plays with joy.
Whether Fears goes on a night, Elvis or Miles, everyone on the bench is engaged and happy for their teammates.
“I like that everyone can take responsibility and we can talk to each other,” Miles said. “No one here is selfish, who thinks they have a big head, it’s big on this team. We are all united, whether there is adversity or not.”
This article was originally published on Oklahoman: What we learned about non-conference OU basketball entering the SEC
