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Oklahoma

Joe Lunardi assesses Oklahoma's NCAA Tournament fate ahead of final regular season games

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh03/05/25griffin_mcveigh
Porter Moser38
OU HC Porter Moser. (Alonzo Adams - Imagn Images)

Oklahoma seemed like a near lock for the NCAA Tournament coming out of nonconference play. Flash forward to March and the Sooners are holding on for dear life. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently has them as the first team out of the field, needing some kind of result before Selection Sunday.

Lunardi explained why Oklahoma is where they are, saying the record in SEC play is just not good enough. Seven of the last eight games have resulted in losses to put them eight games under .500 against conference foes.

“The Sooners have been floating right between the last group in and as we talk tonight, the first team out,” Lunardi said Tuesday when speaking on SEC Network during halftime of Georgia–South Carolina. “I just can’t get past their play of late and that 4-12 league record. That’s why I have Oklahoma on the wrong side of things at the moment. They’ve got another opportunity against [Missouri].”

At this point, even being a part of the First Four would be a win for Oklahoma. Porter Moser is in his fourth season as the head coach and has yet to make the NCAA Tournament. Not hearing their name called last year was a big shock in Norman but was product of not performing well in Big 12 play.

Moser brought in a good haul via the NCAA transfer portal and star freshman Jeremiah Fears with the hope of finally getting over the hump. To this point, the job has yet to be completed.

There is still plenty of work to do before thinking of a trip to either Dayton or the first round. Thankfully, Oklahoma still has time, even if it’s a slim amount, to improve the resume.

Wednesday against Missouri could be their best opportunity in Norman. Saturday’s season finale against Texas — a team Moser has yet to beat since taking over — will come in Austin before heading to the SEC Tournament. If the bracket was set heading into Tuesday, Oklahoma would be playing another team on the bubble, Arkansas.

One win might be enough to get the Sooners in as an at-large team, no matter next week’s results in Nashville. With how deep the SEC is, Oklahoma potentially being the 13th or 14th team from the league would be historic. But the motivation to make the NCAA Tournament is a little more personal for OU than helping the SEC make unprecedented moves in basketball.