How Oklahoma filled two major needs in one offseason move
This offseason, Porter Moser and the Sooners made a major splash in the transfer portal, bringing in four additions. Among their biggest offseason needs were finding a new point guard after Jeremiah Fears left for the NBA and replacing assistant coach Armon Gates, who recruited Fears to Norman before taking a job at Minnesota.
On April 14, they managed to address both at once by hiring St. Joe’s associate head coach Justin Scott and adding his stepson Xzayvier Brown, who earned All-Atlantic 10 First Team honors after averaging 17.6 points, five rebounds, and four assists last season.
That move gave Oklahoma its new starting point guard, one the staff viewed as the best available in the portal, while also adding a veteran assistant coach with head coaching experience.
“Justin Scott has been a great addition to our staff,” Moser said during Oklahoma’s local media day on Tuesday. “A veteran. A guy who’s been a head coach. Great with the players, great on-floor coach, great basketball mind. It’s just been seamless.”
Scott’s head coaching experience came at Division II Arcadia University, where he started as an assistant in 2010 before taking over as head coach in 2012. He led the program to its first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance and win in 2019.
“Having X with him there, and X has been a huge part of what we’re doing, I couldn’t have had a scenario work out better,” Moser added. “I got a great assistant coach who I’m leaning on a lot, and a point guard I’m leaning on a lot. So it’s worked out well.”
Brown is now set to lead the Sooners’ offense as their floor general, and there’s plenty to like about the Philadelphia native.
“X couldn’t be a more humble, hard-working, about-the-right-things guy,” Moser said. “He brings a wealth of experience from a great league. He was first-team all-league, and he does a little bit of everything. He scores 17 a game, rebounds, assists, playmakes, competes. He’s been in a lot of situations, and I just feel very confident in X. It’s been great having those two on board.”
Brown’s combination of scoring and playmaking was on full display in Oklahoma’s 84–83 exhibition win over No. 24 Wisconsin, where he led the Sooners with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
While Brown is no stranger to high-level competition, he will still face an adjustment going from the A-10 to the SEC. One luxury he’ll have this season that Fears didn’t last year is an elite backcourt partner in Nijel Pack, one of the nation’s best shooters and most experienced guards, entering his fifth year at the high-major level.
All around, the addition of Brown looks like an ideal fit for Oklahoma. He’s got his stepdad on staff in Scott, who’s already making an impact on the recruiting trail, and a backcourt running mate in Pack. Together, they form one of the better starting backcourts in the country.
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