Rivaldo Soares, John Hugley out for OU to start Big 12 tournament
OU head coach Porter Moser didn’t even let the Zoom press conference get started Tuesday. He knew it was going to be asked, and he answered.
Rivaldo Soares and John Hugley will both miss the Sooners’ game vs. No. 8-seed TCU on Wednesday to begin the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
If OU is to win against the Frogs, Moser said it would be evaluated on a day-to-day basis for both. It was just crystal clear neither would be ready 2 p.m. Wednesday.
“John hasn’t been back. He’s close,” Moser said. “John is very close, just won’t be available tomorrow.”
There is a line of logic that OU, with its 20 wins, doesn’t need to do anything in Kansas City and will cruise into Selection Sunday. So holding both guys out makes a lot of sense, maybe was even part of the plan?
Moser chuckled at that one because if there is one player that is going to grit it out no matter what, it’s Soares.
“He’s in his last run here. but we do want to make sure that thing is good,” Moser said. “If Waldo could go, and for me to hold him back, he’d go, coach, man, this is my last year. There is no double-COVID year. This is it. This kid wants to play so bad. But for tomorrow, 24 hours from now? It’s not going to happen. He is really, really close. Who knows after that?”
Hugley has missed the last month after a knee injury and then having meniscus surgery. Soares has been battling like crazy to stay in the lineup with a left ankle injury. He, unfortunately, rolled it again with just over three minutes left to play in Saturday’s regular season finale.
OU and TCU played what feels like forever ago, the second conference game of the season. The Frogs took control in the second half and never looked back.
But it has been an uneven ride for both teams throughout the season. Both ended on down notes with TCU losing at home to Central Florida to fall to the 8/9 game. And OU being whipped by Texas in the second half in a 94-80 loss in Austin.
Guard Javian McCollum should play Wednesday. He has been battling a shoulder injury for the last nine days. He did play at UT.
But all the rumors, all the DePaul rumors? Those are out the window. Moser addressed that Monday, and it’s all about the here and now for OU.
“Not at all (been a team distraction),” said Moser when asked by SoonerScoop. “This is the second time I addressed it. First time was with you two or three weeks ago in a question. I answered it then, I answered it last night in a statement.
“I just want to put it to bed and focus all our thoughts on our team and beating TCU and advancing in the Big 12 Tournament, NCAA Tournament. I’ve addressed it twice now.”
