From Tae Davis to Dayton Forysthe, what we learned at OU basketball media day

NORMAN — Oklahoma men’s basketball held its local media day Tuesday, six days before the Sooners open the regular season against East Texas A&M at Lloyd Noble Center.

Coach Porter Moser and a handful of players spoke with the media before practice. Here’s some of what we learned:

• OU announced Monday that Tae Davis was rejoining the team. He is on the roster but broke his foot during a pre-draft workout and isn’t medically cleared to practice yet, despite being legally able to. He isn’t yet eligible, however, and will need to file a lawsuit to seek a fifth year. Moser never wavered when it came to Davis, who averaged 13 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Sooners last season. “I always saved a roster spot for him,” he said.
• Moser said Tuesday he feels this season’s roster is the best he’s had on paper. “I haven’t seen it yet,” Moser said, however. The Sooners have yet to have their entire roster available in preseasons scrimmages, though, as guards Dayton Forsythe and Tyler Hendricks are currently in concussion protocol and Derrion Reid missed the first scrimmage. Kai Rogers wasn’t a full participant in Tuesday’s practice.
• SMU transfer guard B.J. Edwards has gotten rave reviews since his arrival on campus. “I see a physical guard. He can put his chest on somebody and really level somebody off. An SEC athlete,” Moser said. Edwards remains ineligible. Moser was adamant Tuesday that Edwards and other class of 2022 athletes should receive another year. “The right thing to do now is create less mental problems for these kids,” he said.
• Moser said he fully expects Forsythe to play on opening night. The Dale native underwent successful ankle surgery in March following the season after battling injuries all season. He wasn’t able to practice despite playing in games and underwent three to four hours of treatment daily. “It definitely takes a toll not being able to be out there and feel like myself and play like myself,” Forsythe said. “That was my first major injury that I had throughout my whole life. It was challenging for sure.”
• Villanova transfer big Duke Brennan was teammates with Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams at Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona. He reacted to playing in the same state as him once again and Williams’ injury. “J-Dub, he’s a great guy. Very close. It was super said. We aren’t too close nowadays but he’ll always be a brother. Prayers out to him that he can get healthy.”
• Moser said his two freshmen, Gage Mayfield and Fatz Wadley, might be his most athletic players. Mayfield was a consensus four-star and top-100 player out of Hale County High School in Alabama.
• The Sooners’ coach is setting the bar high for this year’s squad. “There’s no finish line with this team,” he said. However, Moser said it’ll be a tough road to the NCAA Tournament, even with the expansion to 76 teams due to the strength of this season’s SEC. “This is going to be a ride like no other in college basketball with the SEC this year,” Moser said.
• Former OU forward Sam Godwin was seen at practice. He’s now the Sooners’ assistant director of basketball operations.

Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: From Tae Davis to Dayton Forysthe, what we learned at OU basketball media day