BIG 12 CONFERENCE BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 20, 2021

Porter Moser

Oklahoma Sooners

Media Day Press Conference

PORTER MOSER: Just like everybody, you're excited to start playing somebody different. You're there all summer, playing all summer, these workouts in the fall. It's like everybody else, we're excited to get going, to play somebody different, see where you are.

For me, being the first year, there's a lot of unknowns. You think you know based on practice and what they're doing, but once the games get going, you really start learning a lot about your team.

Q. With all the changes that have happened in the past off-season, do you have expectations there's going to be additional hostility for your team on the road? How do you prepare your team for that?

PORTER MOSER: You probably got to anticipate it (smiling). You just control what you can control.

Even watching on TV, all those places are hostile anyways. It's not easy to go into any of these arenas anyways. If it's an additional, it is what it is. It's still going to be the same hard atmospheres to play and win in.

For your guys, you control what you can control. You find a way to use that as a motivating factor at some point. You're going to face tough environments regularly anyways.

Q. We spoke earlier to Chris Beard and Mike Boynton. Both had high respect for you. Can you talk about your relationships with other coaches.

PORTER MOSER: Those are reciprocated right back at Mike and Chris. Known those guys for a while in the profession. How they carry themselves off the floor, the same guys as they moved up the ladder.

You know everybody when they were assistants, how they were, how they're grinding. You see some people change who they are. Those guys haven't changed who they are. I've known Chris seems like for such a long time. When we see each other, we talk about the old days, competing. I know how competitive he is. He hasn't changed who he is. I think that's just such a big part of what you do.

Seems like you know so many of these coaches, from Bruce Weber at Illinois, I'm from Illinois, Southern Illinois, I played in the Valley. He was after. I was with Rich Herrin. I don't want to age him that much (smiling).

Just from top to bottom. I've known T.J. since T.J. was at Chipola Junior College. Coach Self when he was at Oral Roberts. You get to know them a long time.

The crazier story was with Coach Huggins right over there, when he was at Cincinnati. I told him this story before. We played Cincinnati when we were in Hawaii. I was playing at Creighton. We were down 21 at half -- up 21 at half, thought we had the game won. Back then the Classic had a curtain. We heard an unbelievable motivational speech at halftime. We lost by one or two.

So I've known a lot of them, seen a lot of them coach, respect it. Truly, it's an unbelievably coached league. This is my first year in it, but watching from the outside, knowing these guys, you can just watch on TV and see the success they've had, how hard every team defends.

Q. You have so many newcomers, transfers to mix around the veterans. How have things progressed in terms of chemistry?

PORTER MOSER: Right, people ask, How do you do that, get them together? There's no secret. It's just time. You got to spend time building relationships with them.

The one dynamic that's different, sometimes when you take over, back in the old days without the transfer portal, you're inheriting maybe nine guys from the previous team. At least they knew each other.

We had to sign nine. The nine you signed didn't know each other. The guys that were back... You're trying to get them to build a camaraderie, a togetherness, as well as learn your system.

The only answer to that is time. It takes time. We were able to work with them in the summer, which is great, but limited hours. That's why you're going to continue to learn and come together once these game starts. Once you go through adversity, celebrations, you learn and you grow throughout that process.

It's definitely a work in progress coming together when you start like that new with so many new guys.

Q. Have you had any conversations with anybody about getting a culture wall at OU yet?

PORTER MOSER: Yeah, it's up. It's up. It was up like the first week. Yeah, come on by, you'll see it.

Q. Yesterday we heard from Jennie on the women's side talking about following up Sherri Coale and the pressure that comes with that. Is that something you feel following up with Coach Kruger, and have you had any conversations with Coach Kruger about taking the job?

PORTER MOSER: Ton of conversations with Coach Kruger. Obviously he's a Hall-of-Fame coach, but he's one of the best human beings in our profession.

I talked to him before I took it. I've talked to him many times after. He's been around, to workouts. It's an honor to follow a guy like that. Did an unbelievable job in the 10 years he was there, not only winning, but he did a phenomenal job in the community.

The hardest part about following Coach Kruger, besides his winning, is the amount of calls I get about open practices. It's every day. There's a contingency, he opened up every single practice every single day. I don't think you see that in college basketball very often.

Just honored to follow a guy like Lon. He's been unbelievable trying to help me and navigate any questions I have. He's been around. Came to our golf tournament. Truly part of Oklahoma basketball forever, Coach Kruger will be.

Q. I wanted to ask you about Jordan and Tanner, two new players that are transfers in. Older, veteran players. How much have they provided leadership despite this being their first year on campus?

PORTER MOSER: One of the things we wanted to do, especially, is to get a point guard that was older. Jordan, going through what he went through at Duke, he's been on a high stage. He was All-Defensive Team in the ACC. I knew we were going to get those things with him.

We're going to count on his leadership a lot. We're going to need his leadership a lot, his consistent leadership being and older guy that's been through some things.

I think for him, he's going to have a bigger role, bigger leadership role, than he's ever had. We're counting on that. I'm excited as he's growing every day, getting better. We're counting on him to have a big year for us.

Tanner, same thing. He's got an energy about him. He's one of our loudest guys in practice every day. He's communicating, he's talking. He's been a sponge to learn, watching tape, comes up, watches a ton of extra tape. He wants to be good.

When younger guys see that, that's such a good sign of how things go. But Tanner, I mean, he absolutely loves it. He loves basketball. You like coaching guys that love it like that.

Q. You also talked about Goldwire in that quote about bringing in a veteran point guard. You brought him here today. I feel like that says something about his leadership. What is he like in the locker room?

PORTER MOSER: I think Jordan is a guy that when he's playing, his intensity, it's really something that becomes contagious. I think the guys respect where he's been. They're looking to him for leadership for where we're going. So am I. I think that's going to be a big thing for him.

He's a guy where he can really dominate a practice. He can dominate a practice with his effort, with his defense, with his pace. When his pace gets going, he can do it.

You have to have your older guys. This league, you look at how old this league is, how good of players, well-coached this league is. You need your older guys to be those guys.

Elijah Harkless has been through it. Jordan Goldwire has been through it. Tanner Groves is in his fourth year. Jalen Hill has been through it, Mo Gibson. You have to have your older guys be guys you can count on at least for leadership, toughness, consistency, stacking good practices. That's what the guys are looking for in Jordan.

Thank you very much.