It’s been a brutal offseason stretch for the Oklahoma men’s basketball program with bad news still coming in. Talented freshman Kaden Cooper has announced via social media his intent to enter the transfer portal.

Cooper was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 65 overall recruit in the country coming out of high school. A consensus four-star, he was seen as a top-15 small forward in the country. 

Cooper, a product of the state of Oklahoma, could’ve taken his talents anywhere across college basketball. But of his numerous opportunities, he chose to come home. It was a massive win at the time for head coach Porter Moser and the program.

“Kaden is the type of player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said. “His length and athleticism combined with his willingness and toughness make him have the potential to be an elite defender. Kaden’s ability to go downhill, knock down shots and impact our transition game, fits us offensively. He is a young man who has constantly been improving the last several years. He wants to get better and is extremely driven to improve his game. What I loved in the recruiting process was seeing his love for the state of Oklahoma, his desire to win big at the University of Oklahoma and represent his home state.”

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But once Cooper joined the program, he wasn’t given much opportunity to play. He appeared in 15 total games, averaging just 1.5 points and 0.9 rebounds in limited action. Cooper found time on the floor for more than three minutes just once during last season, an outing against TCU where he recorded three points and four rebounds in 12 minutes of play.

Despite the well-known potential Cooper has flashing during that contest, he still couldn’t get onto the court with consistent playing time. After a frustrating season where Cooper not only struggled to get minutes but the Sooners missed the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year under Moser, he ultimately chose to explore options in the portal.

The world of transfers in college basketball has not been kind to Oklahoma since the season ended. The Sooners have suffered several portal casualties, have swung and missed on priority targets and have now lost one of their most promising young members of the roster. This is a player full of potential, too, who chose to come back to his home state and play for OU over several options that will likely now reemerge.

Theoretically, Cooper could have the option to return to the program. But with recent trends, struggling to recruit other targets, the damage may have been done as trying to re-recruit current members of a thin roster may be too farfetched.