Oklahoma Coach Porter Moser Welcomes Newest Transfer

Javian McCollum was an impact player during his first two seasons of college basketball at Siena.

John E. Hoover | Apr 28, 2023

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Oklahoma Sooners

By OU Media Relations

Oklahoma head men's basketball coach Porter Moser announced the addition of transfer guard Javian McCollum to the 2023-24 roster on Friday.

McCollum spent the previous two seasons at Siena, appearing in 51 games and making 27 starts.

During the 2022-23 campaign, he played in 27 contests with 25 starts, averaging 15.9 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds per contest. The sophomore was named to the 2022-23 All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Third Team and shot 43.0 percent (136-316) from the field and 35.6 percent (52-146) from 3-point range. McCollum tallied 20-plus points in 13 games and five-plus assists in 12 outings.

"Javian is a dynamic guard who brings instant speed to our team," said Moser. "Last year, he played with one of the fastest paces in the NCAA and will be a perfect addition to the roster as we aim to play more up tempo. He has a competitive edge and makes other players better. Javian has a great knack for scoring and the ability to shoot from deep. I am excited for him to join the OU family."

The Fort Myers, FL, product ranked second in the MAAC and 13th in NCAA DI in free throw percentage (89.0 percent) in 2022-23. In addition, he was third in the conference in assists per game (3.9), fifth in points per game (15.9), fifth in free throws made (105), seventh in field goal percentage (43.0 percent), eighth in assists (106) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2).

McCollum was twice named MAAC Player of the Week last season. He earned his first conference honor after back-to-back 20-point performances against Holy Cross and Albany. At the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational, he averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds per outing in games against Florida State, Ole Miss and Seton Hall to secure his second weekly accolade.

During his freshman season, he appeared in 24 games and earned two starts, averaging 6.7 points and 1.8 assists in 18.2 minutes per contest.

McCollum prepped at Fort Myers High School and was a three-time The News-Press Basketball Player of the Year finalist, winning the award twice. As a senior, he averaged 18.6 points, 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. McCollum also competed on the AAU circuit for CP25.

Published Apr 28, 2023

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.