All Sooners

OU Basketball: Oklahoma Declines Invitation to Play in NIT

After getting left out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Sooners opted to not take the court in the NIT.

Ryan Chapman

OU Basketball: Oklahoma Declines Invitation to Play in NIT
OU Basketball: Oklahoma Declines Invitation to Play in NIT /
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Oklahoma’s season is officially done.

Sunday, the Sooners were left out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The Selection Committee ranked OU as the first team out of the 68-team field that saw five bids to the Big Dance stolen over the past week.

Oklahoma’s next step won’t be in the NIT, however.

“First and foremost, I loved coaching this group of young men and standing with them as they battled night after night,” OU coach Porter Moser said in a statement on X. “I am devastated for these young men who were left out of the NCAA Tournament, despite having a resume and metrics worthy of being in the field. At a later time, I will have more to say about our body of work and the selection process.

“Collectively, in consultation with our athletes, staff and administration, we have respectfully declined an invitation to participate in the NIT. This decision, though difficult, was made with the well-being of our student-athletes as the top priority.”

The Sooner ended the season 20-12 overall. 

With no more contests on the horizon this year, Moser will now shift his focus to getting the program moving in the right direction as Oklahoma heads to the Southeastern Conference.

Every one of this year’s players but Rivaldo Soares, Le’Tre Darthard and Maks Klanjscek are eligible to return next year.

The 2024-25 season will be crucial for Moser, who has missed three-straight NCAA Tournaments at Oklahoma.

Dave Bliss was the last OU coach who missed the tournament in three consecutive seasons, spanning 1976-1978.

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.