Oklahoma Sooners Basketball: Oklahoma lands transfer Umoja “Mo” Gibson

The transfer market is thrown a new wrinkle when there’s a pandemic keeping everybody indoors, but Lon Kruger was able to land Umoja Gibson, a guard from North Texas. Gibson is not a graduate transfer, so his eligibility for the 2020-2021 season is a bit cloudy at the moment as the NCAA reviews the rule of sitting out a season after a transfer to a different institution. Those close to the Sooners’ program feel quite confident that the NCAA will pass new legislation allowing a one-time transfer without sitting out, which would allow Gibson to play right away.

Umoja Gibson comes to the Sooners as an established force by being being named to the All-Conference USA Freshman team in the 2018-19 season, while also breaking the Mean Green and Conference USA freshman record of three pointers made in a season with 99 buckets. Gibson heads to the Sooners as a redshirt junior, one year after an even more impressive sophomore campaign where he made All-Conference USA’s Second Team in the 2019-20 season and was expected not to just be the new leader of three pointers made in North Texas history, but shatter the current record.

Coming in to the Sooners, Gibson will fill Jamal Bieniemy’s slot with a great offensive punch. As a sophomore, Gibson averaged nearly 15 points per game, made 86 treys, shooting 39.4% from three, and scoring in double-digit numbers in 24 of the Mean Green’s 31 games. Gibson stands at a frame of 6’1, 168lbs, a stark difference to Bieniemy’s 6’5, 187lbs frame. If the new eligibility rule passes under the NCAA legislation, it’s clear that Mo would be slotted to play a combo guard of sorts under Lon Kruger’s oversight. Of the reasons why Gibson transferred to the Sooners was a chance to showcase his talents at a better conference but also to become more of a ball handler as well. A backcourt of DeVion Harmon — who is more of a slasher — combined with the deadly shooting of Mo Gibson — who also can attack closeouts — will make the 2020-2021 Oklahoma Sooners more explosive on offense.