Happy Friday, friends and fans!

After two seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, point guard De’Vion Harmon has declared for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Coming out of Guyer High in Denton, Texas in 2019, the 6’2’ PG displayed the ability to make plays for his teammates and a penchant for scoring buckets himself when needed. Harmon made tremendous strides in his game from his freshman to his sophomore season, especially when the ball was not in his hands. On the season, he averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

It could be argued that another year of college could have helped his stock, as he doesn’t fit the physical mold of a modern NBA point guard. With Lon Kruger entering retirement in addition to this news, the state of OU Basketball is already looking much different heading into the 2021-22 season.

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! C-Will looks like the real deal, D-Will inks deal with da Bears, Texas pauses spring ball following COVID spike and more!

OU Links

• On Thursday, Oklahoma announced the official kick-off time for next month’s Spring Game. On Saturday, April 24, the Sooners will showcase their annual scrimmage at 4 p.m. CT. A pregame fan festival will run prior to the contest from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. Additionally, the contest will be televised by FOX Sports Oklahoma with Toby Rowland, Dusty Dvoracek and Jessica Coody on the broadcast.

• Top-ranked OU Softball (22-0) opens Big 12 play on the road against the Iowa State Cyclones. The three-game conference series is set to begin today and conclude on Sunday. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT and will be streaming live on ESPN+.

• OU Baseball (12-8) is also opening up its Big 12 slate on the road today against its Red River rival in Austin, Texas. This contest is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CT and will be televised on the Longhorn Network.

• Freshman QB Caleb Williams arrived to Oklahoma with as much hype as any player has in recent memory, and just days into his first collegiate spring practice, he’s already justifying the excitement among his teammates. OU Insider’s Parker Thune has more.
• Thune also recently wrote about sophomore WR Marvin Mims. After splashing onto the scene with an impressive 2020 campaign, the Sooners’ elite pass catcher aims to take his game to the next level this fall.
• With the return of veteran RB Kennedy Brooks and some offensive line retooling taking place this spring, there are plenty of intriguing story lines that are beginning to develop during the first week of Oklahoma’s spring camp. OU Daily’s Mason Young has more.
• Former Sooners center and grad assistant Erick Wren has reportedly been hired by the Miami Dolphins organization in an assistant role. Congratulations, Coach Wren!

• Freshman guard Trey Phipps has announced on Twitter his intention to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after one season at Oklahoma. The 6’2 Tulsa native and Sooner legacy (Conley Phipps ‘85-’87) saw action in 16 games during the 2020-21 campaign. He logged a season-high 12 points in the opener against UTSA, including 4-9 shooting from beyond the arc in that contest. As a senior at Booker T. Washington, he was named 6A First Team All-State.

• Former Oklahoma running back Damien Williams has reportedly signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears for the 2021 NFL season.
• In case you haven’t heard, Oklahoma is not just a football school. In fact, the Sooners are at the top of the polls in softball, golf, men’s and women’s gymnastics. If OU isn’t ‘Sports U’ right now, I don’t know who is. Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• In an unexpected turn of events, Texas Longhorns men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart has reportedly agreed in principle to become the next head coach of the Marquette Golden Eagles.
• In other Longhorns news, multiple positive COVID tests have forced Texas to pause all spring football activities until further notice. In the meantime, all team meetings and will be conducted virtually.
• Georgia Bulldogs WR George Pickens has reportedly suffered a torn ACL and has already undergone surgery. It’s possible that he could return to the field for UGA in the latter half of the 2021 season.
• The Indianapolis Colt have reportedly re-signed veteran WR T.Y. Hilton on a one-year, $10 million contract deal with $8 million guaranteed.
• The Chicago Bulls have reportedly received star big man Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu in a trade with the Orlando Magic.
• In other trade news from around the NBA, the Boston Celtics are reportedly set to acquire Orlando’s Evan Fournier for two second round draft picks.

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