25-26 Roster

[Old Titan]

Further evidence that the soft deadline of ORU summer session is upon us:  Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams and Baron Smith, Jr. are now officially signed 6/2/25 per ORU Basketball; the tentative roster earlier in this thread has been undated.

Indiana prep recruit Alex Cuoto is the only remaining verbal commit not yet offically announced by ORU as "signed".

[jmg1984]

21 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

Further evidence that the soft deadline of ORU summer session is upon us:  Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams and Baron Smith, Jr. are now officially signed 6/2/25 per ORU Basketball; the tentative roster earlier in this thread has been undated.

Indiana prep recruit Alex Cuoto is the only remaining verbal commit not yet offically announced by ORU as "signed".

Good to get some length and hopefully some rebounding

[eagle88]

Without knowing many of the players on the incoming roster I will go out on a limb and predict we will be substantially better than last year. I envision a 500 season or slightly better.  If the players are hungry and stay unified they may pass all current expectations. 

[Old Titan]

I would just be happy to see more* of the following:

• Rebounding
• Defense
• Rebounding
• Joy
• Rebounding

* in the wake of the past two seasons, "more" means "any"

[Eaglefan 21]

2 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Further evidence that the soft deadline of ORU summer session is upon us:  Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams and Baron Smith, Jr. are now officially signed 6/2/25 per ORU Basketball; the tentative roster earlier in this thread has been undated.

Indiana prep recruit Alex Cuoto is the only remaining verbal commit not yet offically announced by ORU as "signed".

Did the transfer from West Virginia (from Israel I believe) become official? I'm behind on who has been signed. Glad to see the two bigs are official!

[Old Titan]

2 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Further evidence that the soft deadline of ORU summer session is upon us:  Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams and Baron Smith, Jr. are now officially signed 6/2/25 per ORU Basketball; the tentative roster earlier in this thread has been undated.

Indiana prep recruit Alex Cuoto is the only remaining verbal commit not yet offically announced by ORU as "signed".

Spoke too soon:  Cuoto was announced a little later in the day.

That makes 14 players officially announced as "signed" by ORU.  The projected roster limits for the coming season, which are contingent on the still-pending House ruling on all things NIL, would result in a cap of 15 players per D1 men's basketball team, with no walk-ons (you heard me - no walk-ons).  Who knows how things might be resolved (or not) by the time fall semester starts in a little over 60 days.

So, the roster looks to be pretty much set...unlesss something unanticipated is announced (such as adding "the Israeli transfer from West Virginia" Ofri Naveh later this summer).

 

WAIT A MINUTE - BREAKING NEWS - Ofri Naveh has been announced, too!

So, that should be all 15 players.

Unless, of course, somebody in Media Relations is just getting a kick out of messing with me today....  

[ORUTerry]

 

[titansforever]

4 minutes ago, ORUTerry said:

 

There we go!

[Keenan Henderson]

Here are things that need to happen for ORU to be successful next season:

1. Ty Harper can come in and be a combo guard and fill some of McBride's shoes.  

2. Y2 Williams can be a solid anchor in the middle.

3. Connor Dow and Ofri give the Eagles consistent wing shooters.

4.  The NAIA guys can be good role/glue guys.

5. Improvement from guys who returned: Grey and Martin.

6. At least 1 or 2 of the freshmen can help out and break into the rotation.

7. As many have said: defense and rebounding take a step up.

It is a lot to ask but as we always say at ORU, expect a miracle!

[Dave Connor]

3 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Further evidence that the soft deadline of ORU summer session is upon us:  Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams and Baron Smith, Jr. are now officially signed 6/2/25 per ORU Basketball; the tentative roster earlier in this thread has been undated

Today is my birthday. I've been waiting to see some taller players sign. What a nice "big" birthday gift this news is for me.

[Dave Connor]

1 hour ago, Keenan Henderson said:

Here are things that need to happen for ORU to be successful next season:

I would add a point #8: Whenever a player is on the court, he must play with a "team" mentality.

[theeagleman5]

Happy B-Day, Dave!!... TheEagleman can envision another Sweet 16 run for our ORU Golden Eagles...

[Keenan Henderson]

It is quite a roster: guys from Japan to Oklahoma, D1 transfers, NAIA players, a D2 transfer, and some freshman recruits.  In all ORU has 15 guys: 7 upperclassmen and 8 underclassmen.  Coach looked high and low to build this team, except he did not find anyone from the juco ranks.   Not a big deal but a little surprising, since juco players are now getting extra years added to their eligibility.  

If you total up what this group of guys did at various D1 teams in the past (either last year or the last time they played before redshirting) then they bring in about 32 points and 16 rebounds.  You can tell I had extra some time on my hands tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jmg1984]

2 hours ago, Dave Connor said:

Today is my birthday. I've been waiting to see some taller players sign. What a nice "big" birthday gift this news is for me.

Happy birthday Dave!!

[Old Titan]

For the record:  there are exactly zero shoes "needing to be filled" from anyone who played on back-to-back 20-loss teams.

And I mean anyone.

Like I always say:  even the worst teams in the country have a leading scorer. #smh

 

 

[titansforever]

The Tulsa World's latest article on new recruits. Not much new here, info-wise.

ORU men's basketball adds three college transfers, including forwards from Israel, Japan

June 3, 2025

Monday was busy for the Oral Roberts University men's basketball program with the signing of four players.

Three of the newcomers are college transfers.

Former West Virginia 6-6 forward Ofri Naveh has three years of eligibility left. Naveh, who is from Israel, started seven of 24 games as a freshman in 2023-24, averaging 13.8 minutes, 2.6 points, and 2.5 rebounds per game. He was a redshirt last season. 

"He brings a unique blend of toughness and skill, shaped by his experience starting in the Big 12 and redshirting at West Virginia," ORU coach Kory Barnett said in a press release. "Ofri knows what it takes to compete at a high level, and we're confident he'll make an immediate impact on our team and culture."

Naveh has played for Team Israel, including at the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship.

Baron Smith Jr. arrives at ORU after transferring from North Texas. 

"He plays with a relentless motor and a passion that's impossible to miss," Barnett said. "His toughness, intensity, and competitive spirit elevate everyone around him. Baron's energy is contagious, and we're excited for the impact he'll make on and off the court."

Smith, a 6-9 forward, from Haltom City, Texas, was a redshirt last season.  Smith is Haltom City's leader in career rebounds (855), single-season rebounds (353), and single-game rebounds (26). He averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds as a senior.

Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams, a 6-10 forward from Japan, moves to ORU after collegiate stints at Portland, Lamar and Nevada. As a freshman, he started 24 of 28 games at Lamar, where he averaged 6.9 points and 7.1 rebounds. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds as he started 11 games at Portland. Last season, he redshirted at Nevada.

"He's one of the most versatile players on our team. His ability to stretch the floor and rebound at a high level makes him a tough matchup," Barnett said. "After sitting out last season, he's hungry and ready to compete with renewed passion."

Yamanouchi-Williams graduated from Ribet Academy in Los Angeles and played for Japan's U19 National Team. 

ORU's high school signee Monday was 6-foot guard Alex Couto, who is from Carmel, Indiana.

"As one of the top guards in Indiana last season, he brings a unique skill set with his ability to score and create for others," Barnett said. "Alex's high basketball IQ makes him a great fit for the way we want to play."

Couto averaged 12.6 points and four assists last season, but was limited to 11 games due to injury.

[ORUTerry]

 

[Old Titan]

20 minutes ago, ORUTerry said:

 

The retirement of Ken Tutt’s No. 1 jersey is sooooo overdue…