Oklahoma Sooners basketball — program history
Oklahoma has a strong basketball tradition, which the Sooners carried into the SEC in 2024, reaching the Final Four multiple times including the 1988 National Championship Game under Billy Tubbs. The Sooners have produced NBA stars like Blake Griffin, Buddy Hield, and Trae Young, and the program's high-scoring style under Tubbs electrified the sport in the 1980s.
The name
The "Sooners" name comes from settlers who entered Oklahoma Territory before the official 1889 land run, staking claims "sooner" than allowed — the name represents competitive initiative.
Signature moment
The 1988 season under Billy Tubbs, when the Sooners averaged over 100 points per game and reached the National Championship Game before falling to Kansas.
Trae Young's 2017-18 season at Oklahoma was one of the most hyped in college basketball history — he led the nation in both scoring and assists, something no player had ever done before.
The Oklahoma Sooners compete in the SEC and hold an all-time record of 1800–1180 (.604 winning percentage) across 119 recorded seasons dating back to 1907-08. The program has reached 5 Final Fours.
Season-by-season results
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|
| 2025-26 | 21-16 | 7-11 (SEC) | Porter Moser | |
| 2024-25 | 20-14 | 6-12 (SEC) | Porter Moser | AP #12 |
| 2023-24 | 20-12 | 8-10 (Big 12) | Porter Moser | AP #7 |
| 2022-23 | 15-17 | 5-13 (Big 12) | Porter Moser | |
| 2021-22 | 19-16 | 7-11 (Big 12) | Porter Moser | |
| 2020-21 | 16-11 | 9-8 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | AP #7 |
| 2019-20 | 19-12 | 9-9 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | |
| 2018-19 | 20-14 | 7-11 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | AP #20 |
| 2017-18 | 18-14 | 8-10 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | AP #4 |
| 2016-17 | 11-20 | 5-13 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | |
| 2015-16 | 29-8 | 12-6 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | AP #1 |
| 2014-15 | 24-11 | 12-6 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | AP #13 |
| 2013-14 | 23-10 | 12-6 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | AP #17 |
| 2012-13 | 20-12 | 11-7 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | |
| 2011-12 | 15-16 | 5-13 (Big 12) | Lon Kruger | |
| 2010-11 | 14-18 | 5-11 (Big 12) | Jeff Capel | |
| 2009-10 | 13-18 * | SEC | | |
| 2008-09 | 30-6 | 13-3 (Big 12) | Jeff Capel | AP #2 |
| 2007-08 | 23-12 | 9-7 (Big 12) | Jeff Capel | |
| 2006-07 | 16-15 | 6-10 (Big 12) | Jeff Capel | |
| 2005-06 | 20-9 | 11-5 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #5 |
| 2004-05 | 25-8 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #13 |
| 2003-04 | 20-11 | 8-8 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #6 |
| 2002-03 | 27-7 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #3 |
| 2001-02 | 31-5 | 13-3 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #3 |
| 2000-01 | 26-7 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #13 |
| 1999-00 | 27-7 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #12 |
| 1998-99 | 22-11 | 11-5 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #23 |
| 1997-98 | 22-11 | 11-5 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #18 |
| 1996-97 | 19-11 | 9-7 (Big 12) | Kelvin Sampson | |
| 1995-96 | 17-13 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Kelvin Sampson | |
| 1994-95 | 23-9 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Kelvin Sampson | AP #16 |
| 1993-94 | 15-13 | 6-8 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | |
| 1992-93 | 20-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #9 |
| 1991-92 | 21-9 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #14 |
| 1990-91 | 20-15 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #11 |
| 1989-90 | 27-5 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #1 |
| 1988-89 | 30-6 | 12-2 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #1 |
| 1987-88 | 35-4 | 12-2 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #3 |
| 1986-87 | 24-10 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #6 |
| 1985-86 | 26-9 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #5 |
| 1984-85 | 31-6 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #4 |
| 1983-84 | 29-5 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #6 |
| 1982-83 | 24-9 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | AP #19 |
| 1981-82 | 22-11 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | |
| 1980-81 | 9-18 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Billy Tubbs | |
| 1979-80 | 15-12 | 6-8 (Big 8) | Dave Bliss | |
| 1978-79 | 21-10 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Dave Bliss | AP #16 |
| 1977-78 | 14-13 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Dave Bliss | |
| 1976-77 | 18-10 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Dave Bliss | |
| 1975-76 | 9-17 | 6-8 (Big 8) | Dave Bliss | |
| 1974-75 | 13-13 | 6-8 (Big 8) | Joe Ramsey | AP #17 |
| 1973-74 | 18-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Joe Ramsey | |
| 1972-73 | 18-8 | 8-6 (Big 8) | John MacLeod | AP #19 |
| 1971-72 | 14-12 | 9-5 (Big 8) | John MacLeod | AP #20 |
| 1970-71 | 19-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | John MacLeod | |
| 1969-70 | 19-9 | 7-7 (Big 8) | John MacLeod | AP #16 |
| 1968-69 | 7-19 | 3-11 (Big 8) | John MacLeod | |
| 1967-68 | 13-13 | 8-6 (Big 8) | John MacLeod | |
| 1966-67 | 8-17 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Bob Stevens | |
| 1965-66 | 11-14 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Bob Stevens | |
| 1964-65 | 8-17 | 3-11 (Big 8) | Bob Stevens | |
| 1963-64 | 7-18 | 3-11 (Big 8) | Bob Stevens | |
| 1962-63 | 12-13 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Bob Stevens | |
| 1961-62 | 7-17 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Doyle Parrack | |
| 1960-61 | 10-15 | 2-12 (Big 8) | Doyle Parrack | |
| 1959-60 | 14-11 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Doyle Parrack | |
| 1958-59 | 15-10 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Doyle Parrack | |
| 1957-58 | 13-10 | 5-7 (Big 8) | Doyle Parrack | AP #14 |
| 1956-57 | 8-15 | 3-9 (Big 7) | Doyle Parrack | |
| 1955-56 | 4-19 | 1-11 (Big 7) | Doyle Parrack | |
| 1954-55 | 3-18 | 1-11 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1953-54 | 8-13 | 4-8 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1952-53 | 8-13 | 5-7 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1951-52 | 7-17 | 4-8 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1950-51 | 14-10 | 6-6 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | AP #16 |
| 1949-50 | 12-10 | 6-6 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | AP #17 |
| 1948-49 | 14-10 | 9-3 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | AP #16 |
| 1947-48 | 13-9 | 7-5 (Big 7) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1946-47 | 24-7 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1945-46 | 11-10 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1944-45 | 12-13 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1943-44 | 15-8 | 9-1 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1942-43 | 18-9 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1941-42 | 11-7 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1940-41 | 6-12 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1939-40 | 12-7 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1938-39 | 12-9 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Bruce Drake | |
| 1937-38 | 14-4 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1936-37 | 12-4 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1935-36 | 9-8 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1934-35 | 9-9 | 8-8 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1933-34 | 10-8 | 6-4 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1932-33 | 12-5 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1931-32 | 9-5 | 6-4 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1930-31 | 10-8 | 3-7 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1929-30 | 6-12 | 0-10 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1928-29 | 13-2 | 10-0 (Big 6) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1927-28 | 18-0 | 18-0 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1926-27 | 12-5 | 8-4 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1925-26 | 11-4 | 9-3 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1924-25 | 10-8 | 9-7 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1923-24 | 15-3 | 13-3 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1922-23 | 6-12 | 5-11 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1921-22 | 9-9 | 8-8 (MVC) | Hugh McDermott | |
| 1920-21 | 8-10 | 5-9 (MVC) | Bennie Owen | |
| 1919-20 | 9-7 | 3-7 (MVC) | Bennie Owen | |
| 1918-19 | 12-0 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1917-18 | 11-1 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1916-17 | 13-8 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1915-16 | 19-7 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1914-15 | 7-5 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1913-14 | 7-1 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1912-13 | 8-0 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1911-12 | 7-2 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1910-11 | 1-5 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1909-10 | 8-0 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1908-09 | 3-3 | Ind | Bennie Owen | |
| 1907-08 | 4-3 | Ind | David Hall | |
* Season vacated by the NCAA — absent from the official season table; record computed from the game log and not counted in official totals or rankings.
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