Players to Watch in Oklahoma’s Exhibition Games in Puerto Rico

The Sooners will play two exhibition contests in Puerto Rico, and it will give their new faces an opportunity to make an early impression.

Oklahoma center Kai Rogers picks up his dribble against Oklahoma State. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Over three months remain until Oklahoma’s men’s basketball team kicks off its regular season, but the Sooners are already getting to work.

OU will play a pair of exhibition games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 3 and Aug. 5. The Sooners will face two separate Puerto Rican all-star teams, led by former NBA point guard Carlos Arroyo.

For the fourth time in Porter Moser’s five-year tenure as OU’s head coach, the Sooners missed out on the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26. Oklahoma won eight of its final 11 games before Selection Sunday, but the committee designated the Sooners as the first team out of the field. OU then played in the College Basketball Crown — an eight-team tournament in Las Vegas — and lost to West Virginia in the finals of that tournament.

Oklahoma retained two of its starters, Xzayvier Brown and Derrion Reid, from last year’s team, and the Sooners also kept key reserves Dayton Forsythe and Kai Rogers on the roster.

Outside of those four, OU’s roster looks very different. The Sooners added several players from the transfer portal to fill out the roster.

Here are a few players to keep an eye on during their exhibitions in Puerto Rico:

C/F Kai Rogers

Rogers was a true freshman in 2025-26 and averaged just 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The center, though, saw his role at the College Basketball Crown.

He had a strong performance in OU’s loss to West Virginia. Rogers played 16 minutes in that contest and logged six points — on 3-of-3 shooting — and eight rebounds.

Mohamed Wague and Kirill Elatontsev are now out of the picture, which means Rogers is primed for a much larger role in the frontcourt in 2026-27. The former 4-star recruit showed flashes during his first college basketball season, and now he’ll get the chance to showcase his progress in Puerto Rico.

G Pop Isaacs

Texas A&M guard Pop Isaacs passes against Oklahoma. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Pop Isaacs has more experience than anyone else on OU’s roster, as he will play at his fourth school in five years in 2026-27.

Most recently, Isaacs played at Texas A&M last year, averaging 9.8 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.8 percent on 3-pointers. Isaacs started only eight games for Texas A&M, but his athleticism and defensive prowess helped the Aggies reach the NCAA Tournament in Bucky McMillan’s first year as their head coach.

Isaacs was essentially phased out of A&M’s starting rotation last year, but not for a lack of talent. If he, Brown and Utah Valley transfer Tyler Hendricks can develop chemistry quickly, the Sooners could have an underrated backcourt in 2026-27.

G Tyler Hendricks

The aforementioned Hendricks is also a sharpshooter.

Hendricks shot 44.8 percent on 3-pointers for the Wolverines in 2025-26. He also averaged 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest.

Nijel Pack shot 44.7 percent from deep last year, but he graduated after last season. Hendricks’ hot hand could, to a degree, help fill the hole that Pack leaves behind.

C Akoldah Gak

It has become more and more common for former NBA G-League players to test the waters, and one of them is center Akoldah Gak, who signed with OU in April.

Gak spent the 2025-26 season with the Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ G-League affiliate. The big man averaged 7.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 33 games, two of which he started.

Gak stands 6-11 and was a much-needed addition. Between him, Rogers, Derrion Reid, Yaak Yaak and Khani Rooths, OU will have the chance to flaunt its frontcourt depth in its exhibitions.

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