Oklahoma Sooners Pick up Former Top-15 Recruit as Transfer
The No. 24 Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team picked up former Louisville guard Payton Verhulst through the transfer portal on Monday.
Verhulst made the announcement on Twitter. The Sooners did not put out a release on Verhulst as of Monday night. But, Oklahoma basketball’s official Twitter account did like the tweet.
It’s not clear if Verhulst will try and pursue a waiver to play this season. Since she’s already played eight games for Louisville, it’s unlikely she would receive one. Texas Tech’s Jasmine Shavers transferred to the Lady Raiders from Mississippi State last November and had to sit out the season.
The commitment is a coup for coach Jennie Baranczyk, who has focused primarily on high school recruiting since she arrived in Norman in the spring of 2021.
Verhulst entered her name in the transfer portal on Dec. 4, according to the Associated Press. The 6-foot-1 guard was a reserve for the Cardinals in eight games, averaging 6.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. She scored a career-high 20 points against Longwood in November.
Louisville went to the Final Four last season and Verhulst earned All-Freshman ACC honors.
The Sooners are getting a player who was ranked in the Top 15 in the country in the Class of 2021. The move also puts her closer to her De Soto, Kansas, home.
The Sooners are stacked with talent as they attempt to win a Big 12 title and get past the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where their postseason ended last season. The Sooners returned three super-seniors from last year’s team in guard Taylor Robertson, guard Ana Llanusa and forward Madi Williams, all of which are starting.
The Sooners host Southern on Sunday.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
