Oklahoma City University Men’s Basketball Team Rebuilt Under New Head Coach

Oklahoma City University’s men’s basketball program has undergone a significant overhaul, with first-year head coach Sam Kohnke assembling an entirely new roster in just under a month.

Kohnke inherited a team with only five players in late July and quickly added four players from his previous coaching stint at Central Baptist College, alongside six other newcomers. This rapid reconstruction aims to revitalize a program seeking to regain competitiveness within the challenging Sooner Athletic Conference, consistently ranked among the NAIA’s best. Among the new additions are seniors Jonas Carlisle and Hykeem Hancock, and juniors Brian Alexander and SaVaughn Smith, all previously coached by Kohnke. Destin Jenkins, a transfer who averaged 14 points at Central Methodist last season, also joins the team.

Returning players Beau Tranter and James Cloud, who combined for 30 starts last season, will provide leadership alongside Jack McWilliams, Lawrence Taylor Jr., and Dylan Bower. “I’m excited for these guys to get going and hopefully make the OCU community proud,” Kohnke said. “OCU fans are going to see a hard-working, gritty, tough, and defensive-minded team.” The team’s success will hinge on cohesion, as Kohnke emphasized the importance of becoming “more connected as a team every single day.” The Oklahoma City University Stars will face a demanding non-conference schedule, including matchups against NAIA powerhouses LSU-Shreveport and Concordia University, to prepare for conference play. You can find more information about the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics here.

The Stars open their season at home on Friday, October 24, with a 7 p.m. tipoff against Randall at the Freede Center. Kohnke stated the team’s goal is to improve and become more connected with each practice, believing that if they achieve this, “the sky is the limit.”