Oklahoma coach Porter Moser spent a year recruiting two-sport athlete Alec Blair, seeing his 6-foot-7 frame and versatility as a key piece for the Sooners’ future in basketball. After all that effort, Blair played just two minutes in the team’s opening game. Then, in a move that surprised his coach, he quit the team to focus on baseball, leaving a hole in the roster after just one appearance.
Why Was Porter Moser Surprised by Alec Blair’s Sudden Exit?
Ahead of the team’s home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Oklahoma coach Porter Moser spoke to the media on Monday and did not hide his disappointment. The decision from the freshman to switch sports after a single game caught the program off guard, creating an immediate challenge for the team’s depth and rotation.
“It’s not optimal that it happened after one game. We had committed to each other in the offseason a year ago and then talked through the offseason and just committed to the process. So, it’s not optimal for us,” Moser said. “With that said, he made a decision. He’s a 19-year-old young man. He’s a great young man. He made a decision that was best for himself, and he had to do it. He’s still a Sooner.”
Blair’s choice to leave basketball behind comes after an impressive high school career in both sports. According to his official team profile, he was a four-star basketball prospect from De La Salle High School. During his senior year, he averaged 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, leading his team to All-East Bay Athletic League and North Coast Section Championships.
His talent wasn’t limited to the court. As a baseball player, Blair batted .429 with 24 RBIs, 30 runs, nine doubles, two triples, and three home runs. That performance earned him a spot on the MaxPreps California All-State Baseball First-Team.
Following Blair’s decision, the Sooners’ roster was reduced to just 11 scholarship players. In his debut against St. Francis, he scored one point on 1-of-2 free throws and had one rebound. Despite the setback for the basketball program, Moser pledged his support for the freshman and said he plans to watch him play on the baseball diamond.
“I hope people come out and watch him play baseball; I will,” Moser said. “It’s unfortunate for our team and not optimal for our team, because we need him, but he feels that’s best for his baseball career. But he’s a Sooner, and he’s a young man that we’re all going to get behind when he wears that baseball uniform.”
Now at 1-1, Oklahoma hopes to bounce back from its recent loss to Gonzaga. The team will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-3) on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET at McCasland Field House in Norman, Oklahoma.