A month after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, Oklahoma University freshman Benny Schröder announced his commitment to the men’s basketball team with an Instagram post.
During his first year playing as a wing for the Sooners, Schröder played in six games for a total of 25 minutes. Schröder debuted against UNC Wilmington Nov. 15 and averaged 2.3 points and 0.8 rebounds per game through his first season. Schröder, who is from Munich, Germany, will become the second international player to join the roster after the addition of redshirt sophomore forward Keegan Harvey from Newcastle, Australia this season, building the Colonials’ international presence.
He publicly announced his entrance into the NCAA transfer portal March 13 on his personal Instagram account, the same day the portal opened for the season, and was the first Sooner to officially enter the portal. The Sooners concluded their season with a 15-17 record where they won the SEC Big 12 Challenge against TCU with a 74-60 score but ended their March Madness run with a loss against Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 Championship, where they fell 57-49.
“My time at OU has been a great experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this program,” Schröder said. “I want to thank my coaches teammates and the entirety OU family for their support. After much consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal.”
Born in Munich, Germany, Schröder was named a top international prospect prior to his commitment to Oklahoma. During the 2021 FIFA U18 European Challengers, Schröder averaged 16.6 points, 2.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 23 minutes a game for team Germany. His performance placed him second in scoring and third in player efficiency in the tournament’s rating per ESPN.
Upon sharing his commitment on Instagram, Schröder captioned the post, “110% committed.”
The Colonials finished with a 16-16 record last season with four players announcing their intent to enter the transfer portal last month. Senior forward Qwanzi Samuels, sophomore forward Daniel Nixon, junior center Noel Brown and senior forward Hunter Dean announced their plans to transfer during varying points after the portal opened.