We can cut to the chase and crown Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield as the best college basketball player in the year 2016. Today, the Sooner sharpshooter won the John Wooden Award, the most prestigious trophy given in college basketball. Hield, who led his team to the Final Four this past week in Houston, averaged 25.0 ppg this season, his fourth in Norman. He becomes the second Sooner to be the Player of the Year in the past eight years as Blake Griffin won the Wooden in 2009.
Hield finished the year with a rebounding average of 5.7 rpg and shot 55 percent from the two and 46 percent from the three. He was also deadly at the foul line, making 88 percent of his free throws.
As the personality of Buddy Hield came out this season, he became the face of college basketball, as popular a player this sport has seen in many a year. The forty minute version of Stephen Curry of the National Basketball Association. Hield was always smiling even in defeat. A standing ovation in Lawrence this year by Jayhawk fans is a testament of his gleeful, ebullient and positive presence both on and off the court. One also must remember he is as cold-blooded a shot maker the nation has seen in a Wooden winner. His three point shooting average is the highest in the history of this award.
It will not be long before we see “Buddy Buckets” smile in various commercials, locally and nationally. Hield will make millions on his first NBA contract and is predicted to be a first line player at most, and a long career in professional basketball is awaiting.
This has been the year of the Villanova Wildcats, the National Champions of 2016, the team that beat the Oklahoma Sooners in the Final Four by 44 points. Sure, not the best day for OU and Buddy Hield. But in retrospect, Buddy Hield and this Sooner team, beat the National Champions in this title year for Nova, on a neutral court, also in a blowout. Buddy Hield, the best there was in 2016 had a lot to do with that day too.
Photo: A historic season from Buddy Hield earned the Oklahoma senior this season’s Wooden Watch award. Credit: Eddie Perlas/ESPN Images
