By PAUL GOTHAM
HOUSTON, TX. — In a Final Four characterized with teams led by upper classmen, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield stands above the rest. During an era where it is perceived as a weakness, by some, to stay on campus beyond one’s freshman year, Hield has made the most of his time at Norman, Oklahoma.
“Hopefully Buddy serves as a poster child for those guys that are thinking of coming out and are not sure,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. “The sad part of all of that, the majority of guys that come out early don’t play in the NBA. People see those that do.
“But the value of coming back is not just to improve your draft status, but a year more mature, a year stronger, a year better player, a year better positioned to have success when you do go.”
Hield has entered elite territory joining the likes of Larry Bird, Glen Rice and Dennis Scott as the only players in NCAA history to average 25 points a game and lead their team to the Final Four.
“Buddy’s done a good, too,” Kruger added. “Buddy doesn’t force many shots. He is a high-percentage shooter. Some of them may be a little bit guarded, but they’re still shots Buddy can make. I can probably count in 37 games, whatever we’ve played, you know, he just hasn’t taken many bad shots.”
A year ago, Oklahoma lost to Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. Hield 17.4 points a game shooting 41.2 percent from the floor including 35.9 percent from behind the arc. The Freeport, Bahamas native looked destined to hear his name called in the first round of the NBA draft.
“Buddy is a smart guy,” Kruger noted. “He looked at his options, considered everything. He said, ‘Hey, coach, a year from now I’m going to be a lot better. I’m going to be more mature. I’ll be more able to secure a long career in the NBA.’ That’s exactly what happened for Buddy. Couldn’t be happier for him because he’s worked so hard at it.
But it’s the way Hield went about improving that makes the difference.
“Every day he would ask me, ‘Coach, how can I get better?’ Kruger said. “‘What do I need to work on?’A lot of kids will say that, but then they’ll go work on the things they’re most comfortable doing. In Buddy’s case, you say, Hey, Buddy, left hand needs to be improved, need to take it to the bucket stronger. Those are things he would work on. He was very focused on what he has to do to complete himself as a player.
“In his game, from his freshman, sophomore, junior, now to his senior year, I think has exemplified that. He’s better in all those areas. He’s improved across the board.”
What Hield has done in the NCAA Tournament is other-worldly averaging 29.3 points over four games including a 37-point effort (his 11th 30-plus point performance of the game) against Oregon in the West Region final. A game where he drew multiple defenders throughout the contest. Hield responded hitting shots from 25 feet or more on multiple occasions.
“It’s hard when you’re that good to get better,” said Villanova coach Jay Wright whose team will face Hield and Oklahoma in the Final Four. “That range distorts everything. They’ve given him the ball in the shot clocks. It not only extends your defense where it actually gives him a chance to get by you and still get a three.
“If you’re playing around the line, you get up on a guy, you press him, he goes by you, at least you’re forcing him into two. He’s taking the ball so deep, he’s making some of them. If you get up on him, he can go by you and still pull up for a three. I don’t know if that’s part of his plan, but it’s genius if it is. That three also creates longer rebounds than a normal three. You just don’t play against it. You don’t practice against it. It distorts everything.”
Oklahoma and Villanova tip off Saturday night at 6:09 p.m.
Leave a Reply