The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MANY pundits expected Buddy Hield to have a breakout season as a sophomore last year, and after meeting those expectations, the bar has been raised once again for the Bahamian lead guard headed into his junior year.

Hield has been projected as a late first round pick for the 2015 Mock Draft by reputed NBA draft website www.nbadraft.net.

Months before the NCAA season kicks off, Hield, the indisputable leader of the Oklahoma Sooners, is listed as the possible 20th pick just outside of the lottery.

If he is selected in that region, the Grand Bahamian native would be the first Bahamian-born player taken in the first round of the NBA Draft since Mychal Thompson in 1978.

In the 2013/14 campaign, Hield was recognised among the best players in his conference, the Big 12. He was named to the All-Big 12 second team along with current 2014 NBA Draft lottery projected pick Joel Embiid of Kansas, Marcus Foster of Kansas State, Markel Brown of Oklahoma State and Johnathan Holmes of Texas.

In his sophomore season, Hield increased his scoring average by nine points per game. He also saw his field goal percentage rise from 38 per cent to 45 per cent and his three point shooting increase from 23 per cent to 40 per cent.

He finished the regular season ranked No.9 in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.8 points per game, second in steals at 1.5 per game, third in three point field goals made at 2.8 per game and fourth in three point percentage.

Within conference play, Hield had some of his best performances all season, and averaged 17.5 points per game, ranked No.8, was second in steals at 1.6 per game and shot 43 per cent from three point range. He finished tied for the Big 12 lead three point makes at 3.5 per game, with Brady Heslip of Baylor Bears.

Hield has scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games, made at least three 3-pointers in 14 of 18 Big 12 games, including in nine of the last 10 outings.

With 86 3-pointers on the year, Hield now ranks 10th on OU’s single-season records list.

In an early February match-up against Iowa State, Hield scored a career high 30 points on 10-18 shooting from the field, including 5-8 from three point range. He also set a career high in three pointers made in a previous match-up against the Cyclones when he shot 6-12 from beyond the arch.

Sooners’ coach Lon Kruger, looking ahead to next season, is anticipating even more improvement from Hield.

“Buddy is going to work a lot. He has already started. It’s amazing because we haven’t even started individual workouts and so many of them have been in here every day since (the season ended), which is not a surprise,” Coach Kruger said.

“Buddy became a stand-still shooter when the year before he was much more of a slasher, much more aggressive on the offensive boards. So we need to combine the two. Buddy has to be a lot more physical, he’s got to attack. Ball-handling, he will work a lot on that. Working through contact, finishing through contact, getting to the free throw line a lot more. Buddy became a guy who didn’t shoot many free throws. We need him to get to the line, be more aggressive in earning his way to the line more than he was this year,” he said on the school’s athletic website.

“I don’t know that anyone goes into the off-season based off of just one game. But overall, Buddy’s a guy who is really motivated when he doesn’t do as well as he wants to. He’s proud and he knows his role with the team is significant. He will work hard regardless of how the previous year went. You know he’s going to work hard.”

Oklahoma was No. 21 in the final AP poll last season (finished 23-10 overall and was an NCAA Tournament No. 5 seed) and is scheduled to return 73 per cent of its scoring next season, 75 per cent of its rebounding and 88 per cent of its assists.

They are projected to be No. 11 by NBCSports.com, LostLetterman.com, No.16 by CBSSports.com, No.19 by BleacherReport.com, No. 20 by ESPN.com and No.21 by USAToday.com.