Buddy Hield’s impressive play has his stock on the rise
There’s always a danger of getting carried away by stellar tournament performances.
Sure, sometimes a Dwyane Wade becomes a, well, Dwyane Wade, after looking unstoppable in the NCAA, as Wade once did for Marquette. And after a slow transition to the NBA, Kemba Walker, who carried Connecticut on his back to Big East and NCAA titles, has finally emerged as an all-star calibre player and one-time most outstanding player Anthony Davis is considered the NBA’s best young player, but many, many more tournament sensations never pan out.
Since 1990, only a minuscule number of most outstanding players (Walker, Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Rip Hamilton, Shane Battier, Emeka Okafor, Joakim Noah) have gone on to become excellent NBA players. While Wade is a success story, far more breakout stars never panned out.
Which brings us to Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield. Hield, who has been compared to Stephen Curry and James Harden, has been brilliant all season. Hield sent Oregon home unhappy, exploding for 37 points, including eight three-pointers, in Saturday’s 80-68 win. He has shot nearly 60 per cent in the post-season, including 19-for-40 on threepointers. This surge has moved Hield way up the draft boards, from a late lottery pick to a potential top-five selection.
NORTH CAROLINA IS LONE NO. 1 SURVIVOR IN FINAL 4
Brice Johnson had 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead North Carolina to an 88-74 victory over Notre Dame on Sunday night, leaving the Tar Heels as the only No. 1 seed in the Final Four. The Tar Heels reached the Final Four for a record 19th time and the first since 2009, when they won the last of their five national championships.
Earlier, Malachi Richardson and Syracuse scrapped and fought their way from the bubble to the Final Four. Richardson scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half, and No. 10 seed Syracuse extended its improbable run with a 68-62 victory over top-seeded Virginia.
Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners play Villanova Wildcats, then North Carolina plays Syracuse.