Hield’s stock rising with each victory
Oklahoma star is averaging 29.2 points, but seamless transition to NBA is no sure thing
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. But many, many more tournament sensations never pan out.
Since 1990, only a small 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. Far more breakout stars (such as Adam Morrison, Ed O’Bannon, Mateen Cleaves and Jimmer Fredette, to name a few) 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 and even more impressive during March Madness.
Hield sent Oregon home unhappy, exploding for 37 points, including eight three-pointers, in Saturday’s 80-68 win. That was after Texas A&M swarmed him in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, forcing him into a facilitating role. Hield still scored 17 points in that one, handed out three assists and had 10 rebounds. He had 36 and 27 points in Oklahoma’s other two tourney games and has shot nearly 60 per cent in the post-season, including 19-for-40 on threes.
This surge has moved Hield way up the draft boards — from a late-lottery pick (or even further back) to a potential top-five selection.
Is that putting too much stock into a few games, even though they are high-pressure outings? Or does it make sense, since Hield has shown he can rise to the occasion?
Hield, averaging 29.2 points per game at the tournament, has become just the fourth player since 1975 to average at least 25 points and make the Final Four. The list is an impressive one: Larry Bird, Glen Rice and Dennis Scott.
Hield’s not going to turn into Bird, but if he’s Rice, he will certainly be worth a high draft pick.
His stock will continue to rise if he can turn in one or two more epic performances in Houston, but it might drop a bit if he struggles.
Around the rim
Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger has waited 22 years between Final Four trips, the second-longest wait ever, behind only Ray Meyer, who took DePaul to the Final Four in 1943 and 1979 (36 years). Kruger took Florida to the final weekend in 1994 and has since coached at Illinois, UNLV and in the NBA with Atlanta and as an assistant coach with the Knicks ... Villanova won its first three games by a combined 72 points before hanging on to win a nail-biter against Kansas by five on Saturday ... Of interest to Canadian hoops fans: Montreal’s Chris Boucher will be eligible to play another season for Oregon, after the school’s petition with the NCAA was accepted