For Oklahoma Josh Peter @joshlpeter11 USA TODAY Sports
BY THE NUMBERS
Oklahoma season stats (with NCAA rank):
Scoring offense:
80.5 (21)
Scoring defense:
70.4 (135)
Scoring margin:
10.1 (25) Rebounding margin: 2.3 (106) Field goal %: 46.1
(63)
Three-point %: 42.8
(2) Three-pointers made: 376 (3)
Free throw %: 72.3
(80) Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.13 (123)
Why Oklahoma will beat Villanova on Saturday has less to do with Buddy Hield averaging 29.3 points per game in the NCAA tournament than the day he scored only 17.
Yes, in Oklahoma’s matchup against Texas A&M in the Sweet 16, Hield had just 17 points, yet the Sooners still won with ease 77-63.
After the game, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy made a shrewd observation and saluted Oklahoma counterpart Lon Kruger.
“The thing that makes Oklahoma so good is their other guards, they’ve got the green light, too,” Kennedy said. “They’re very comfortable, and Coach Kruger’s done an unbelievable job investing confidence in those guys. And that’s where they beat you.”
Great teams need more than one dynamic scorer, even as dynamic as Hield — and Oklahoma has demonstrated it has a complete team. The victory against Texas A&M was a perfect example, as Jordan Woodward led Oklahoma with 22 points, Christian James came off the bench and scored 12 and forwards Ryan Spangler and Khadeem Lattin combined for 20.
The group effort helped the Sooners thrive on Hield’s mortal night, during which he committed five turnovers and was 2-for-7 from three-point range.
Alex Caruso, a starting guard for Texas A&M, discovered firsthand the versatility that will propel Oklahoma.
“Yeah, we just tried to keep him from touching the ball as much as possible,” he said of Hield. “The other guys did a good job of playing off him.
“We might not have given them enough credit.”
And then, of course, Hield can go crazy, as he did early against Oregon in the regional final. The Ducks never recovered.
No worries. Caruso and the rest of college basketball will have a chance to give the Sooners full credit Monday night when Hield and his teammates are cutting down the nets.