The Oklahoma Sooners were ranked in the top 10 of every preseason college basketball poll and are expected to challenge Kansas for the Big 12 title this year - and senior guard Buddy Hield is the biggest reason why. Last year's Big 12 Player of the Year returned to school to help the Sooners win a championship, and is one of the most talent scorers in the country. Here are three reasons why Hield would win National Player of the Year this season:
3) Scoring ability
Hield has always been one of the country's most lethal scorers, and he's only improved in that area this year. He averaged 16.5 points per game in his sophomore year, upping it to 17.4 last season while shooting over 41 percent from the field each season and making an average of 2.7 three-pointers per game.
Those numbers have only gotten better this year as he dropped 30 points on a good Memphis team in their season opener on 47.4 percent shooting, including 50 percent from long range. He's a dynamic slasher to go along with his long-range shooting prowess, making him extremely tough to stop - expect a lot more performances like that this season.
2) Better team around him
Last year, Hield often tried to do too much on the offensive end last year - mostly because he had to - and his efficiency dipped because of it. His field goal percentage fell from 44.5% to 41.2% and this three-point percentage fell from 38.6 percent to 35.9 percent. However, with four starters returning from last year's team, Hield's role is much more defined this year, and he's not charged with running the team. Having teammates that can take some of the load off of Hield will help him play more freely and more effectively.
1) Improved all-around play
Hield hasn't been much more than a scorer throughout his career, but he's worked hard all offseason to become a better all-around player. That showed against Memphis as he put up eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks, stuffing the stat sheet along with his 30 points. If he can keep up that level of play, Hield will be collecting plenty of hardware at the end of the season.
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