Three losses in four games will surely send Oklahoma plummeting down the polls and end the Sooners’ bid to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Those games may also have sprung the door wide open in the national player of the year race.
Once a strong front-runner, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield now has some company in the conversation as college basketball’s best player. The Sooners’ senior may still sweep top honors with all the special things he’s done, but there are several players who can still give him a run.
A quick look at some of the top candidates for player of the year:
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BUDDY HIELD, OKLAHOMA
He’s put up big numbers, hit clutch shots, had signature moments — everything you could want in a player of the year.