The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NCAA division I basketball is still weeks away from tip off, but the American national media has already placed Bahamian guard Buddy Hield among its projections as one of the top players in the country.

The Sporting News named the Oklahoma Sooners guard as a preseason third team All-American yesterday when it published its list of the top 15 players for the 2015-16 season.

Hield was joined on the third team by Melo Trimble of Maryland, Kyle Wiltjer of Gonzaga and incoming freshmen Jamal Murray and Ben Simmons of Kentucky and LSU respectively.

The second team includes Fred VanVleet of Wichita State, Kris Dunn of Providence, Yogi Ferell of Indiana, Wayne Selden of Kansas and Skal Labissiere of Kentucky.

The projected first team includes Ron Baker of Wichita State, Malcom Brogdon of Virginia, Nigel Hayes of Wisconsin, Geogres Niang of Iowa State and Marcus Paige of North Carolina.

Hield’s decision to return to NCAA basketball for his senior season drew mixed reactions from his fan bases and Hield’s stock continues to increase headed into his final year of eligibility.

Reputed mock draft site www.nbadraft.net projects Hield as a mid first round pick at the No.18 spot in its latest 2016 Mock Draft released August 14.

Another site, www.draftexpress.com, has him projected as a mid second round pick at No.41.

Hield has continued to improve his stock after impressive performances this summer at the Nike Skills Academy and at Adidas Nations which saw him rise as high as No.12 on mock draft boards.

Locally, the Grand Bahama native hosted his first basketball camp in the Eight Mile Rock area.

After much speculation, Hield announced his decision to return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his senior season back in April.

Hield averaged 17.4 points a game last season and added 5.4 rebounds a contest, most among Big 12 guards.

He also led the league with his 93 three-pointers and ranked sixth in free throw percentage at 82 and ninth in three-point field goal percentage at 36.

A volume shooter and one of the best in the NCAA, he scored in double figures in 32 of 35 games on the year, including in 28 of the final 29, in helping the Sooners to a 24-11 record and a berth to the “Sweet 16.”

As a junior, Hield became the 21st player in Sooners’ history to earn All-America honours and the first since Blake Griffin was the consensus national player of the year in 2009.

He became the first player in the conference to be named Big 12 player of the year and to the academic all-conference first team while also leading the league in scoring.

He was named a third-team All-American by both the Associated Press and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He was also one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award, doled out to the national player of the year, and one of five finalists for the inaugural Jerry West Award, given to the top shooting guard of the year.