OU Basketball Fun ‘n’ Games Headlines Weekend Before Football Opener

They came to see some OU basketball legends relive their college days at Lloyd Noble Center, but the star attraction wasn’t even in action.

It was alumni basketball weekend at Oklahoma on Saturday, and that meant the annual Legends Alumni Game, which is now in its fifth season after being started by Sooner men’s head coach Lon Kruger in his first season in 2011.

The spotlight, of course, was on all the former players who had come back to renew old acquaintances and participate in the game, but the person who drew the biggest applause and the most attention after being introduced to the crowd was current Sooner star and reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield, who was there with his teammates to watch the game.

Mar 20, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) shoots while guarded by Albany Great Danes guard/forward Ray Sanders (1) during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Hield was interviewed during the game by Sooner play-by-play announcer Toby Rowland, who asked the Sooner star how his summer had gone. “It’s a grind,” he was quoted as saying in an article in Sunday’s edition of the Oklahoma City Oklahoman.

“I’m trying to get getter this summer and use the time to my advantage and to get better for the season. I need to get better with ball handling, being consistent with my shot, creating a shot, all the combo moves and stuff like that.”

Getting back to the main attraction, the Crimson team, which featured such former Sooners as Daryl “Choo” Kennedy, Bryatt Vann, Beau Gerber, Cade Davis and Kelly Newton, outlasted the Cream team 84-79. Chris Black (1993) led the Cream team with a game-high 22 points.

Newton, who played at OU from 1998 to 2000 and ranks third all-time at Oklahoma in three-point percentage, led the Crimson alumni squad with 17 points, Vann (1992-93) added 15 and Gerber (2006-10) contributed another 15.

Davis nailed four long-range three-pointers, reprising what he did in many a game for the Sooners from 2007-11, on his way to a 14-point performance.

Kennedy, one of the oldest former Sooners who participated in the annual reunion game, chipped in six points along with five boards for the winning Crimson team.

Carl Blair (2010-12) was the second leading scorer for the Cream team with 12 points, a total that was matched by Michael Neal (2005-o7). Tyler Neal, who just graduated a year ago (no relation to Michael), added 11 points.

Asked if he was shooting to reach the 2,000-point level in his final season, which would put him in company with such former Sooner stars as Wayman Tisdale, Jeff Webster, Stacey King and “Choo” Kennedy, Hield said: “Naw, I’m just trying to get to the Final Four.”