Former Oklahoma First-Team All-American and National Player of the Year Buddy Hield will have his jersey retired on Feb. 21 when the Sooners host Texas A&M at Lloyd Noble Center.
Hield helped lead the 2015-16 Oklahoma team to a 29-8 record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. He will be the sixth OU men's player to have his No. 24 jersey raised to the LNC ceiling. Members of the 2015-16 team, coached by Lon Kruger, will be on hand for the halftime ceremony and a 10-year reunion of that outstanding Oklahoma team.
Buddy Hield joins OU legends as Sooners retire his jersey number
Hield played four seasons at Oklahoma in 2012-16, a rarity in college basketball today. His final collegiate season, he was the only player in Division I to average at least 25.0 points and 5.0 rebounds a game.
In 37 games his senior season at OU, the player who came to be known by the nickname "Buddy Buckets" for his exceptional scoring ability, led the country with 12 games of 30-plus points and 19 with at least 25 points, all while shooting 50.1% from the field. At season's end, Hield was awarded the John R. Wooden Award as the nation's best collegiate player.
During Hield's four seasons as a Sooner, Oklahoma, enjoyed seasons of 20, 23, 24 and 29 wins, respectively. In addition to the Final Four appearance in 2016, OU also reached the Sweet 16 in 2014-15.
Oklahoma was ranked in the Associated Press top 10 the entire 2015-16 season, including the No. 1 position for three weeks and in the top three for 12 of 20 weeks.
Hield was taken No. 6 overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2016 NBA Draft. In addition to the Kings, he has played for four other teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and currently the Golden State Warriors during 10 NBA seasons.
The former Oklahoma star becomes the sixth Oklahoma men's player to have his jersey retired, joining No. 23 Wayman Tisdale (1982-85), No. 33 Alvan Adams (1972-75), No. 10 Mookie Blaylock (1987-89), No. 33 Stacey King (1985-89) and No. 23 Blake Griffin (2007-09).