Dick Vitale predicts Buddy Hield will be Player of the Year

Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield has had a fantastic senior season, ranking second in the nation with 25.3 points per game, and he has caught the attention of longtime basketball analyst Dick Vitale, so much that Vitale picked Hield to be the Naismith College Player of the Year on a recent ESPN conference call.

“My pick for Player of the Year is going to be Buddy Hield,” Vitale said. “I think between Buddy Hield and Denzel Valentine, it’ll be a two-man race for Player of the Year, most likely. But I think Buddy Hield will be Player of the Year and he’s a man that can carry a team.”

Vitale is absolutely right, especially regarding Hield’s ability to carry the team. His scoring prowess has Oklahoma as a surefire Final Four contender this year and his percentages have just been off the charts. Hield is shooting 49 percent from the field and nearly 48 percent from three-point range. Put this young man anywhere on the court, and odds are greater than none that he’ll sink the shot.

That said, though Hield is a bit overly-reliant on the three-ball, he has great build for a 2-guard at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds and though he’ll need to be spot on in order for Oklahoma to make a deep run, his candidacy for Player of the Year speaks for itself.

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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports

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