Oklahoma Basketball: 4 best players in Sooners history
The Oklahoma Sooners have turned a season of mild expectations into a campaign with hopes of reaching the Sweet Sixteen and beyond. Most of the responsibility for that shift rests on the shoulders of freshman Trae Young.
The local product ranks near the top of the NCAA in both scoring and assists. The bounce and excitement he plays with reminds people of college legends, from Steph Curry to a former member of the Sooners.
His odds of winning the Wooden Award at the end of the season are through the roof.
Young is still in the early stages of his collegiate career. By the time it’s over – whether that’s in April or still three and a half years away – he will likely be discussed in rare air as one of the best to ever play for Oklahoma.
In fact, he might already be one of them. With his incredible freshman campaign in full swing, it’s a good time to take a look at the greatest players in the history of the program.
Who better to start with than the future consensus Player of the Year?
4. Trae Young (2017-present)
Yes, he’s just that good.
Young will almost certainly become the eighth player in school history to be named an All-American. Only an unforeseen circumstance can keep him off that list at this point.
On Friday, he scored 31 points and dished 12 assists against a Northwestern team harboring their own NCAA Tournament dreams.
The freshman is now averaging 28.5 points and 10.2 assists per game. Both of those marks lead all of Division 1 basketball by a comfortable margin.
He’s even set history already. In a game against Northwestern State this week, he dished 22 assists, which is tied for the most in a single game in Division 1 history. He also scored 26 points, proving to be anything but a one-trick pony.
Discussion about his place in a loaded prospective NBA Draft class has already begun. With the way he’s playing this season, nobody would judge him for jumping up to the next level and cashing in on a big payday.
For the college game, that would be a shame. Every year brings their own set of exciting players, but it’s hard to remember one has fun to watch as Trae Young. Everyone (outside of the Big 12) would benefit from seeing Young stay in school for at least another year.
That’s a conversation for another day, though.