3. Buddy Hield (2012-2016)
This is already the point in the conversation where a case could be made for any of the next three players to top the list. Buddy Hield sticks out especially, a result of how recently he dominated the college game.
By the time his sophomore year ended, Hield was already averaging 16.5 points per game and placing on the All-Big 12 Second Team. He stepped up his game during his junior season, becoming the first Sooner to win Big 12 Player of the Year since 2008-09.
Hield bypassed the NBA Draft to return for his senior season. He scored the most points at Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, dropping 46 points in a career-defining performance, albeit a loss. After averaging 25 points per game and shooting 45.7% from three-point range, Hield swept the major college awards, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Player of the Year award, and Oscar Robertson trophy.
Most importantly, he took the Sooners to the Final Four for the first time in 14 years. For that reason – and for staying in school for four years – he will always be beloved in Norman, Oklahoma.
Hield is one of the few Sooners representing his school in the NBA, currently playing for the Sacramento Kings after being selected 6th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.