Hield's Return Sets Oklahoma Up For Huge Season

Buddy Hield said he made the right decision in returning for his senior season, and it has set the Sooners up for major success next year. 

Friday, April 24th 2015, 2:38 pm

By: News 9


With just a few words, Buddy Hield pushed the Oklahoma basketball program squarely into the national spotlight for next season, as the junior announced his intentions to return to Norman for his senior season.

Hield's decision was not an easy one, and wasn't finalized until a phone call with his mother at 7 a.m. Friday morning. But as he said repeatedly during his press conference, it was the right decision for him and his future.

“Really, it was a gut decision and a gut feeling on what would be best for me,” Hield said. “She (Hield's mother) said she was behind me 100 percent no matter what I did. Everyone had their own opinion, but I knew what was best for me. You have to be smart. You can't just go in there and take a gamble.”

Related Story: Hield Returning For Senior Season

With Hield returning for a fourth season in Norman, the spotlight on the OU program will be brighter than it has been since OU went to the Final Four in 2002. OU will bring back four starters and six total rotation players from last season, as well as three players who redshirted a year ago and a solid recruiting class that will give the Sooners considerably more depth next season.

It's no surprise, then, that his teammates played a huge part in Hield's decision to return to Norman.

“I had intentions of going and then I realized how much they mean to me, just being around them,” Hield said. “Thinking about it sometimes when we were out together, just stepping to the side and thinking about how much they mean to me and how hard it would be to leave those guys.”

Hield wasn't shy about sharing his true desires on Friday—he wanted to go to the NBA. He even admitted he jokingly told people he was leaving, only to be serious in his mind. The decisions of players he played with at the LeBron James and Kevin Durant camps last summer to leave college only made his desires stronger. But it simply wasn't his time.

“Everybody has a perfect timing and God has a plan for everybody and I feel like His plan for me is not to go right now and come back and finish my senior year at Oklahoma and get my degree,” Hield said.

It takes a lot of maturity to turn down the allure of the NBA, especially if there is a lot of pressure to make that decision. Hield made his desires known in meeting with OU coach Lon Kruger, but Hield stayed committed to the plan he laid out after the Sooners' season ended last month. Ultimately, he determined that leaving simply wasn't the right choice.

“For him to see the value of the degree, the experience that lies ahead with these teammates and fans, everyone that cares so much about him, to put that on hold for a year and realize he's going to be a year better next year speaks to his level of maturity,” Kruger said.

A lot of information gathering went into determining whether or not Hield should make the jump to the NBA. When the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee sent Hield its feedback, the main areas of concern were ball-handling and creating his own shot. Those shortcomings are no secret to those who have watched Hield play over the past two years, but hearing it still stung him a bit.

“It's kind of embarrassing to me because I'm always in the gym and I never really work on my ball-handling, I always work on my shooting,” Hield said. “I just have to accept the challenge and work on things I need to get better at.”

Ever the playful guy, Hield had a bit of fun with informing assistant coach Chris Crutchfield—who followed Hield from his days playing in the Bahamas—of his decision.

“Oh I told coach Crutch I was going and I had him scared,” Hield said with a laugh. “He said he's going to beat me when he gets back.”

The undeniable disappointment Hield feels about putting his dream on hold for one more year is outweighed by the great possibilities for the Sooners this season. With Hield returning, Oklahoma's ceiling is a national title and a Big 12 title is easily in the realm of attainable.

There's no guarantee for those things, but it's Hield's presence that even makes those possibilities for the Sooners. Great things await Hield in the NBA, but first, great things are awaiting him and his teammates next season.

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