Buddy Hield’s Final Four with Oklahoma Payoff for Developing Years

Buddy Hield had big expectations when he returned to Oklahoma for his senior season.

Things have gone even better than expected. The sharpshooting guard has averaged 29.3 points in the NCAA Tournament heading into the Sooners' national semifinal Saturday against Villanova.

Hield was mostly a slasher his freshman year. He worked on his shot mechanics and became more of a spot shooter as a sophomore. As a junior, he made strides balancing the shooting and attacking.

He listened to evaluators before the draft last year, improving his dribble in traffic, finishing stronger at the rim, improving his movement away from the ball and creating more space when closely covered.

He became one of the nation's most efficient 3-point shooters and now, he's a projected lottery pick.

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