Buddy Hield's return makes Oklahoma a potential top 10 team
How high expectations will be for Oklahoma next season always largely depended on whether Buddy Hield returned to school.
The Sooners still could have contended for an NCAA tournament bid had Hield turned pro, but they have a chance to accomplish something far more memorable now that the reigning Big 12 player of the year has announced he'll be back for his senior season.
Oklahoma will likely begin next season in the top 10 in the polls thanks to the return of four starters from last season's 24-win Sweet 16 team. The Sooners also figure to be squarely in the Big 12 title chase along with perennial favorite Kansas and potential preseason top 5 Iowa State.
The catalyst for Oklahoma will be Hield, one of the highest-scoring guards in the Big 12 both of the past two seasons. The 6-foot-4 native of the Bahamas averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds as a junior, impressing NBA scouts enough that he had a chance to be a late first-round pick had he opted to enter the draft.
Hield will be the centerpiece of an experienced backcourt that also includes returning starters Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins. The Sooners will have to replace graduating senior Tashawn Thomas in their frontcourt, but double-double threat Ryan Spangler returns and returning forward Khadeem Lattin has a chance to take a bigger role.
Bolstering Oklahoma's depth is a recruiting class that includes Rivals 150 guard Rashard Odomes, fellow guard Christian James and 7-foot junior college transfer Akolda Manyang. The Sooners will also have key reserve Dinjiyl Walker and Dante Buford, a four-star signee from 2013 who redshirted last season.
Last year's Sweet 16 appearance marked Oklahoma's deepest NCAA tournament run since Blake Griffin's final season in 2009. With as much talent as the Sooners return, they have a great chance to get even further next March.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
