NBA Draft: OU's Buddy Hield Selected No. 6 By New Orleans Pelicans

It didn’t take long for former University of Oklahoma superstar Buddy Hield to hear his name called in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Hield’s shining moment came when he was picked No. 6 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans, making him the first Sooner since Blake Griffin (No. 1 to Los Angeles Clippers in 2009) to be taken in the lottery.

The National Player of the Year is expected to be a major asset to the Pelicans with his shooting range and overall scoring ability, and not to forget his highly touted work ethic.

After his junior year, Hield bypassed early entry into the NBA Draft to obtain his degree in human relations and work on his game.

Remaining in college the extra year proved great for him.

During his senior season, he averaged 25 points per game while making 45.7 percent of his attempts from long range, led the Sooners to the NCAA Final Four, received national awards, set individual records and also gained respect across the country.

Most Notable Game:

On January 4, No. 2 OU went head-to-head against No. 1 Kansas in what was unarguably one of the greatest games in college basketball. 

And despite the Jayhawks 109-106 victory, it was Hield who received the most notoriety after scoring 46 points, the most scored against a top five team in 20 years and tied the most ever by an opponent in Lawrence.

The matchup marked the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 game to go into multiple overtimes since 1974 (NC State vs. UCLA in final four).

After the game, ESPN interviewed Hield courtside on-camera. When the interview wrapped KU fans gave Hield a standing ovation for his performance.