Hield Named Big 12 Player of the Year

NORMAN — Less than 24 hours after registering a buzzer-beating tip-in to give Oklahoma a 75-73 win over No. 9 Kansas on Saturday, Buddy Hield became the third Sooner to be named Big 12 Player of the Year in the 19-year history of the league. The junior guard was selected for the honor by Big 12 head coaches. Previous Big 12 Players of the Year were Hollis Price in 2003 (AP) and Blake Griffin in 2009 (coaches).

Also picking up league honors Sunday were senior forward TaShawn Thomas, who was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and to the All-Big 12 Third Team, and juniors Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler, who were tabbed honorable mention All-Big 12 selections.

The 6-4, 212-pound Hield leads the Big 12 with his 17.4 points and 2.7 3-pointers a game, and leads league guards with his 5.5 rebounds a contest. In Big 12 play, he ranked first in scoring (18.5 ppg; next highest average was 16.1), first in 3-pointers per game (2.6), sixth in steals (1.5 spg), seventh in free throw percentage (.805), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.382), 10th in rebounding (5.8 rpg; tops among guards) and 12th in field goal percentage (.438).

Hield, who was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team two weeks ago, has paced OU in scoring in 11 of the last 17 games. He scored in double figures in 17 of 18 conference outings and registered at least 20 points eight times in league play. On Saturday, he was one of 15 players named to the John R. Wooden Award ballot for national player of the year.

"I'm just humbled," said Hield of the Big 12 honor. "(Assistant) Coach (Chris) Crutchfield called me and told me. I just soaked it up. I didn't want to get too excited about it because I'm focused on winning a Big 12 championship this week. But I do feel really blessed.

I'm just humbled. (Assistant) Coach (Chris) Crutchfield called me and told me. I just soaked it up. I didn't want to get too excited about it because I'm focused on winning a Big 12 championship this week. But I do feel really blessed.
Buddy Hield

"Thank God for my teammates. They got me the ball in great position to score all year. They brought the best out in me and push me in practice every day. They inspire me with how hard they work. They make me compete hard. All of them have played a special part in this award. I'd also like to thank our coaches; Coach (Lon) Kruger and all the assistants. Those guys all keep pushing us and are there for us. They're like second fathers to me."

Hield was joined on the All-Big 12 First Team by Baylor's Rico Gathers, Iowa State's Georges Niang, Kansas' Perry Ellis and West Virginia's Juwan Staten.

Thomas, a 6-8, 242-pound transfer from the University of Houston, is averaging 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds (ranks seventh in Big 12) and 1.4 blocks (ranks 6th) per game while shooting .514 from the field (ranks second). From Killen, Texas, the three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week has scored in double figures 17 times this season with three double-doubles (all in conference play). He also has three games of at least 22 points. Thomas has started all 126 of his career contests and has 1,720 career points, 1,020 rebounds and 251 blocks.

Cousins, a 6-4, 192-pound guard from Mount Vernon, N.Y., ranks 11th in the Big 12 with his 12.2 season scoring average and ranks second by shooting .453 from 3-point range. The junior has shot at least 50 percent from behind the 3-point arc in 16 of the 28 games in which he's attempted at least one 3-pointer. He also ranks fourth among Big 12 guards in rebounding (4.8 rpg).

Spangler is averaging 10.3 points per contest while ranking third in the Big 12 with his 7.8 rebounds per game and first with his .587 field goal percentage. The 6-8, 235-pound forward from Bridge Creek, Okla., has registered seven double-doubles on the year and was named the Feb. 2 Big 12 Player of the Week. Spangler has led OU in rebounding in 19 of 30 games and has shot at least 50 percent from the field in 14 of the last 15 contests. He has started all 63 of his games at OU after transferring from Gonzaga.

Oklahoma is 21-9 on the season and finished tied with Iowa State for second place in the Big 12 with a 12-6 record (the Sooners' second straight second-place league finish). OU is the No. 3 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship and will take on No. 6 seed Oklahoma State in a Thursday quarterfinals game at 8 p.m. CT inside Kansas City's Sprint Center (televised by ESPNU). The Sooners have won four straight Bedlam contests and six of the last seven.

"I'm just really looking forward to going to Kansas City and competing as hard as we can for a Big 12 championship," said Hield. "It's going to be tough because every team is good in the league. We just have to grind."