Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Auburn on February 24, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 79
Final
Men's Basketball
91
vs Auburn
79
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Griffin?s Crimson Team Beats Hield?s Cream Squad
August 27, 2016 | Men's Basketball
NORMAN — Coached by Sooner great Blake Griffin, the Crimson team secured a 96-89 victory over the Buddy Hield-led Cream team in Oklahoma's sixth annual Legends Alumni Game at Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday afternoon.
An estimated more than 4,000 fans were on hand to watch Griffin and Hield lead the two teams comprised of former Sooners from as far back as the early 1960s.
"To have Buddy on one bench and Blake on the other, not many programs can put two players of the year against each other in an alumni game. It was great to see that," OU head coach Lon Kruger said.
The Crimson team dominated the majority of the first half, leading by as many as 19 points, before the Cream team chipped away to make it 54-43 at halftime. At the 12-minute mark, an Isaiah Cousins 3-pointer pulled the Cream squad within six points at 73-67, but fueled by three straight 3-pointers, Crimson responded with an 11-0 run to pull away for good.
"To have Buddy on one bench and Blake on the other, not many programs can put two players of the year against each other in an alumni game. It was great to see that."
Lon Kruger
"I never thought of myself as a coach, but I'm undefeated when I come back to do this," Griffin said. "So (coaching) might be something I have to look into after this victory over Buddy's team today."
Ebi Ere, who played on OU's 2002 Final Four squad and is fresh off representing Nigeria at the Olympics, was named the game's MVP after a 22-point, five-rebound performance for the winning team. Ere was also the MVP in the 2013 and 2014 alumni games.
Dinjyl Walker, a member of the 2016 Final Four Team, finished with 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for Crimson, and Terry Evans also reached double digits with 10 points.
Cousins put on a show for Sooner fans, pacing the Cream team with a game-high 33 points, one shy of the alumni game record, in his first appearance after finishing up his senior season with the Sooners in 2016. Tyler Neal finished with 10 points and five rebounds for Cream, while Skeeter Henry and Aaron McGhee both contributed nine points.
“Being back here means a lot to me," Hield said. "It's been fun and it's good to see Blake (Griffin) back, too, connecting with all these people because you never know when you're going to need all these guys again. Being here with the fans that supported me for four years has just been a blessing. It was a great experience and I'll hopefully be back next year.”
Saturday's game capped off the Family Weekend, which also included Friday's Tip In Club Golf Tournament and a Tip In Club Dinner at Lloyd Noble Center. Former OU head coach Billy Tubbs was honored at the dinner, and the 2015-16 Sooners received their Final Four rings.
FINAL POINT TOTALS
Crimson Team (96)
Ebi Ere – 22
Dinjiyl Walker – 19
Terry Evans – 10
Brent Price – 9
James Fraschilla – 8
Kelley Newton – 8
Bryatt Vann – 7
Darryl “Choo” Kennedy – 5
Beau Gerber – 4
Michael Neal – 4
Cream Team (89)
Isaiah Cousins – 33
Tyler Neal – 10
Skeeter Henry – 9
Aaron McGhee – 9
William Davis – 8
Chris Black – 6
Sam Grooms – 6
Kermit Holmes – 6
David Godbold – 2
Additional Quotes
Head Coach Lon Kruger
On Buddy Hield and Blake Griffin coaching the game:
"Great to have Buddy and Blake back and coaching today. What great ambassadors. For them to take time from their very busy schedules to come back shows what this means to them."
On Buddy Hield as he gets set to start his NBA career:
"He's been great from day one. Our advice to Buddy is very easy, and that is just keep doing what you've done all your life. He's very genuine, he cares about others, he's very teammate-oriented. You can't have a better guy than Buddy. He'll have a great career."
On why this event is so successful:
"They had a good time when they were here. I think that's the bottom line. If they didn't have a good time, they probably wouldn't have those memories and want to come back. But they had a great time (at OU), they have friendships for a lifetime and I think that's a lot about what being a Sooner means."
On former head coach Billy Tubbs:
"Coach Tubbs is around practice a lot and is at a lot of games, but to have him come back for this and be honored by fans and his former players, that tells how much people love Billy Tubbs and (his wife) Pat and their family. It makes everyone feel good when you see Billy have a good time."
Blake Griffin (2008-09)
On his coaching matchup against Buddy Hield:
"It was fun. It's funny to see guys get competitive about stuff you kind of don't have much control over (as a coach). It's fun to see that and of course Buddy's a fantastic guy, so it's great to come back and be a part of this."
On his recent donation to the program:
"It was a conversation I had two or three years ago, maybe longer than that. And it's about keeping this program and facilities on par with the rest of the nation. As soon as it was brought up, it was immediately something I was interested in. I'm excited for them to actually break ground and get going."
On giving Buddy Hield any advice:
"He's on the right path. After the year he had last year, it just sets him up for rookie success. Everyone knows how good of a player he is, but how good of a person he is is important as well and he's going to be fine."
Buddy Hield (2013-16)
On reuniting with his teammates:
“It's been great being back with my teammates. I wish I could have played with them, but there's certain protocol where I couldn't play, but it was still fun. These memories that we shared the past four years were so special and I will never forget those guys.”
On his past couple months:
"It's been a roller coaster; up and down, up and down. But it's been fun. It's what I signed up for and it's a business but it's nice to be home."
On playing in the NBA and managing the pressure of being a lottery pick:
"It's what I love to do and what I've been working toward all my life and I get the opportunity to do it (play in the NBA). It's all a challenge I look forward too every day."
Isaiah Cousins (2013-16)
On being back with teammates:
“It's been fun to be back here and see the team and how they've been doing and what all has been going on since we left. It's great vibes being back here.”
On the crowd at the alumni game:
“It was just great to see all these fans because when we came in our freshman year it wasn't like that. It was great to see all these people who love basketball now.”
Ebi Ere (2002-03)
On the game:
"The game was great. Buddy was out on the court cheating a little bit… standing in the way of our inbounders, letting Isaiah (Cousins) play the whole game. But at the end of the day, cheaters never win. It was a great time, I'm glad I could attend."
On battling against Isaiah Cousins:
"I think Isaiah is going to be a great player in the NBA. He definitely has the talent. As they get older and mature in their games, they will turn into pretty great players. I think him and Buddy both will have solid careers. Once they play two or three years, the difference between 22 and 25 years old is a huge difference. Once they get those years in professional basketball and mature, they will do really well."
On his expectations for the 2016-17 OU squad:
"I always expect my Sooners to win it all. I expect (Jordan) Woodard to step up and have a big season like Buddy did; as well as those younger guys falling into place and hopefully the freshmen will come in, help out, and play big."
William Davis (1989-90)
On making his first alumni game appearance:
"This was the first time I've been back since I was in school 26 years ago. It was great to come back and see all the players and see Coach Tubbs. I got the call that they were having a special celebration for him and I just couldn't miss that with as much as he did for me."
On getting back out on the LNC floor today:
"Oh, man. Coming down the tunnel I got a little nervous, but once I got on the court it was just old memories and stuff. Once I started playng, my mind was telling me to do one thing but then my body was telling me I couldn't do it. But it was so fun to be back and to see everyone and see how the facilities here have changed for the better. It was so much fun."
Brent Price (1991-92)
On the game and crowd energy:
“It was a lot of fun and the crowd turnout this afternoon was great. There was a lot of energy this year, obviously coming off the Final Four team and also honoring Billy (Tubbs) and having so many of the great legendary players back. It was a great day. It was fun, it was exciting, and it was fun for me to be out there and show my kids what I used to do.”
On his daughters watching him:
“I have two daughters here at OU and two (kids) in high school, and they were awful young when I got done playing basketball, so it's fun for them to come out and kind of see my world and what I used to do. It was just a great afternoon.”
Players Mentioned
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