Buddy Hield was named the winner of the Naismith Trophy on Sunday afternoon in Houston.
“I’m extremely honored and grateful to accept the Naismith Trophy. None of this would have been possible without my teammates and coaching staff pushing me every single day,” said Hield. “I also want to thank my family and friends for all of their support over the years. This was an extremely special season at OU, and one that I’ll cherish forever.”
“Buddy’s passion, enthusiasm and team-first attitude have been so consistent all season,” said Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger. “Obviously his play on the floor was remarkably high, especially in those crunch-time moments, in ballgames. I couldn’t be more pleased for Buddy to win the Naismith Trophy because of all the time and investment spent developing his skills and abilities each year.”
Hield, whose season came to an end against Villanova on Saturday night, finished the year averaging 25.0 points. Denzel Valentine won the AP Player of the Year award, the Oscar Robertson trophy and was named the NBCSports.com National Player of the Year.
Villanova head coach Jay Wright, who will be playing for his first National Title on Monday night, was named the Naismith Coach of the Year.
“I’m extremely proud to accept the Naismith Coach of the Year award on behalf of our staff and the Villanova basketball team,” Wright said. “I know the great history of this award and our whole program is humbled to be honored with this year’s Naismith award.”