OU Stars Dominate Basketball's Recent Elites

Buddy Hield, Trae Young and Blake Griffin earned three of ESPN's top 11 spots among individual player seasons in the one-and-done era

Oklahoma basketball has produced some remarkable individual seasons.

ESPN recently ranked the 50 best individual seasons by one player in the one-and-done era (since 2007), and three Sooners show up — not only in the top 50, but in the top 11.

While Zion Williamson’s 2018-19 season ranks No. 1 overall, OU produced three of the next 10 picks.

• Buddy Hield’s 2015-16 season ranks No. 7,
• Trae Young’s 2017-18 season ranks No. 9,
• Blake Griffin’s 2008-09 season ranks No. 11.

No other school had even two players ranked in the top 12.

SEE THE FULL LIST (requires ESPN subscription) 

The 6-foot-4 Hield was a senior when he won the John Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Sporting News Player of the Year as college basketball’s top player.

Buddy Hield

Photo: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Hield averaged 25.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game as he shot 50.1 percent from the floor, 45.7 percent from 3-point range and 88.0 percent from the free throw line while averaging 35.4 minutes per game.

The 6-1 Young was a true freshman when he won the Wayman Tisdale Award as college basketball’s top freshman and earned consensus All-America honors.

Trae Young

Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Young became the first player in college basketball history to lead the nation in both scoring (27.4 points per game) and assists (8.7 per game). He shot 42.3 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from 3-point range and 86.1 percent from the free throw line while averaging 35.4 minutes per game.

The 6-10 Griffin was a sophomore when he was unanimous national player of the year, winning the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Naismith Award, the John Wooden Award, the Adolph Rupp Trophy and player of the year by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Sports Illustrated.

Blake Griffin

Photo: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game and led the NCAA in rebounding (504 total, also a school and Big 12 record) while also leading the Big 12 Conference in both scoring and rebounding with a Big 12-record 15 games of 20 points and 15 rebounds. Griffin shot 61.8 percent from the floor, 30.0 percent from 3-point range and 58.9 percent from the free throw line while averaging 31.4 minutes per game.

The only other players from the Big 12 Conference who made the list: No. 4 Kevin Durant of Texas, (2007), No. 27 Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State (2014), No. 28 Frank Mason of Kansas (2017), No. 29 Michael Beasley of Kansas State (2008), No. 32 Acie Law of Texas A&M (2007), No. 42 Thomas Robinson of Kansas (2012), No. 49 Udoka Azubuike of Kansas (2020) and No. 50 Jevon Carter of West Virginia (2018).

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