Buddy Hield Wins 2016 Naismith Trophy: Latest Comments and Reaction

Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield was announced as the winner of the 2016 Naismith Trophy on Sunday as the top player in college basketball.  

Oklahoma confirmed the voters' selection a day after the Sooners lost in the Final Four at the hands of Villanova. Hield edged fellow finalists Tyler Ulis (Kentucky), Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) and Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) for the honor. He joins Blake Griffin as the only Sooners to capture the award:

Other notable winners of the Naismith Trophy include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pete Maravich, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan. Bill Walton and Ralph Sampson hold the record, with each winning the award three times.

Hield backed up a strong regular season by helping lead the Sooners to the Final Four. He shined particularly bright in the Elite Eight, scoring 37 points en route to winning the West Region over top-seeded Oregon.

After knocking off the Ducks, the dynamic scorer focused on the people around him that made his individual success possible, as relayed by Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports.

"It's special, to be honest with you," Hield said. "As a kid you dream of having games like this. But I just thank my teammates and my coaching staff for putting me in position to score the ball. They gave me confidence to put the ball up."

He averaged 25 points, 5.7 rebounds and two assists during his senior campaign. The biggest difference over the past two seasons is offensive efficiency. His shooting percentage is above 50 percent, including 45.7 percent from three, after sitting at 41.2 percent from the field his junior year.

Hield's Sooners career ended in heartbreak after the Wildcats thrashed the senior and his teammates 95-51 Saturday night, with Hield shooting 4-of-12 from the floor and finishing with nine points.

Hield's engaging, enthusiastic attitude—along with his obvious basketball talent—helped his rise to stardom. It's something Iowa State star Georges Niang discussed with Myron Medcalf and Jake Trotter of ESPN.com:

"

The last time we played, I think it was off like a high-ball screen and I hedged hard and we ended up switching and he hit like a fallaway jumper. And as he let it go, he was like, "Oh yeah, Georgy!" That's just a funny Buddy moment. He was so locked in and feeling himself. It was like being out at the playground. He became more of a trash-talker this year. He's just so locked in on winning.

"

By the time the Final Four tipped off in Houston, Hield had established himself as the best choice for the top individual honor in college basketball despite strong campaigns from the other finalists.

Whether that will translate to NBA success isn't quite as clear. Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports isn't convinced the breakout star will continue to trend upward at the next level:

Ultimately, Hield needs to make strides as a defender and should learn how to become a better distributor with experience and coaching. But finding players with his well-rounded scoring ability isn't easy, which should ensure his draft stock remains sky high.

The bottom line remains he was the most exciting player to watch throughout the college season. And when the going got tough, he rose to the occasion to help push Oklahoma into the Final Four with a string of terrific March Madness performances.

Now, he's got the Naismith Trophy to show for his outstanding senior season.