2016 was a magical year for Oklahoma.
The road to the Final Four went through Oklahoma City for the Sooners, led by Buddy Hield. The two-seed in the West bracket, second only to Oregon, Oklahoma beat Cal State Bakersfield by 14 in the first round to meet the 10-seed Rams of Virginia Commonwealth in the round of 32,
Much like the entire 2015-16 season, Hield led the way for the Sooners. His 36 points led all scorers while hauling in seven rebounds. Guards Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins supplemented Oklahoma’s scoring efforts with 32 combined points while also holding it down on defense with four combined steals.
Forwards Ryan Spangler and Khadeem Latin protected the paint with 14 of the teams 37 rebounds and a combined for three of the teams five blocked shots. Offensively the duo complimented the elite guard play of Hield, Cousins, and Woodard with 14 of their own points.
The Sooners needed a team effort to advance as they beat VCU 85-81, leaving the hometown fans roaring inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Oklahoma would head west to Anaheim, Calif., for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, getting wins over Texas A&M and Oregon to give them a Final Four bid in Houston, Texas.
The Sooners would lose to eventual national champion, Villanova in the Final Four.
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