KU basketball defeats Buddy Hield (for a half) & Bahamas National Team in Puerto Rico
Former Oklahoma Sooners star Buddy Hield, of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, left his seat on the Bahamian National Team bench to greet Bill Self with a handshake.
The scene occurred as the Kansas basketball coach walked through a tunnel onto the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum court an hour before tipoff of Saturday’s exhibition contest.
The 6-foot-4, 30-year-old Hield, who joked with Self that he wouldn’t score 46 points against KU on Saturday as he did in a 109-106 triple OT loss to the Jayhawks on Jan. 5, 2016, in Allen Fieldhouse, wasn’t lying.
He played just one half, scoring 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting in KU’s 92-87 victory. He was 3 of 9 from 3 and 5-of-5 from the line.
Hield had five assists, four turnovers, three steals and one rebound while playing 16 of a possible 20 first-half minutes.
Hield wound up being the only NBA player to participate in the exhibition game. Word is Deandre Ayton and Eric Gordon of the Phoenix Suns, who are on the Team Bahamas roster, will join Hield and perhaps Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets for an 11 a.m. game Monday at the same arena.
The Jayhawks’ five starters all fist-bumped Hield prior to opening tip at center court.
Describing some of the action
Hunter Dickinson scored 28 points, KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar 15 points and Elmarko Jackson 12 to lead the Jayhawks. McCullar fouled out with 8:05 left and KU up 75-66.
KU’s Dajuan Harris stood his ground and took a charge from Hield in the opening minute. However, the Bahamas team stole the ball and Hield scored his first points a layup on the ensuing possession.
Hield’s second bucket came on a one-and-one spin move on McCullar and ensuing 10-footer for a bucket.
He finished the first quarter with 12 points, while KU’s McCullar, who seemed to be trash talking with Hield a bit, had 10. The Bahamas led 22-20 after one.
Hield finished the half with 18 points to McCullar’s 12 on 4-of-5 shooting. KU led at the break, 42-36.
KJ Adams had an impressive stretch early in the third quarter. He went up strong to muscle an inside bucket, was fouled and swished the ensuing free throw. Shortly after, Adams lobbed to Dickinson for a slam. And then he fed Dickinson for a bucket and ensuing free throw. With 6:14 left in the third, Dickinson had 15 points.
Zach Clemence had a spectacular drive to the hole and dunk inside the final minute of the third quarter. It followed a slam by Elmarko Jackson.
Those efforts followed a first-game performance where the Jayhawks shot better than 40% from 3.
Defending Buddy
McCullar opened on Hield but Harris also guarded the Pacers’ standout. Harris in fact took a charge from Hield.
Also Arterio Morris stole the ball from Hield.
Self had noted on the pregame radio interview that multiple Jayhawks would guard Hield because of how the team switches defensively.
Morris starts instead of Timberlake
Self, as he indicated before the first of three games on this exhibition tour of Puerto Rico, switched one of five players in his starting lineup for the KU-Bahamas game Saturday.
In Game Two, Self went with Game One (106-71 rout of Puerto Rico Select) starters Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar. Arterio Morris started over Nick Timberlake Saturday.
