Hail WV
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Buddy Hield praises WVU basketball again

By Matthew Peaslee

Jan 16, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) grabs a rebound in front of West Virginia Mountaineers forward Esa Ahmad (23) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) grabs a rebound in front of West Virginia Mountaineers forward Esa Ahmad (23) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite advancing to the Final Four with Oklahoma, Buddy Hield feels his toughest match up this season did not come in the NCAA Tournament.

Hield and the Sooners will take on Villanova this Saturday. The Wildcats’ meteroic rise this March has been impressive and they are certainly one of the top teams in the nation.

But Heild feels he is prepared for that tough challenge, because he faced a tougher one in the Big 12 Tournament.

On Thursday, Hield said, West Virginia was “the toughest team we’ve faced all year.”

The Mountaineers were the only team to hold Hield in check all season and it came in a big game.

West Virginia shut down Hield by limiting him to just six points on 1 of 8 shooting in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

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Hield had already faced the Mountaineers twice in the regular season. Both match ups were wins by his Sooners and Hield took over the games offensively. He combined to score 46 points in the outings played in Norman, Okla. and Morgantown.

But in Kansas City, West Virginia gave Hield fits.

"“They just made it uncomfortable,’’ Hield said. “As soon as I caught it, they sent a guy after me to trap me.”"

That win was, arguably, the Mountaineers’ most impressive of the season. It was also their final win in the 2015-16.

WVU lost in the Big 12 title game to Kansas and bowed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Stephen F. Austin.

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Obviously, the Mountaineers would like to be able to trade positions with the Sooners, now. WVU’s season has been over for two weeks, while Oklahoma continues to play in the national spotlight.

However, with Hield’s kind words, West Virginia can take some solace in its performance this season.

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