Oklahoma men's basketball: Buddy Hield shook off jitters and excelled for Sooners

On Saturday, the jitters returned, along with some close friends from Sunrise, for his first career start as an Oklahoma Sooner basketball player. Some of the those friends, such as the Simoneau family, will be on hand to watch Hield on Monday afternoon, when OU plays Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the teams' final game of 2012.

Hield's principal from Sunrise will be there, too, but Hield doesn't think the nervousness will return. He knows the jitters were prevalent Saturday in the first half against Ohio. Hield said that's the reason he only had one assist, two steals and one rebound to end the first half.

Hield knows he didn't perform shot-wise as he usually does. His coach knows that. Teammates are aware as well. None cared. Those jitters didn't stop Hield from turning out a seven assist, four-steal performance.

Hield still brought energy. He was the same old Buddy as a starter as he was off the bench.

Hield's support system from Sunrise is, he said, what made that start even more memorable.

His high school friends and other close friends he calls his “second family” follow him and watch his games. Hield former high school basketball team once came to practice.