Foreign Aid: Hield Held in High Esteem as Two-Time A-A From Overseas
December 25th, 2015 - 21:54
Foreigners such as returning Oklahoma All-American guard Buddy Hield have been much more than bit players in a modern-day immigrant version of "Coming to America." Bahamian native Hield joined a select circle of foreigners who were DI All-Americans for multiple seasons.
After seven consecutive contests with more than 20 points, Hield emerged as the front-runner in the national player of the year race. Hield became the initial backcourter joining the following alphabetical list of hoop princes of sorts who earned All-American status multiple seasons after spending most or all of his formative years in a country outside mainland U.S.:
| Foreigner A-A | Pos. | College | Native Country | All-American Years | NBA Draft Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kresimir Cosic | C | Brigham Young | Yugoslavia | 1972 and 1973 | 66th by L.A. Lakers |
| Tim Duncan* | C | Wake Forest | Virgin Islands | 1995 through 1997 | 1st by San Antonio |
| Patrick Ewing* | C | Georgetown | Jamaica | 1982 through 1985 | 1st by New York |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | C | Houston | Nigeria | 1983 and 1984 | 1st by Houston |
| Mychal Thompson | F-C | Minnesota | Bahamas | 1977 and 1978 | 1st by Portland |
*Named National Player of the Year.