Oklahoma Basketball: Dante Buford suspended for three games

Buford, a key rotation player, won’t be in the lineup for Oklahoma basketball when they tip-off the season on Sunday.

With Oklahoma star guard Buddy Hield now in the NBA, the Sooners are searching for a collective way to replace his sharp shooting.

One of the players expected to break out in 2016-17 is sophomore forward Dante Buford. The Greenville, SC native averaged 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and shot 33 percent from downtown in his first year, showing his ability to stretch the floor and make plays in short stints.

While Buford is expected to raise those averages this season, his 2016-17 debut will be put on hold because of three game suspension instituted by the NCAA. Buford received an extra benefit for one of his complimentary tickets during the NCAA Tournament this past March.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

Buford played only 12.3 minutes per game last season, but is expected to start at power forward. Even though he’s undersized at 6’7″, 221 pounds, Buford spreads the floor for the Sooners, creating a four-out style of play.

This will make things easier for guard Jordan Woodard, freshman Kameron McGusty and Christian James. It provides more space for Woodard to attack off the bounce, gives McGusty the opportunity to show off his versatile offensive game and provides James with the spacing to hit from the perimeter.

The good news for the Sooners is that they can afford to be without Buford for the first three games of the season. Lon Kruger’s squad opens up against Northwestern State at 5 p.m. on Sunday before traveling to Orlando, FL for the Tire Pros Invitational. The Sooners begin the tournament against a rebuilding Tulane team before having the chance to play either Arizona State and Northern Iowa in their second game of the event.

Buford’s first game back will be the team’s final game of the Tire Pros Invitational. But Oklahoma mainly needs the forward back for two key resume building games against Wisconsin (in Madison) and Wichita State (neutral).

While Woodard is the most important player on the team, Buford’s value on the offensive end of the floor cannot be overlooked. He’ll be back soon enough to begin his breakout season.