Oklahoma Sooners Basketball: A Farewell Tribute to Jordan Woodard

A great college basketball career is officially coming to an end, as Jordan Woodard — former Final Four star and fierce leader of this year’s young Sooner team — will conclude his time at Oklahoma on Senior Day in Norman. After arriving on the scene in 2013, the Edmond Memorial standout by way of Arcadia, Okla., quickly took the reigns as Lon Kruger’s starting point guard as a freshman and went on to star in one of the most memorable teams in Oklahoma basketball history in his junior year.

Adding his talents to the already potent trio of Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler, Woodard’s ball handling, sharp shooting and never-say-die attitude fine-tuned the Lon Kruger offensive machine into the national juggernaut it became for the next two seasons. He became one of the best outside shooters in the nation after switching positions as a sophomore with his backcourt mate Cousins — a move that resulted in some record-setting, eye-popping hoops...and plenty of March Madness.

Woodard was among college basketball’s leaders in three-point percentage during the Sooners’ Final Four run in 2015-16, shooting a blistering 45.5 percent and oftentimes playing Robin to Buddy Hield’s Batman in many big ballgames. He also started 115 consecutive games to begin his career before a leg injury suffered against Memphis last December kept him out the next four games. Woodard returned strong and almost single-handedly rescued the season.

In his second game back from injury against Texas Tech, the senior star scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half to help snap a seven-game losing streak for OU, then followed it up four days later with a coast-to-coast buzzer-beater to upset then-No. 7 West Virginia in Morgantown. His final season and career was ultimately cut short against Iowa State in heartbreaking fashion, as Woodard saw his young teammates finish the season without their big brother. But instead of lamenting on this disappointing season, here’s a look back through a few of Jordan Woodard’s biggest moments in the crimson and cream. Before that, though, here’s a summary of what he meant to the program:

4^th in assists (471)

7^th in steals (186)

12^th in 3-Pt. shooting (162-of-421, 38.5 percent)

14^th in scoring (1,440 points, 11.52 points per game)

5^th in free throws made (440)

8^th in free throw percentage (.912)

3 NCAA Tournament appearances

1 Sweet 16 appearance

1 Final Four appearance

We’ll miss you, Jordan... Thanks for the memories. Boomer Sooner!

• Putback vs. Villanova, Final Four April 2, 2016

(The only good thing that happened to OU that day, and it came on a missed free throw.)

• Buzzer beater to force OT against Memphis, December 17, 2016

• Doin’ the Aggies dirty in the Sweet 16, March 24, 2016

• Jordan-Beats-Your-Press Virginia, January 18, 2017

• #1 Oklahoma at #1 Kansas, January 4, 2016 (Full game...just skip the very end)

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