Buddy’s composure

[GooseMutt]

Is there anyone with more pressure to perform than Buddy? Recruited under a cloud of suspicion that he wasn’t a D-1player but brought in as coaches son.
Doesn’t deserve a scholarship said some folks.
Talk about somebody shouldering pressure and performing regardless is amazing and admirable.
Jim, you did good! This kid is the real deal.

 

[DonLightfoot]

I thought there were a few schools interested in him. Seems to me one coach even told Jim to get him or he will give him an offer. Please feel free to correct me if my memory is lapsing here.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

I thought there were a few schools interested in him. Seems to me one coach even told Jim to get him or he will give him an offer. Please feel free to correct me if my memory is lapsing here.

I believe you are thinking of Gonzaga's Mark Few. The counter-argument to that was "Few only offered to make nice with JB."

 

[jdubs30]

There was actually more talk that no one bothered recruiting him because they all knew he’d come here. The lack of offers was because no one wanted to waste their time

 

[longtimefan]

I thought there were a few schools interested in him. Seems to me one coach even told Jim to get him or he will give him an offer. Please feel free to correct me if my memory is lapsing here.

This is what I remember: Buddy having an excellent EYBL game, in front of his father and a bunch of other D-I coaches (who were there to watch many prospects). After the game, Roy Williams walked over to JB and said "Jimmy your kid is legit. You need to offer him." Apparently the coach had been a bit torn about doing so, for obvious reasons.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think Buddy only took 2 shots in the 2nd half - making one of them. He did miss 2 free throws but I think he plays big minutes to help keep the team’s offensive spacing spread out & keep a good defender totally occupied who can’t cheat on him thus opening driving lanes and opportunities for his teammates. Players like Buddy and Hughes are usually valuable even when they aren’t hitting their normal shots. It gives players like Marek, Sidibe, Quincy, JG3 etc opportunities to score and avoid being doubled or pressed. If another player off the bench could attract the same type of attention by taking advantage offensively I imagine he’d substitute for him to get some rest more. Otherwise the defense will probably switch their matchup , play the percentages, dare him to shoot and use the bench player’s defender to double/back off of him for help defense.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Yes. When he’s not feeling it he knows to take it inside and get 2. I’m really not sure why the big leads shrink every game think it’s more of the other team playing well than us sucking. Hopefully we can stop the trend and start taking teams to the woodshed more.

 

[orange79]

I thought there were a few schools interested in him. Seems to me one coach even told Jim to get him or he will give him an offer. Please feel free to correct me if my memory is lapsing here.

Buddy had offers from SU, Gonzaga, Binghamton, UMass, and Iona.

 

[miamicuse]

Now why Hop didn't offer?