After averaging 17 points a game last week, on 13 of 25 shooting, William Buford has won the Player of the Week award given out by the B10. The 6'5" freshman from Toledo connected on 5 of his 11 three point attempts and also added 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals in the Buckeyes two vicotries.
While Turner has been my favorite player this year (he won the award the first week of December), Chris hopped on the Buford bandwagon from day 1 and was telling me Buford would take Diebler's minutes before the season was over.
After Lighty's injury, Buford has had a chance to shine, scoring in double digits in 8 of his 9 starts and raising his season average to 10.6 points a contest. My only fear now, is that Buford will get a case of D-Cook-itis and make a bolt for the NBA after just one year.
Comments
Yeah I'm afraid he, Turner and Mullen might bolt after this year which would devastate us for next year. This squad could be unreal if all three stayed next year.
Wow, D-Cook, Oden, and Conley would be juniors this year, what if?
This is the reality of present day college b-ball, you should never recruit more than 2 one-and-done's, but how do you see it coming?
As long as Buford keeps progressing he will more than surely bolt. But D-Cook fell off a little in the second half and he still went first round.
Also, he hit 24 the other night, go figure.
Yea, this is something the NCAA is going to have to look at. There are too many kids getting bad information, bolting early and then leaving coaches scrambling.
Thad needs at least two of these kids to stay through next year, because he doesn't have any recruits coming in '09, but a top 5 class in '10.
I would argue that instituting a two-year minimum would be better for the college and pro game. Some players might bitch, but it also puts them at halfway at least to finishing their education and they are better prepared for the NBA after two years in college. The NBA scouts and GMs get more time to evaluate players and should, in theory, get more NBA-ready players (both game-wise, physically, and emotionally) and should avoid some of the busts they get each year. I know David Stern is for it, but will the union sign on?
Definitely would be terrible for us. We don't have any incoming recruits for next season, so we'd have to scramble for JUCOs and the like- although we do get that transfer big man, whose name escapes me, but he's sitting out this season because he transferred.
It really makes for a watered down product overall for the NBA. Besides a few teams, the NBA is almost unwatchable.
The one year rule is just a token offering to make David Stern seem like he cares. It should be three years out of high school like football.
Problem is, now some of these kids are going to Europe to play a year. Which may actually prepare them better than the college game.
I'd rather they go to Europe than leave our team scrambling every year.
Adam,
So you didnt enjoy the '07 season?
It really only takes one good class, maybe in '10.
I'd say either three years out, or no requirement at all.
Really, if you're ready at 18 to go straight to a real job instead of earning less than 20k a year to pay for school, you should be able to do it. If I as a programmer can do well enough to get hired and skip college, there's no industry wide rule saying "no, you've got to go sit through intro calc courses instead of getting paid."
I like seeing kids play college ball as much as anyone. I like it a lot better than the pros. But if a kid busts his knee playing his junior year of college ball when he could have been making cash for two years... I really don't think my entertainment is worth that human cost there. It should be the kid's choice.
[...] “Ohio State freshman William Buford earns his first weekly laurel after leading the Buckeyes to a pair of victories last week over Indiana at home and No. 25 Michigan on the road. In the two wins, Buford averaged 17 points, six rebounds and went 13-of-25 (.520) from the field. The Toledo, Ohio, native also recorded four assists and two steals while averaging 36.5 minutes per game.” [Big Ten dot com via Eleven Warriors] [...]
iballbuckfan:
I was being a bit facetious with the Europe comment. It is frustrating that a program that has the resources and potential to produce at a high level is hamstrung by a constant pillaging of its talent (last year, probably next year).