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SF William Buford - 4 BTT Title Games, most Buckeye starts (Virtus Roma - Italy)

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Expanded role suits Buford
Sunday, May 9, 2010
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Gavin Jackson | Dispatch
William Buford is working on improving his ball-handling, defense and passing for next season, when he's expected to be one of the go-to players for Ohio State.

Spring is when Ohio State basketball players can relax and enjoy campus life. Sort of. They are still in the Schottenstein Center, too, working on improving their games during individual workouts with coaches and pickup games with current, former and future Buckeyes.

With Evan Turner having left early for the NBA draft, the Buckeyes will have a lot of points, rebounds, assists and steals to make up next season. William Buford is preparing to contribute in every way possible, he said during a recent interview before an afternoon shooting session.

Question: The Oval is a great place to be on sunny spring days. What's your favorite thing to do in the spring, other than play basketball?

Buford: You've got a little more free time than you do during the season. But I don't hang on the Oval too much. I come (to the gym) and go to class and tutoring and usually go home, basically. (Buford said he lives alone in an off-campus apartment.)

Q: What do the players' offseason skill workouts consist of, and how much time do you spend at it?

A: I probably go an hour and a half, two hours (a day) and I've been working on basically everything, mainly a lot of dribbling to get my handle right. And I'm still doing a lot of shooting on my own. We also come to the weight room three times a week and work out.

Q: Have you adopted Evan's drill of dribbling with your eyes closed?

A: I have. (Smiles) My dad talked to me about that when I was home. He asked me if I was trying to be like Evan because he saw me dribbling with my eyes closed.

Q: There was some speculation last season that you might put your name in the NBA draft. You said you would not. Did you at least investigate where you stood?

A: There wasn't a thought in my mind. I didn't feel like my performance in college was ready to do what I want to do in the NBA. I don't want to go to the NBA and just be a player. I want to go there and make an impact. I didn't feel I was ready.
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Ohio State basketball: Expanded role suits Buford | BuckeyeXtra
 
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MaxBuck;1701838; said:
Buckeye fans should be thanking our lucky stars that Will has decided to come back for his junior year. He'll be a tremendously important player in the 2010-11 season.
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I'm not sure luck has anything to do with Buford coming back for his junior year. I think it has more to do with the fact that he projects, at best, as a late first round pick.
 
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My two favorite quotes from that article:

"...I want to guard the best player on the floor every time."

And, on the advice he'd give to the incoming Freshman

"Be ready.....come in focused every day and ready to play, ready to get better."


I love the attitude he expresses in that interview. I'm super jazzed for Will and the entire team this next season!

:groove2:
 
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Well, I don't know if he will get his wish regarding defending against the best player on the other team because that probably will fall to Lighty but for him to even want to do that speaks volumes about how he wants to improve next season.

It also is nice to see that he is improving his ball handling skills and putting on a little weight. It will be nice to see him come back next season which, sadly, will be his last.
 
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LitlBuck;1702015; said:
Well, I don't know if he will get his wish regarding defending against the best player on the other team because that probably will fall to Lighty but for him to even want to do that speaks volumes about how he wants to improve next season.

It also is nice to see that he is improving his ball handling skills and putting on a little weight. It will be nice to see him come back next season which, sadly, will be his last.
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I seem to remember him consistently guarding the best player on the opposing team over the last half of last year.
 
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2010 USA Men's Select Team
Lavoy Allen (Sr., C, Temple)
William Buford (Jr., G, Ohio State)
LaceDarius Dunn (Sr., F, Baylor)
Jimmer Fredette (Sr., G, BYU)
Scotty Hopson (Jr., G, Tennessee)
Scoop Jardine (Jr., G, Syracuse)
JaJuan Johnson (Sr., F/C, Purdue)
Jon Leuer (Sr., C, Wisconsin)
Shelvin Mack (Jr., G, Butler)
Marcus Morris (Jr., F, Kansas)
Jacob Pullen (Sr., G, Kansas State)
John Shurna (Jr., F, Northwestern)
Kyle Singler (Sr., F, Duke)
Chris Singleton (Jr., F, Florida State)
Nolan Smith (Jr., G, Duke)
Howard Thompkins (Jr., F, Georgia)
Mike Tisdale (Sr., C, Illinois)
Kemba Walker (Jr., G, Connecticut)
Chris Wright (Sr., F, Dayton)
Tyler Zeller (Jr., F, North Carolina)
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OSU's Buford named to U.S. Select Team - Big Ten Network
 
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ON WILLIAM BUFORD...

- Buford was all smiles Wednesday as he talked about his selection for the team USA prep team. He was much more talkative today than I remember him and even said he feels a lot more comfortable with the media now. He said it will be a tremendous test to see where is game is at and that he's looking forward to the trip, which starts on Sunday. He also said it has made him work harder every day to prove to himself he is ready for this kind of showcase.

With Turner going pro, Buford will likely take over as the Bucks? leading-scorer?or at least leading shot-taker?this fall. In order to get ready for that role, however, Buford said his off-season workout is focused on dribbling and defense.
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The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More
 
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OSU men's basketball: USA-camp invite thrills Buford
Thursday, July 15, 2010
By Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

When he got the news last week, William Buford couldn't stop smiling.

The Ohio State junior found out he was among 20 college players invited to the USA Men's Select team to practice against the USA Men's National team. He leaves Sunday for Las Vegas.

"I had the biggest smile on my face, ever," Buford said yesterday. "When Coach (David) Egelhoff told me, I was so excited. I told my parents, and I wanted to tell everyone."

Even though the six-day competition will consist solely of drills and scrimmages, Buford believes it'll be invaluable for his development. Although most national-team members are unlikely to participate, young NBA stars such as Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose are expected to play.

"It's a test for me to see where my game is at - going against some of the best players in the world," Buford said. "I'm just going to soak up as much as I can from them to try to be the best I can at this level and the next level."
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...5/usa-camp-invite-thrills-buford.html?sid=101
 
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