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

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OHSportsFan;2163900; said:
Um, showing up with the 3rd worst body fat percentage at an NBA Combine with 60 top players isn't good.

1. J'Covan Brown 12.5%
2. Miles Plumlee 11.4
3. Draymond Green 11.3
3. William Buford 11.3

Doesn't sound right...
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Plumlee is built like a brick shithouse.
 
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NBA: Ohio State's Buford could slide off draft board
By Bob Baptist
The Columbus Dispatch Thursday June 28, 2012

In the spring, despite having had an uneven senior season, William Buford was considered a pretty good bet to be drafted in the second round. Now, though, all bets are off.

It has been an unsettling 10 days for Jared Sullinger, who went from an NBA lottery pick simply lacking athleticism to a falling star with a bad back that some claim could threaten his longevity in the league.

Regardless, Sullinger is expected to be drafted in the first round tonight, will sign a contract guaranteeing him a couple of million dollars over the next two years and probably will be on an NBA team?s bench next season.

Not a bad deal when compared with the uncertainty facing William Buford, his former Ohio State teammate.

In the spring, despite having had an uneven senior season, Buford was considered a pretty good bet to be drafted in the second round. That wouldn?t get him guaranteed money but more than likely would get him to the summer league and to preseason camp with the team that selected him.

Now, though, all bets are off.

?He can shoot the ball, and that?s a check mark in his favor,? Big Ten Network analyst and former Ohio State star Jim Jackson said. ?But is he committed to coming in in the best shape??

Buford worked out for about a dozen teams in the past month and also participated in the NBA predraft combine in Chicago. There, he had the third-highest percentage of body fat ? 11.3 percent ? of anyone tested and was among the 15 slowest in a sprint covering three-quarters the length of the court.Buford said then that he had had a stomach virus and gained a few pounds, ?but that?s no excuse for my body fat. It?s never been that high.?

cont...
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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/06/28/osus-buford-could-slide-off-draft-board.html
 
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I think Buford will get drafted tonight....


Probably between 50th-60th....


He really has a pro game, but his combine performance/appearance hurt his chances....


He would really be better off going un-drafted IMO; and then picking a place that fits him best, but I think somebody grabs him at the tail end of the Draft....
 
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Is he totally commiitted to being an NBA player..to be in the NBA you have to EARN it. I am confident he has talent but there are gyms and playgrounds littered with players with talent who for many reasons never made it in the league.
 
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Ohio State's Buford goes undrafted
Former Libbey star was state's top basketball player in 2008
BY DAVID BRIGGS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

Former Libbey star William Buford, who was named Mr. Ohio as the state?s top basketball player in 2008 and started four years at Ohio State, was not selected in the NBA Draft on Thursday.

He will now either sign with an NBA team as a free agent or pursue a professional career elsewhere, possibly overseas, after his name went uncalled over the two rounds at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Buford endured intense scrutiny ? and mixed reviews ? as he crossed the nation working out for a dozen or so NBA teams over the past two months.

One of the nation?s top recruits in high school, the 6-foot-5 guard was billed as an athletic and deft long-range shooter. He finished his four-year college career tied with tied with Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas on Ohio State's all-time scoring list and averaged a career-high 14.5 points last season.

?I do hope that William goes down ? because he will in my mind ? as one of the best Ohio State?s had,? OSU coach Thad Matta said earlier this year. ?The stats are there to prove that.?

But Buford?s stock slipped amid questions on his inconsistent shot ? his 3-point shooting percentage dropped from 44.2 as a junior to 35.8 percent last year ? and conditioning, a concern underscored by his recent performance at the NBA Combine in Chicago. His 11.3 percent body fat was third-highest among the 60 prospects.

Buford told reporters he had added weight because of a stomach virus. ?But that?s no excuse for my body fat,? he said. ?It?s never been that high.?

Buford was vying to become the first Toledo native drafted since Jim Jackson was selected fourth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1992.
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http://www.toledoblade.com/Pro/2012/06/29/Ohio-State-s-Buford-goes-undrafted.html
 
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Published: 6/30/2012
Pro career for Buford must start from scratch
Libbey, OSU star takes free-agent route
BY DAVID BRIGGS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

As Thursday night gave way to Friday morning, NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver read the last of 60 names selected in the 2012 draft.

None of them was William Buford -- an omission few could have imagined only months earlier.

Yet the clock hardly struck midnight on the former Libbey and Ohio State star's professional career.

Buford, who was named Mr. Ohio as the state's top basketball player in 2008 and started four years at OSU, and other top undrafted players will now likely sign with an NBA team as free agents and play for the organization's summer league team in Orlando or Las Vegas. Because second-round selections do not receive guaranteed contracts, some draft analysts suggest fringe players like Buford are better off not being selected and joining a team with a heap of needs.

Buford will then hope to make an NBA roster or explore other options, possibly overseas. Former Buckeyes teammates Jon Diebler (Greece) and David Lighty (Italy) took that path last season.

"William would be a great complementary piece on any professional team," said Leroy Bates, Buford's coach at Libbey.

Buford endured intense scrutiny -- and mixed reviews -- as he crossed the nation working out for a dozen or so NBA teams over the past two months.

A former McDonald's All-American who emerged at Libbey as one of the nation's most coveted recruits, the 6-foot-5 guard was billed as an athletic and deft long-range shooter. He finished his four-year college career tied with tied with Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas on Ohio State's all-time scoring list and averaged a career-high 14.5 points last season.

"I do hope that William goes down -- because he will in my mind -- as one of the best Ohio State's had," OSU coach Thad Matta said earlier this year. "The stats are there to prove that."

But Buford's stock slipped amid questions on his inconsistent shot -- his 3-point shooting percentage dropped from 44.2 as a junior to 35.8 percent last year -- and conditioning, a concern underscored by his recent performance at the NBA Combine in Chicago. His 11.3 percent body fat was third-highest among the 60 prospects.

Buford told reporters he had added weight because of a stomach virus. "But that's no excuse for my body fat," he said. "It's never been that high."

Bates suggested Buford's agents and former college coaches should have taken greater lengths to ensure Buford remained in shape.

"That's not to say they didn't do that," he said. "It's just a matter of, evidently, it wasn't done or [Buford] didn't apply that information."

Joe Kotoch, a Cleveland-based agent who runs the site probasketballdraft.com, said Buford has to "prove the conditioning stuff was an isolated incident."

"That's what his camp was saying," Kotoch said. "His first opportunity to reflect that is the summer league."

cont....
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http://www.toledoblade.com/Pro/2012/06/30/Pro-career-for-Buford-must-start-from-scratch.html
 
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Published: 7/14/2012
Buford opens camp with Timberwolves
BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

Former Libbey and Ohio State star William Buford opened minicamp with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

Buford is vying to play for the Timberwolves' entry in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, which features rookies, second-year players, and free agents. Minnesota's five-game schedule begins Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Buford finished his four-year career at Ohio State tied for third all-time in scoring but was not selected in last month's NBA Draft. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was one of 21 players at the Timberwolves' minicamp. Minnesota will announce its summer league roster Sunday.
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http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2012/07/14/Buford-opens-camp-with-Timberwolves.html
 
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Published: 7/17/2012
Ohio State's Buford may get a 2nd chance
T-wolves looking at Libbey star
BY DAVID BRIGGS

Buford-s-2nd-chance.jpg

William Buford, the former Libbey and Ohio State star, was not selected in last month's NBA draft, but he did earn a look with the Minnesota Timberwolves' Summer League team in Las Vegas. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

William Buford wishes he could have a do-over.

In an ideal lead-up to last month's NBA draft, the former Libbey and Ohio State star would have worked harder and felt better. Buford endured a nagging cold and worse as he spanned the country working out for potential employers.

"I had a stomach virus through most of it, too," he said in a phone interview. "So that kind of took a toll on my conditioning and I got tired. But it is what it is. I learn from my mistakes."

Ultimately, Buford is content where he landed.

After not hearing his name on draft night -- an admitted wake-up siren few envisioned only months earlier -- he redoubled his training efforts and joined the Minnesota Timberwolves' entry in the NBA Summer League.

It is Buford's second chance to make an impression, and he embraces both the pressure and opportunity. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was upbeat as usual as he spoke with a reporter Monday from a Las Vegas gym, a few hours before the Timberwolves began their five-game summer schedule against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I'm real excited," he said. "This is like a dream for me. I'm glad they gave me a chance and an opportunity to showcase what I can do, and I'm going to go as hard as I can."

Buford believes he has a legitimate opportunity to make an NBA team this fall. His resume stands out among the Timberwolves' 19-man Vegas roster while the summer league -- which features rookies, second-year players and free agents -- is a well-traveled stop en route to a bigger stage.

The Timberwolves' last summer team included future NBA players Wayne Ellington, Jonny Flynn, Lazar Hayward, Wes Johnson, Jeremy Pargo, and Greg Stiemsma. This year, after former first-round picks Wes Johnson and Derrick Williams, Buford is one of the team's top second-tier players, along with second-round selection Robbie Hummel from Purdue.

In Las Vegas, Buford -- who was named Mr. Ohio as the state's top high school basketball player in 2008 and finished his four-year career at OSU tied for third all-time in scoring -- will need to quell concerns on the consistency of his outside stroke and his conditioning.

Buford's star faded slightly at Ohio State when his 3-point shooting percentage dropped from 44.2 as a junior to 35.8 last season, then took another hit during pre-draft workouts as teams questioned his commitment. At the NBA combine in Chicago, his 11.3 percent body fat was third-highest among the 60 prospects.

"He looked a little heavy at the combine, didn't shoot it real well, so he probably hurt himself," an unnamed NBA scout told SI.com last month. "I wouldn't draft him."

Buford said the criticism and draft-night uncertainty was disappointing, but not dispiriting.

"It wasn't that tough," he said. "Things happen. It just didn't go my way, but I knew I had an opportunity to make it another way. I didn't let it bring me down. I just came in and worked harder than I worked before."

Joe Kotoch, a Cleveland-based agent who runs the Web site pro basketballdraft.com, said Buford's representatives told NBA teams the fitness issues were a one-time blip.

Buford said Monday he is healthy and back in mid-season shape.

"Oh yeah, absolutely," he said. "That was something that was under my control. I needed to work harder and do extra running and be in the gym more. I've been doing that and I think it's been showing."

In Buford's mind, the first audition of the rest of his life began Monday in Sin City, where he will spend the next week playing for a small per diem but no salary. He hopes an NBA team in need of a deadeye reserve will then save him a roster spot.

"I just need to show teams that I can knock down shots, play as hard as I can and just be a winner," Buford said. "If I showcase that, I think I have a great opportunity to be successful in this league."
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http://www.toledoblade.com/Ohio-State/2012/07/17/Buford-s-2nd-chance.html
 
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