Ohio State 2008-2012 SG - William Buford (2x Second Team All-B1G)

I really think that Buford can break the all-time scoring record for OSU this season. He needs to avg atleast 16.8ppg and play 40 games or obviously average a bit more if we play less than 40 games.

He's averaged 14.4ppg in each of the last 2 seasons but I think he will improve on that this season for 3 reasons......

1) He's a Sr now, and should be better than ever
2) He will play similar minutes as last season, but he won't have to play any PG like he did last season when Craft wasn't in the game and the season before when Turner wasn't in the game.
3) He will be relied on to be the main perimeter scorer this season instead of sharing that duty with Deibs and Lighty.

Buford shot 44% last season to earn that 14.4ppg, if he can shoot 46-48% or better, I think he can pull it off. Either way though, if he breaks the record or not, he'll leave here as one if my favorite buckeyes of all-time.

 

Look for Buford to get some minutes sparingly at the PF position in our smaller line-up in a similar role as Lighty played the past few years. He's bulked up to 220lbs which us about what Lighty weighed and he has more length than Lighty.

That's pretty impressive considering the fact that he started at PG for us last season.

 

Libbey grad will be a leader by example for Buckeyes
BY MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


OSU guard, and Libbey grad, William Buford is the lone senior this season for the Buckeyes and will be counted on as a leader on the team. OSU guard, and Libbey grad, William Buford is the lone senior this season for the Buckeyes and will be counted on as a leader on the team. ASSOCIATED PRESS


COLUMBUS -- When the seniors on this year's Ohio State basketball team get together for a group shot, William Buford looks to his left, then to his right. The photo then tells the story of what Buford has known for some time.

He is a class of one for the Buckeyes.

Through a series of quirks in recruiting, early departures, and extended stays, the Libbey graduate is the lone senior on a team with just one junior, six sophomores, and four freshmen.

The Ohio State junior is Boston College transfer Evan Ravenel, who sat out last season, so Buford is the resident old man, no matter how you slice it.

"We're such a unique team with one senior and a junior that's never played for us," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said yesterday at the Schottenstein Center as the Buckeyes prepared to formally open practice for the 2011-12 season.

Matta said he is not concerned about the preponderance of youth, and the corresponding fact much of the leadership role lands on Buford's shoulders.

"I think he's ready for what's coming at him," Matta said.

Buford (6-foot-6, 220) played a critical supplemental part in Ohio State's run last season to Big Ten regular season and tournament championships, and a second straight Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With Jon Diebler, David Lighty, and Dallas Lauderdale providing the senior leadership, Buford and freshman All-American Jared Sullinger made a big impact on the floor.

"It's definitely different this year, but I'm really comfortable with my role and what I'll need to do for this team to be successful," Buford said. "I look at it as a big responsibility, but one I'm ready for, and a real honor, too."

Cont....
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Ohio State - Toledo Blade

 

Q&A: Ohio State senior William Buford




I had originally planned to jump around a bit more, but I had one more OSU guy in my Q&A file, so I figured I'd go ahead and throw him into the mix with Aaron Craft and Dave Dickerson, who I featured earlier this week.

Here's the taciturn but highly skilled William Buford.

Were you surprised when Jared Sullinger came back?

Yeah. He's a great teammate and it's great to have him back. I really look forward to playing with him again. It was such an honor last year, him being a freshman and making the impact he did, it's an honor for him to come back and to be able to play with him again.

He looked pretty good last season. Should we expect to see a lot of improvement?

Absolutely. That's what your main object is in the offseason. You try to get better and work on the things you need to work on, so I think he's going to be tremendously better; faster able to jump higher and just a smarter basketball player.

You had a lot of help from seniors inside and out last year. Who will step in to fill their shoes?

That's going to be pretty tough but what I learned from them is just to try to get better every day and lead by example.

How are you preparing for your leadership role as a senior?

I was sort of in that role last year. We had three good seniors that led us, but I was sort of in it last year but I just try to be the next one to do what they did.

How will last season's tournament experience help you this season?

You learn to go hard and be more patient. Then just having everybody on the same page and at the same level.

What will you tell all of these freshmen about fitting in at Ohio State?

Listen to the coaches. Listen to the older guys. Try to get better every day and listen to the coaches and become part of the system.

cont...
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Storming the Floor

 

Ohio State's William Buford looks to rebound from disappointing postseason exit
By Michael Periatt



William Buford could have been a hero for Ohio State. He caught the ball on the left wing and fired a three pointer that he hoped would save OSU's dream 2010-11 season.

But the shot came up short.

The buzzer sounded, and just like that, the Kentucky Wildcats upset the No. 1-seeded Buckeyes and eliminated them from the 2011 NCAA tournament.

Six months later, Buford still thinks about the Kentucky loss.

He shot 2-for-16 from the field and finished with just 9 points, two rebounds and one assist. The Buckeyes lost 62-60 and any one of his 14 off-target shots could have changed OSU's fate.

"I shot 2-for-16," Buford said during the OSU basketball team's media day Friday. "I had the shot to win the game. It was just crazy. Like, I just stayed in the gym because I never want that to happen again."

Buford said the painful images replayed in his mind everyday until about June or July, but, eventually, he had to move on.

"I mean it's still in my head, but I don't sweat about it too much anymore," he said.

Along with the defeat, OSU lost a talented senior class that included the likes of Jon Diebler, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale who were considered the leaders of the team.

"(Diebler, Lighty and Lauderdale) were the only three guys yelling, all hyper in practice, before practice and in the weight room," sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas said. "It's hard to replace them three guys because it was just so fun to be around them and they were great leaders."

cont...
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Ohio State's William Buford looks to rebound from disappointing postseason exit - Sports - The Lantern - Ohio State University

 

Goodman Preseason Tour: Thoughts from Ohio State - CBSSports.com

 

Buford has the ultimate Rape Face in this photo :biggrin: Im sorry

 

Buford Haunted, Motivated by Missed Shots
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sometimes truth really is in the eye of the beholder.

For most of the country, watching 6-foot guard Kemba Walker carry his Connecticut team to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship was a marvelous story of perseverance.*

For William Buford, it was nothing more than a reminder of what could have been.

“With the tournament still going on, that’s all that was being talked about,†Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft said.

“Understanding that other people are still playing when you’re not is humbling and makes you motivated.â€

Few things motivate more than the pain of coming up short of a championship. Especially when that championship was within their grasp. There is no guarantee the Buckeyes would have cut down the nets with a victory over Kentucky, but they were the favorites to win it all.

After winning 34 games during the regular season—including their first 24 to start the season—the Buckeyes were the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. On paper, they seemed to have it all: a great coach, a star freshman, a gritty point guard and tremendous senior leadership.

Everything was in place right up until tipoff. That’s when the Buckeyes found out they were going to have to overcome a horrendous shooting night from Buford, who clanged shot after shot after shot during Ohio State’s 62-60 loss in the Sweet 16.

“My head wasn’t in that game,†Buford admitted last week.

“It wasn’t. I was rushing shots. I could have done other things besides shoot to help my team win. I just kept trying to shoot to get myself out of that slump.â€

Known for his smooth stroke and aggressiveness on offense, Buford couldn’t buy a basket against the Wildcats. He missed 14 of his 16 shots, including a fall-away three-point shot at the buzzer that would have sent the Buckeyes to the Elite Eight.


“It was the last shot,†Buford said shaking his head.

“I shot 2-for-16, I had a shot to win the game. It was just crazy.â€

It was crazy because Buford was one of the most dangerous scorers in the country last season.

The junior out of Toledo averaged 14.4 points per game, and he had scored 16 or more points in four-straight games leading up to the Kentucky game. He was coming off back-to-back 18-point performances in Cleveland during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

“He’s got a chance to be the all-time leading-scorer at Ohio State. I can’t fault him for the shots he took,†Craft said.

“Yeah, they are shots he usually makes, but they didn’t happen to fall that night. I’ll pass the ball to Will again and again, he’ll knock down shots eventually.â€

That’s exactly what Buford was thinking that night at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The game was back-and-forth for 40 minutes and one or two big baskets from Buford would have broken it open for the Buckeyes.

Had he shot 4-of-16 instead of 2-of-16, the Buckeyes would have been playing North Carolina in the next round. That wasn’t the part that bothers Buford the most now that he has had some time to think about the game.*

“I could have been rebounding or getting assists or getting steals, but instead I just kept shooting,†he said very introspectively.

“I felt like I was rushing too much and my mind wasn’t there. I was too frustrated because I was missing shots. I was trying to get out of it and make some more shots.â€

The shooting performance alone would have been enough to haunt Buford during the off-season, but he even had a chance at redemption. The storybook ending would have had Buford’s last-second-three drop between the cylinder. Instead, it drifted to the right, hit off the front of the rim and bounced harmlessly away from the basket.

It wasn’t until June or July that Buford stopped thinking about that game on a daily basis.

“It’s still in my head, but I don’t sweat about it too much anymore,†he said.

It also played a part in Buford’s decision to return to Ohio State for his senior season.

“Absolutely. I stayed in the gym because I don’t want that to ever happen again,†Buford said.

“I'm glad I could learn from that situation so it can never happen again. It will make me a better player and a better person.â€

Buford talked about that performance with OSU Head Coach Thad Matta during the off-season, but he had already come to his own conclusions about the way he let his team down.

“We talked about it, but we didn’t really have to,†he said.

“I figured it out, I’m smart enough to figure it out.â€

And apparently mature enough. Not many players would have the guts to look at themselves through such a high-powered microscope. Not after a game like that. Not after letting an entire fan base down, not to mention the guys in that locker room.

“Going back and looking at it, the shots that he missed in that game were shots that I've seen him make for three years,†Matta added.

“I don't think anybody wanted William to make a shot more than I did at that particular juncture, just to get him going. I think hopefully that helped him go into this summer and prove what he wants to be and drive him a little bit more.â€

Three years ago, it might not have had the same effect, but a lot has changed in the senior.

“I think he's ready for what's coming at him,†Matta said.

It only seems right that would eventually include a chance at redemption.
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Missed Shots Haunt Buford

 

A Buckeyes senior, Buford in class by himself
Zac Jackson
October 20, 2011

William Buford didn't exactly pull out his rocking chair and start sharing stories about the good ol' days when Ohio State basketball held its annual media day last week.

But Buford, the team's only senior, knows the Buckeyes are going to miss the three seniors who were so key — on and off the court — to the success last season. He also knows he's going to have to take on more of a leadership role if the Buckeyes want to replicate, and even surpass last season.

Which they do.*

As the Buckeyes work toward their Nov. 11 season opener and an opening month that includes games with highly ranked opponents Florida and Duke, Buford knows that he joins sophomores Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft as not only the most experienced returnees, but the guys who are in position to steer Ohio State back toward the top of the rankings and, eventually, the top of the bracket line.*

"(Last year's) experience helped a lot," Buford said. "We could be in position where I'm the only senior and the only guy who's played big minutes in tough games, but we're not. Last year helped set us up. Those guys are veterans."

Sullinger had an incredible freshman season, and Buford was the second-leading scorer for a Buckeyes team that went 34-3 and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes, who also won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, were felled by a last-second shot from Kentucky's Brandon Knight in the Sweet 16.

Cont....
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A Buckeyes senior, Buford in class by himself

 

William Buford has*been waiting, not always patiently,*for his time to shine.*As a sophomore*two seasons ago*we saw signs of his offensive explosiveness but more often than not we saw him forcing his shot while*having to take*a back seat*to*Evan Turner (twelve different games that season he shot less 40% from the field).*As a junior*he*kept his agression but improved his shot selection and consistency while*also*becoming*a*much improved*three-point shooter (a respectable 44% last year compared to 36% and 38% the two seasons prior)*.*Buford has to be salivation at the thought of*his senior*season getting tipped off. This*is his*shot to work*himself into "lotterly pick"*potential and he's been waiting for that opportunity.
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Buckeye House Call: Are Sullinger and the Buckeyes Even Better?

 

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...o_pdf/2011-12/release/release_20111103aaa.pdf

 

Tailgate 48: William Buford Interview - YouTube

 

Buford had a solid start to his senior season today against Walsh. He finished with a game high 17 points, and added 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in 21 minutes.

 

Men's basketball: Buckeyes counting on Buford's scoring
By* Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2011 5:18 AM

Mention the number that’s out there in front of William Buford and he smiles and shakes his head.

“Crazy,†he said. “All the greats who have played here, the hall of famers, for me to be among those people as one of the top scorers here, it’ll be a great accomplishment even if I don’t get it.â€



The number is 2,096, the points Dennis Hopson scored in four seasons at Ohio State. No men’s basketball player has scored more for the Buckeyes. Buford is 672 points from it.

“I don’t even think about it, to be honest,†he said.
What he did think about, for a long time this offseason, were two numbers he’s put behind him.

“Two for 16,†he said.

Those are the number of shots he made and attempted, respectively, in a two-point loss to Kentucky that ended the Buckeyes’ 2010-11 season two wins short of the Final Four, where many expected them to be. Ohio State was the top seed in the NCAA Tournament and 34-2 entering the game.
Afterward, Buford concluded he had played selfishly that night.

“I could have done other things to help the team win instead of keep trying to shoot myself out of a hole,†he said. “I could have rebounded or gotten assists or helped my teammates get open instead of keep shooting. I felt like I was too selfish.â€

He said he never told anyone how he felt. He did not apologize to any teammates or coaches for a loss he felt was his fault.
Not that they thought it was.

Coach Thad Matta said video showed that the shots “came within the confines of what we were trying to do.â€

Point guard Aaron Craft said, “Shots just didn’t fall for him that usually fall. It wasn’t his fault. There were multiple possessions that things could have gone differently and changed the end of that game. Will can shoot as much as he wants. I have trust in him and faith in him that he’s going to knock down shots.â€

A new season starts Friday night for the Buckeyes, against Wright State in Value City Arena, and Buford, their only senior, clearly will be the primary scoring option on the perimeter. He led Ohio State with 17 points in an exhibition win over Walsh on Sunday. He made five of a team-high 11 field-goal attempts.

He also had a team-high five assists as well as four rebounds, two steals and no turnovers in 21 minutes.

“We still want him to shoot the ball,†Matta said, “but he has been well-rounded in what he’s doing. Watching his progression as a player, as a person, has been very gratifying for me as a coach. I think he’s primed to go into his senior year and be a better player.â€

Oddly enough for someone with a chance at the school scoring record, Buford has not led the Buckeyes in scoring for a season.

“I’ve always had a superstar with me,†he said with a smile. “I’ve always gotten overlooked.â€

Evan Turner led Ohio State in scoring in each of Buford’s first two seasons, and Jared Sullinger did last year. Sullinger is back, and he will get his points. It remains to be seen how much Buford’s scoring role will expand without a proven sniper like Jon Diebler on the other side of the floor from him.

“I’m a senior. I’ve been, like, the second-leading scorer since my freshman year. So I’m pretty sure they’re going to look at me to score,†Buford said.

“But I’ve got to do other things to help the team win, too.â€
bbaptist@dispatch.com
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Men's basketball: Buckeyes counting on Buford's scoring | Buckeye Xtra Sports