[Buckskin86]

Article published October 16, 2009
OSU's Buford brings veteran experience into second season with Buckeyes
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


William Buford was expecting to be a supplemental player last season, but injuries forced him into taking a more active role.
( ASSOCIATED PRESS )


COLUMBUS - William Buford is not sure he even knows that guy who walked into Value City Arena a year ago, filled with an internal tug-of-war pitting energy and exuberance against anxiety and nervousness.

That college freshman, who had been the best player on the floor in nearly every one of the hundreds of basketball games he played in since middle school, was suddenly just one of a dozen such stars, with a lesser glow than most. At Ohio State, he expected to slip into a supplemental role for the first time in his life, and be watching and learning a lot more than playing.

But an injury to junior David Lighty early in the season thrust Buford, a three-time City League player of the year who was Ohio's Mr. Basketball as a senior at Libbey, into a prominent place in the lineup.

"All of a sudden, when Dave went down, we threw William Buford into a role and said 'we need you to be good right away,'" Ohio State coach Thad Matta said yesterday at Ohio State's media day.

"I think it really opened his eyes. William improved his shot selection, he got better at taking care of the basketball, and he worked hard at everything we asked him to do. He handled it all pretty well."

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