Amelia blog: Buggs sat on Saturday, but Pitino says he's healthy and not in trouble

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BleedGopher

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per Amelia:

Richard Pitino played every available player – plus walk-on Stephen Sharp for three minutes in the first half -- except for redshirt junior Charles Buggs in Saturday’s 62-60 loss to Oklahoma State in Sioux Falls.

But afterward, the coach was cryptic if not downright dismissive when asked about the reasoning.

Is Buggs hurt?

“No.”

Is he going through some disciplinary issue?

“No.”

Did he go into Saturday planning not to play him?

“No,” Pitino replied. “Just happened that way. I just played the guys that would help us win the game.

“You can’t play everybody, so you’ve got to look at all different options. Doesn’t mean he won’t play the next game. I played the guys that I thought would put us in the best possible spot to win the game.”

Sure, you can’t play everyone all the time, but considering Pitino played little-used freshman Ahmad Gilbert – who is supposed to be directly behind Buggs on the depth chart – and a walk-on, it’s a little hard to take that seriously.

http://www.startribune.com/buggs-sa...ys-he-s-healthy-and-not-in-trouble/361722221/

Go Gophers!!
 

I just hope this doesn't become a drama like Elliott and coach was last season. :(
 

GopherPop said:
I just hope this doesn't become a drama like Elliott and coach was last season. :(
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I don't think it will. As I said in another thread- I believe the coach is attempting to lay down the law on the intensity required for good team defense to start to build that culture. Buggs is a prime offender despite his obvious talent. I believe that the coach sees the potential in Buggs, but it is going to be up to Buggs to get focused. We could certainly use him on the boards and on offense. I would like to see him get used at center, which would be a difficult matchup for the opposing center and perhaps a less spatially demanding position to defend for Buggs. I could see using Buggs posting at the free throw line to get the ball moving in and out. He passes well and quickly.
 

GopherPop said:
I just hope this doesn't become a drama like Elliott and coach was last season. :(
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It's different from Elliott, but it's the same, too. Buggs has been making mistakes, and his effort waxes and wanes, but he's been making plays and helping the team, too. Elliott's season was an unexplainable disaster. In both cases I wonder how well Pitino is communicating with the players on this. Didn't Elliott say at some point last year that the situation was a mystery to him, too, or is that a false memory? In any case, I'm not sure if extended benching is the way to elevate someone's game. It strikes me more as an intermittent wasted scholarship.
 

Man to man defense is checkers, team defense is chess. You have to call out screens, call out switches, help on the backside, but not leave your own man unguarded, etc. You have to always be a move ahead and able to adapt on the fly. Buggs is still in checkers mode and he's pretty old to still be in checkers mode. As I've said before, Pitino just can't play Morris & Buggs at the same time, they're both that bad at team D. That forces coach to choose one a lot of times. Morris is a ball hog, but at least he can create his own shots. With Buggs he almost has to stand around at the 3 point line and wait for someone to feed him. I was Buggs' biggest fan coming out of prep school and stayed patient for quite a while, but at this point I've lost my patience with him and Morris. Give me more McBrayer. Gilbert, Murphy, Bakary & Gaston. We can go o-fer in conference, I really don't care. My only interest at this point is watching the young guys mature.
 


For Buggs sake I really hope he cranks it up in practice these next couple of days
 

Too big of a deal being made out of Buggsy sitting. Happens every year, every program, every coach. Coach not happy with player, coach benches player. Player either gets the message, or player continues to ride the pine.

Sometimes the bench can be a real motivator. Hope that's the case here, Buggsy gets the message, and he again becomes a contributor in the near future. If not, Pitino has other guys he can play.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Too big of a deal being made out of Buggsy sitting. Happens every year, every program, every coach. Coach not happy with player, coach benches player. Player either gets the message, or player continues to ride the pine.

Sometimes the bench can be a real motivator. Hope that's the case here, Buggsy gets the message, and he again becomes a contributor in the near future. If not, Pitino has other guys he can play.
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Yep Pitino has said plenty of times the bench is the best teacher and he's been pretty consistent about sitting guys who don't do what they're suppose to do.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Too big of a deal being made out of Buggsy sitting. Happens every year, every program, every coach. Coach not happy with player, coach benches player. Player either gets the message, or player continues to ride the pine. Sometimes the bench can be a real motivator. Hope that's the case here, Buggsy gets the message, and he again becomes a contributor in the near future. If not, Pitino has other guys he can play.
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What I find annoying is that Morris can get away with playing crappy defense and me ball offense without experiencing the motivation of the bench. If Piitino is going to use the bench as as motivator he should be consistent.
 



Costa Rican Gopher said:
Man to man defense is checkers, team defense is chess. You have to call out screens, call out switches, help on the backside, but not leave your own man unguarded, etc. You have to always be a move ahead and able to adapt on the fly. Buggs is still in checkers mode and he's pretty old to still be in checkers mode
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It should be instinctual by 9th grade at the latest IMO, really pays off to have good 7th and 8th grade coaches, which doesn't always happen.

But I agree, not sure he's going to learn team D, if he doesn't get it by now.
 

jamiche said:
What I find annoying is that Morris can get away with playing crappy defense and me ball offense without experiencing the motivation of the bench. If Piitino is going to use the bench as as motivator he should be consistent.
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I was at the game. Sat right behind gopher bench. Buggs body language was really negative. Although Morris didn't play real will it wasn't due to his lack of effort.
 





swgopherdog said:
I was at the game. Sat right behind gopher bench. Buggs body language was really negative. Although Morris didn't play real will it wasn't due to his lack of effort.
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Buggs was acting the same way Wally was, just before that blew up. No interpretation--just observing. Almost like it was a chore to join the huddle and he sure as hell wasn't listening and he was making sure it was known.
 

Mulligan said:
Buggs was acting the same way Wally was, just before that blew up. No interpretation--just observing. Almost like it was a chore to join the huddle and he sure as hell wasn't listening and he was making sure it was known.
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Perfect... If that was the case, I don't think coach will take that ****, and I don't blame him.
 



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