There’s one more date for Drew Buggs to memorize — that of his first collegiate game.
The Hawaii basketball freshman guard can tell you, with no hesitation, the key dates in his recovery from a devastating leg injury in 2015.
Got hurt playing for Long Beach Poly High?
“Nov. 27,” Buggs replied Tuesday.
Had surgery to repair the torn right ACL?
“April 7 to be exact.”
And on Nov. 30, a little more than a year since he went down, Buggs practiced on defense for the first time with his Rainbow Warriors teammates. It was a key step toward a to-be-determined — but possibly approaching — date of debut.
The 6-foot-2 Buggs has “gone live” as a full practice participant this week. How he responds to those sessions will determine whether he redshirts the season or plays in UH’s upcoming games. The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic begins on Dec. 22, with the ’Bows facing Illinois State. Beyond that is a final nonconference game against Delaware State (Dec. 29) before Big West play starts Jan. 5 at Cal State Fullerton.
“He’s proceeding slightly ahead of plan,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “You still gotta be cautious moving forward. … He’s had some growing pains, but he’s shown his potential as well.”
It’s no secret UH (4-5) could use some help in the backcourt. The guards have been inconsistent at best, overwhelmed at worst. Buggs was recruited as a combo guard and feels he can slide at either the point or shooting spots.
Buggs was the second player to sign with Ganot during last fall’s signing period — just before he got hurt. Somewhat surprisingly, he played out his senior year to the best of his limited ability, averaging 9.8 points for a team that reached the CIF Division II championship game. Only then did he go under the knife.
“It was tough to hear because here’s a kid who goes about things the right way and loves the game,” Ganot said of the initial injury.
“Being around the game, unfortunately we’re around those (injuries) a decent amount,” he said. “You attack the rehab and wait and see. Some guys (return in) maybe seven months, some guys a year. It depends on the history. He’s been pretty religious with his rehab, which has helped.”
Buggs’ energy is infectious, even off the court. He’s been the guy dancing in the team huddle to pump up teammates before tip-off.
He experienced some soreness — to be expected — after his first full practice. He knows he’s still not at the level he was before the injury.
“Not all the way. But I’m definitely getting there,” Buggs said. “I feel closer this week than I felt last week. Each week I feel I get more and more explosive. It’s just a matter of getting in shape, losing a couple pounds, and getting back to where I was. Hopefully it’ll come soon enough.”
His appreciation for the game grew as he was relegated to taking mental reps learning new schemes and sets vicariously through others. It wasn’t that long ago that he showed up on the Manoa campus in the summer with his right leg in a full brace.
“It’s fun being able to watch and support your teammates, but you know everybody wants to be on the court,” Buggs said. “Just to have the opportunity to play again is a lot of fun and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
