Drew Buggs leaving Hawaii basketball to play at Missouri
Drew Buggs, who was the University of Hawaii basketball team’s starting point guard the past three seasons, will transfer to Missouri this summer.
Because Buggs will earn his bachelor’s degree next month, he will be eligible to play during the 2020-2021 season. A graduate is exempt from the NCAA rule requiring a player to redshirt after transferring between Division I schools.
“I felt (Missouri) checked a lot of the boxes I was looking for,” Buggs said. “They’re looking for me to come in and contribute immediately. I have a good relationship with the staff. I felt comfortable and confident it was the best fit for me.”
As a fourth-year junior this past season, Buggs led the Big West with 5.3 assists per game. But it was an emotional year for Buggs, whose mother died in October. The Rainbow Warriors’ season was canceled on the day they were scheduled to play in the opening round of the Big West Tournament in Irvine, Calif.
Last month, Buggs entered the NCAA’s transfer portal. This past week, he narrowed his transfer destination to Missouri, Iowa State and Loyola Marymount. His parents met at Iowa State, where he father was a member of the football team. Loyola Marymount is in Los Angeles, where he was born and reared.
Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson were Missouri’s top point guards the past season. Smith will be a senior next season. Pinson has applied for the NBA Draft, but could return if he withdraws his application.
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The ’Bows return three guards with experience at the point — Justin Webster, Junior Madut and Kameron Ng. Two weeks, they signed point guards JoVon McClanahan and Biwali Bayles.