As the son of an All-State basketball player, Drew Buggs was destined for the sport.
A mini hoop was installed in his family’s house before he arrived home from the hospital.
“I had a basketball in my hands ever since I could walk,” Buggs said.
The first park-league team he joined, he scored against 6- and 7-year-old opponents. At the time, Buggs was 3.
His favorite player was Kobe Bryant, but his biggest basketball influence was Mary Buggs.
“My mom was amazing,” Drew Buggs said. “She was an All-State basketball and softball player in the state of Iowa. My mom was the basketball one. My dad was the football parent.”
Mary Buggs passed away last month. “It was tough losing her,” Buggs said. “It sucks. I loved her so much. She always talked about wanting to come to Hawaii and watch me play a game here. She never had a chance to come out here.”
It was his parents who prioritized academics and athletics. “My parents believed in keeping me busy so I’d stay out of trouble,” said Buggs, who grew up in Long Beach, Calif. “Sports is something I really loved, and loved being around.”
He played football and basketball, and used tools from one sport to help the other. The first-step quickness and bursts were useful on the field. The toughness and willingness to absorb contact helped on drives into the lane.
Long Beach Poly was perpetually talented in basketball, and Buggs was held to a secondary role through his junior year. A couple of months before the start of his senior season, Buggs took a recruiting trip to Hawaii.
“I loved it,” he said. “I fell in love with the island and the vision the coaches had. It was a good fit for me.”
During a family meeting after the visit, Buggs wondered whether to accept the UH offer or to wait to see if a big senior season would draw more interest. “My parents told me: ‘If you think the situation will be good for you, just go there,’ ” recalled Buggs, who opted to sign with the Rainbow Warriors.
Three games into his senior season, Buggs suffered an ACL injury. The recovery would take him through that year and his redshirt season at UH. The knee would experience periodic problems as a second-year freshman, and occasional discomfort during the 2018-19 season. “A lot of therapy, treatment, ice bath, hot tub,” Buggs said of his between-games schedule. “Just paying attention to my body and being smart. Getting extra workouts, but not going over the top with the extra workouts.”
At 6-3 and 195 pounds, Buggs has the strength and size to post up or attack the lane. Last season, his assist-to-turnover ratio was 2.4 to 1, and the ’Bows outscored opponents by an average of 6.3 points when Buggs was in the game.
Despite the adversities, Buggs said: “I’m grateful I’m still here, and I get to do what I love. I get to play this game. I’m never going to take it for granted.”
AT THIS POSITION
NO. PLAYER CL HT WT HOMETOWN
1 Drew Buggs Jr. 6-3 195 Long Beach, Calif.
Took 200 3-point shots daily this summer to improve outside shooting
2 Justin Webster Fr. 6-3 175 Dallas
Son of ex-NBA player can play three positions
3 Eddie Stansberry Sr. 6-3 190 San Francisco
72.4 percent of last season’s shots were from 3-point range
4 Jessiya Villa Fr. 5-11 175 Laie
2016-17 state Player of the Year returned from church mission in Ghana
50 Kameron Ng Fr. 5-11 165 Kaneohe
2018-19 state Player of the Year joined as a walk-on
