After 3 years as the starting point guard at Hawaii, Drew Buggs made the jump to the power five and a chance to play for Cuonzo Martin for his senior season. Long story short, Buggs’ one season for the Tigers did not pan out as he had hoped. And so, he decided to transfer to Winthrop University as a grad transfer using his Covid-19 year of eligibility. 

So far this season at Winthrop, Drew Buggs has averaged 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and  4.1 assists. He is now back in a starting role and is showing flashes of how he can be a maestro passing the ball and a smart college basketball player. With that said, his numbers are still very underwhelming for a starting point guard, and it appears head coach Mark Prosser isn’t comfortable with giving Buggs more than around 20 minutes a night, which is less than the other starters. 

The bright side of this new chapter for Buggs and the new team, for the lone season, is that the guard from Long Beach looks comfortable. For Mizzou, there weren’t any expectations for Buggs, given that not many fans knew where he was from. The first action Buggs saw as a Tiger was limited and it felt as if the veteran point guard was a freshman again, trying to adjust to a new team. It took Buggs five games to score a basket and, through 26 games, he only averaged 1.8 points. This play disappointed fans and, for someone who was getting 12 minutes a contest for Cuonzo and the Tigers, it just wasn’t SEC level of play. 

Now, at Winthrop, Buggs is feeling and looking more natural as a player. He operates as a court general with his passing, and he can also play off the ball as he is shooting a career best 44% from 3 this season. An additional plus from Buggs being at Winthrop is that his NCAA tournament chances may be promising. The Eagles’ men’s team has 11 March Madness appearances, including a first round loss to Villanova just last season.

If they can have success in conference play and then make a run capturing the Big South title, Buggs could see his second straight tournament appearance. As for Missouri, a tough SEC and youthful team makes the Tigers’ NCAA tournament chances very slim.