Northwestern men’s basketball player previews: G Boo Buie

Who he is:

First-year; point guard; 6-foot-2; 165 pounds; Albany, N.Y.; former three-star recruit.

Stats (HS at Gould Academy):

26.5 PPG; 6.5 APG; 4.0 RPG

Strengths:

Buie has a knack for scoring. In Northwestern’s basketball scrimmage before the football game against Ohio State, Buie led the team in points. Against Quincy, he hit four three pointers and finished the game with 18 points. While he is explosive from deep, he can also finish in the paint. Unlike many players on Northwestern’s roster, Buie has the ability to create shots for himself. Northwestern has sorely lacked a true scorer in recent years, and hopefully the youngster will help fill the void.

Head Coach Chris Collins has also praised Buie’s ability to create for others. Against Quincy last night, Buie assisted Pat Spencer on a fantastic alley oop.

Weaknesses:

A common concern surrounding any pure scorer is being too aggressive in ones shot selection. Buie is no exception. As a young player, he has a tendency to be overaggressive and take contested shots. As Collins said though, one must live with the bad shots because “the moment... you pull the reigns on someone so tight then you’re going to take away what he does really well.” Collins did say Buie will need to learn the correct moments to be “ultra aggressive” and when to “dial it back.”

While he is speedy and holds an athletic frame, Buie also remains unproven on the defensive end. Over the course of the season, it will be interesting to see his how defensive skillset progresses.

Expectations:

Although Buie was not considered the centerpiece of Northwestern’s freshman class, it appears he was considered a diamond in the rough. 247Sports ranked Buie 327th nationally in his recruiting class. He picked Northwestern over Vermont, Boston University, St. Bonaventure, and UMass. While recruiting websites and college coaches weren’t too high on him, it is believed he can make a huge impact on the program. Ideally, Buie’s development will follow along the lines of Bryant McIntosh’s development into an outstanding point guard for Northwestern.

When talking to Chris Collins at Maggiano’s for the Chicago basketball media day, he made his high expectations clear for the freshman guard. Collins said Buie “will be thrown into the fire” from the start of the season. With a lack of true scorers on the roster, it is imperative for Collins to play him early and often.

As the season progresses, Buie should become increasingly confident and comfortable within the team. Collins has given him the green light to score and create as much as possible. While Ryan Greer is currently Northwestern’s starting point guard, it would not be surprising to see Buie in this spot by the end of the season. His scoring gives him the chance to be a special player over the next four years in Evanston.