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Home > Blogs > Wright State University sports > Archives > 2009 > November > 19
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Duggins can set his own pace in return
FAIRBORN — Practice looked as usual earlier today.
It’s next Tuesday things will look different. That’s when Vaughn Duggins returns to action.
“I have a lot of work to do,” said Duggins, who has been practicing with the team all fall. “I can’t tell you how excited I am. Last night, I couldn’t get to sleep thinking about it.”
Duggins played in three games last season then, during a Thanksgiving Day practice, injured the ring finger on his right, shooting hand. It was thought to be a bad sprain at first, and Duggins had the finger taped to his middle finger while he attempted to play at Sam Houston State on the following Saturday.
He played. He led the team with 16 points. The Raiders lost and Duggins had his finger x-rayed when he returned home. It was broken, and while there was hope it would heal enough for him to return during the season, it didn’t. After deciding on a medical redshirt year, he had some clean-up done on an ankle.
He pointed to this year when he was picked up near campus on an OVI charge. Coach Brad Brownell suspended him for the first three games of the season, all in Seattle. The Raiders won two, so they’re not exactly needy. Into that situation walks a guy who left the program as its best player.
“It’s been awhile,” Duggins said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m going in there and competing again.”
“Your program is always trying to be bigger than one player,” Brownell said, “but players make a difference. We played all last year without him. We did alright. And we did fine in Seattle. But I’m glad we have him back.”
Talk about your best of both worlds. The Raiders are playing well — especially at guard — and now a player of Duggins’ ability is back in the lineup with no pressure on him to perform at his best immediately.
In three games, WSU guards Troy Tabler, Todd Brown, N’Gai Evans, Scott Grote and Darian Cartharn made 48 of their 90 shots (53.3 percent) and Tyler Koch — also a good shooter — didn’t play long enough to take a shot.
So the Raiders seem set at guard, and Duggins hasn’t even played yet.
By the end of next month, John David Gardner might even join the mix. He has been out with a hip injury.
The Raiders could be in for a very nice season.
