[Bernini]

Former Bay View star Dwight Buycks selects Marquette

6/16
by Mark Miller

The opportunity to play in an up-tempo offense, attend a strong academic school and play in front of family and friends were the deciding factors in Dwight Buycks decision today to accept a scholarship offer from Marquette University.

A 2007 graduate of Milwaukee Bay View, Buycks is a 6-foot-3 combination guard from Indian Hills Community College in Iowa who will have two years of eligibility at Marquette beginning with the 2009-10 season.

“I really like Marquette’s style of play,” Buycks said. “They really like to get up-and-down the floor and that fits the way I play very well. I also like the school and its strong academic reputation. But the main thing is that I’ll be able to play at home in front of my family and my friends.”

Buycks earned honorable mention All-American honors among Division I schools in the National Junior College Athletic Association last season while competing for an Indian Hills program that finished 28-10 and advanced to the NJCAA Division I championships in Hutchinson, Kansas. Buycks averaged 17.2 points per game and scored in double figures in 36 of 38 games for Indian Hills.

A highly regarded prep prospect throughout his career at Bay View, Buycks committed to Bradley University during his senior year of high school before enrolling at Indian Hills. He will play next season at Indian Hills before enrolling at Marquette.

“This was an opportunity Dwight could not pass up,” said Billy Harris, who served as an assistant coach at Bay View during Buycks’ playing days at the Milwaukee City Conference school and is now the head coach at Milwaukee Pulaski. “Marquette will allow Dwight to accomplish all of his goals. He will have the opportunity to graduate from a top-notch school while also getting the chance to play basketball at the next level.”

Harris said schools from all over the country had either expressed strong interest or had recently offered scholarships to Buycks, who is a high-energy, athletic and competitive backcourt performer in the mold of current Marquette standout Jerel McNeal.

“The top schools interested included North Carolina, Memphis, Kentucky, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa State, USC and Missouri,” Harris said. “We’re talking about the top-rated junior college player in the nation.......