RE: I don’t know anything Nathan Buntin or his game
Posted on: April 24, 2019 at 13:01:35 CT
FIJItiger
MU
Posts:
141777
Member For:
21.22 yrs
Level:
Moderator
M.O.B. Votes:
2
Nathan Buntin
Letterman - 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
The 6'9 forward from Detroit and son of former Michigan star Bill Buntin came to MU and as a freshman played the second most minutes on the team right out of the gate. “Cool Breeze” scored 22 against Illinois and 28 against KSU and was the third highest scoring freshman in program history with 402 points for a 11.8 ppg and was second on the team in scoring. The Tigers were the surprise winners of the Big 8 conference in his first season thanks in large part to his contributions. The arrival of Doug Smith the next year meant decreased minutes for Buntin, but he still managed to average 9 ppg on what was the highest scoring MU team ever up to that point but one that finished only 4th in conference and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Then as a junior, Buntin would be lost in the shuffle of what may have been the Tigers most talented team ever. MU won the most games in program history to that point, but Buntin averaged only 13 minutes per game and 4.6 ppg. Not to be forgotten, he roared back as a senior. Buntin was Sports Illustrated's National Player of the Week in the non-conference for No. 4-ranked Missouri with averages of 24.5 points and 15.5 rebounds as the Tigers beat #7 Arkansas and two other non conference opponents. Later, he scored 22 points as Mizzou beat #1 Kansas and ascended to number 1 in the polls for the first time in eight years. For the season, he averaged 14.8 points and 9.5 boards per game (leading the team with 13 double doubles) and MU would win another conference title. The 304 rebounds that season was the 6th highest in MU single season history. In his final game, one in which he would lead the Tigers with 21 points, his three point play with under a minute to tie the game would be the last points of the season for MU as Northern Iowa's Maurice Newby hit a 25 footer at the buzzer to knock MU from the tournament. He is currently 22nd all time at MU with 1,308 points scored and is 10th in program history in career FG%. After being drafted by Grand Rapids of the CBA he instead elected to play overseas in Poland for several years.