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A tough, physical post player who will be
a senior leader for the Jayhawks in 1998-99
• A
scrappy player often described as a “blue collar”
worker •
Ready to share some of the spotlight this season after
toiling three years in the shadows of players like Raef
LaFrentz and Scot Pollard
• Joined
LaFrentz and Paul Pierce in one of college basketball’s
best starting frontcourts last season
•
Frequently earned defensive player of the game honors last
season •
Was a member of the Big 12’s all-defense team and won
KU’s defensive MVP honors last season
• Often
defended talented centers last season like Baylor’s
Brian Skinner, Massachusetts’ Larry Ketner, Texas’
Chris Mihm and Arizona’s A.J. Bramlett
• Hoping
for an injury-free season after missing nine games with a
foot stress fracture last season
• That
same stress fracture flared up again in NCAA Tournament play
•
Underwent ankle surgery in September, but is expected to
fully recover
• An
outstanding student with a cumulative 3.67 GPA, Pugh is a
candidate for Academic All-America honors in 1999
• Was
first team Academic All-Big 12 last season
• Also
named the PaineWebber national scholar-athlete of the week
and shared KU’s Ken Koenigs Academic Award
• Earned
a perfect 4.0 GPA in the spring semester
Junior Season
(1997-98)
Played in 30 games, including 27 as
a starter
• Missed
nine games in December and January because of a foot stress
fracture
• A
similar injury surfaced again in mid-March, hampering his
play in the NCAA Tournament
• Named
to the Big 12 all-defense team
• A first
team Academic All-Big 12 selection
•
Averaged 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game
• Shot
nearly 50 percent from the field (.489)
•
Averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in Big 12
contests
• Played
a key role in helping KU claim the Big 12 Tournament title
in March
• Was
very instrumental in a Preseason NIT win over Arizona State
with nine points, nine boards, two blocked shots and two
steals •
Nearly recorded a double-double Dec. 4 against Emporia State
with nine points and nine rebounds
• Scored
a career-high 13 points against Pennsylvania at the MCI
Center in Washington, D.C.
•
Returned from his mid-season injury at Texas A&M on Jan. 14
• Scored
10 points (on 4-of-5 shooting), grabbed six caroms and had
one block in a home win over Texas Tech
• Matched
a career-high with 13 points in a win over Iowa State
• Was
5-of-6 from the field for 12 points and added six boards in
a key road win at Oklahoma State
• Made a
career-high six field goals en route to 12 points in the Big
12 Tournament championship against Oklahoma
Sophomore Season
(1996-97)
Played in all 36 games, seeing
nearly 12 minutes of action per game
•
Averaged 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game
• Shot
53.9 percent from the field -- second on the team behind
Raef LaFrentz
• Had 10
games with three or more rebounds
• Canned
his first three-point field goal of the season in the Big 12
Tournament against Oklahoma State
• Had
four key points and pulled down two rebounds in home win
over San Diego Dec. 1
• Scored
six points and pulled down eight rebounds in a win over
N.C.-Asheville
•
Continued to play well against teams from the Tar Heel state
with eight points (4-of-4 from the field) in a win over N.C.
State •
Had 12 points and three boards in win over outmanned Brown
• Scored
six points in Jan. 13 win over nationally-ranked Iowa State
• Turned
in arguably his best game of the season with six points, a
career-high nine rebounds and one blocked shot in Jan. 29
road win at nationally-ranked Texas Tech
• Scored
five points in Big 12 Tournament first-round win over
Oklahoma State
• Scored
two points in eight minutes against Purdue in the second
round of the NCAA Tournament
• Had two
points and a pair of rebounds in season-ending loss to
Arizona
Freshman Season
(1995-96)
Saw action in all 34 games, seeing
an average of 10.1 minutes per game
•
Connected on 4-of-9 three-point field goal attempts,
including 2-of-4 in postseason play
•
Averaged 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game
• Pulled
down 12 rebounds and had four steals in four NCAA Tournament
games •
Scored in double figures twice -- versus Pittsburg State and
Saint Peter’s
• Had 15
games with three or more rebounds
• Led all
reserves with 51 “floor burns”
• Scored
eight points and had three rebounds against
nationally-ranked Utah in career debut
• Was
2-of-2 from three-point range in Dec. 9 win at San Diego
• Had 10
points and three rebounds in Dec. 18 pasting of Pittsburg
State •
Pulled down a then career-high eight boards and added five
points against East Tennessee State
• Racked
up 11 points, six rebounds and three steals in Jan. 15 win
over St. Peter’s
• Had six
points and three steals in a home win over Colorado
• Sank a
three-pointer, scored eight points and had two pilfers in
NCAA Tournament first round win over South Carolina
State
High
School
Creighton Prep, 1995
• The
second-leading scorer in the Nebraska Class A ranks as a
senior with an average of 25.8 points per game
• Added
9.7 rebounds per contest and shot 58.6 percent from the
field •
Led the Bluejays to a 16-10 record
• A
two-time all-state performer including the honor of Mr.
Basketball in Nebraska
• Played
in the Converse High School All-America Game in Allen
Fieldhouse
• Current
teammate Ryan Robertson also played in that game
• A
consistent member of the academic honor roll and National
Honor Society
Personal
Enjoys soccer, golf and reading
• Chose
Kansas over Stanford, Nebraska and others
• A team
leader in the weight room, Pugh can squat nearly 400 pounds
and power clean close to 300 pounds
• Pugh is
still booed when KU plays at Nebraska’s Devaney
Center
Notes
•
Pugh’s father, Tim, played basketball at Creighton
University in Omaha.
• Pugh
has a younger brother who is attending KU.
•
Pugh’s roommate is Ryan Robertson. Both Pugh and
Robertson have cumulative GPAs of better than 3.6 (on a 4.0
scale) and both are considered candidates for the Academic
All-America Team in 1999.
• Pugh is
hoping for an injury-free year after missing nine games last
season with a foot stress fracture. In high school he
suffered four broken bones.
Major
Psychology
|
Season/Career
Highs
Points
15 vs. Evansville (3-12-99)
Season
15 vs. Evansville
(3-12-99) Career
Rebounds
10 vs. Evansville
(3-12-99) Season
10 vs. Evansville
(3-12-99) Career
Field Goals
6 vs. Missouri
(1-24-99) Season
6, Two Times Career
Field Goal Attempts
9 vs. Colorado
(2-7-99) Season
10 vs. Oklahoma
(3-9-98) Career
Three-Point Field Goals
0 Season
2 vs. San Diego
(12-9-95) Career
Three-Point Attempts
0 Season
2, Three Times Career
Free Throws
4 vs. DePaul
(12-17-98) Season
7 vs. St. Peter’s
(1-15-96) Career
Free Throw Attempts
5, Three Times Season
11 vs. St. Peter’s
(1-15-96) Career
Assists
4, Two Times Season
4, Two Times Career
Steals
3 vs. Iowa (12-8-98) Season
3 vs. St. Peter’s
(1-15-96) Career
Blocked Shots
3 vs. Colorado
(1-30-99) Season
3 vs. Colorado
(1-30-99) Career
Minutes Played
35 vs. Oklahoma St.
(2-22-99) Season
36 vs. Arizona St.
(11-26-97) Career
Miscellaneous
|
|
1998-99
|
Career
|
|
Double-Figure Scoring Games
|
3
|
13
|
|
Games with 1+ Three-pointers
|
0
|
5
|
|
Games Led KU In Rebounding
|
3
|
5
|
|
Games with 5+ Rebounds
|
14
|
38
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Honors
• 1998 First team Academic All-Big 12
• Big 12 all-defense team
• PaineWebber Scholar Athlete of the Week (Feb. 1)
• Ted Owens Defense Award
• Ken Koenigs Academic Award
• 1997 First team Academic All-Big 12
• Ken Koenigs Academic Award
• 1996 Honorable mention Academic All-Big Eight
'Hawktalk
Full Name
Thomas Joseph Pugh
Parents
Tim and Jan Pugh
Birthdate
June 20, 1976
Birthplace
Omaha, Neb.
High School
Creighton (Neb.) Prep
High School Coach
Scott Hawk
Up Close
Favorite TV show
Seinfeld
Best book I have ever read
To Kill A Mockingbird
People who have had the greatest influence on my
athletic career
Scott Hawk (high school coach) and my father
When I played basketball as a kid I pretended to
be
Danny Manning
The thing I like most about KU is
Its enthusiasm for basketball
Person in history I would like to meet
Jesus
My favorite class at KU is
Chemistry
My greatest moment in sports was
Winning the state championship
My favorite sports announcer is
Not Bill Walton
My nickname is
Stinkdog
The best player I have ever faced was
Kevin Garnett
My advice to youngsters is
Pursue your goals with effort and enthusiasm
If I could add one team to the schedule it would
be
Creighton
The teammate who makes me laugh the hardest
is
Nick Bradford
If forced to give up all my possessions but one,
I’d keep
Sunscreen
|
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