University of Minnesota Athletics
Home Sweet Home: Sophomore Travis Busch
12/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Last fall, Travis Busch went to California in search of warm weather, beaches and basketball success.
But from almost the minute he began practice at Cal Poly, the St. Paul native felt something was missing.
“When I was at Cal Poly, just being away from home, I didn’t like it at all,” Busch said. “It just really wasn’t my style. It was too far away, my parents missed me and I missed them. The game didn’t mean very much when I was out there. It was way different from what I’m accustomed to.
“I pretty much made up my mind the beginning of last year that I wanted to come back. I just wasn’t having a good time out there. It was really rough.”
Although Busch said he always had it in the back of his mind that he wanted to play at Minnesota, he was on scholarship at Cal Poly and at least wanted to give it a try.
For awhile, things were good. Busch was a major contributor for the Mustangs at the start of the 2005-06 season, averaging 14.8 minutes and 6.3 points per contest and starting one game as a freshman.
But after playing the first four games, he injured his foot. A stress fracture kept him out the rest of the year and in a boot for two months. Busch said his frustration with his injury and inability to play basketball validated that he wanted to return to Minnesota.
“That had a lot to do with it,” he said. “From the start I didn’t want to stay there, but if there would have been more on-court success and I didn’t get hurt, things may have been different. But I wanted to come home. (Cal Poly) is a good program, but I just wanted more for myself. I wanted to push myself to the next level and to a higher level of basketball.”
Gopher fans have likely had Busch on their basketball radar for awhile. The Mounds View High School graduate was named Mr. Basketball as a senior in 2005, and guided his team to the state tournament twice while become the school’s all-time leading scorer.
“He obviously can score,” Gophers assistant coach Niko Medved said. “I think everybody here was excited just to see what he can do.”
Busch grew up as Minnesota fan, attending games in Williams Arena with his dad.
“I think any kid from Minnesota wants to play here,” Busch said. “I love everything about this program. I always thought it was attainable (to be a Gopher). It just wasn’t the right circumstances for me to fit in right off the bat the way I wanted to out of high school.”
Even though Busch is fully healed from his stress fracture and finally in a basketball situation he is happy with, he will spend a second straight season sitting out. Transfer rules keep him from officially joining the Gophers active roster until next year, when he will be a sophomore eligibility wise.
But this year may be the most important for Busch in terms of basketball development.
“It’s tough to redshirt,” Medved said. “But for any player, it’s a big year. A guy can say, ‘Well, I have the year off, I’m going to coast.’ With Travis, he’s got the talent but he can get a lot better. There are a lot of things he can work on. He has had a great attitude.”
In practice this year, Busch is resigned to participating in drills and helping out as needed. But he is trying to use it as a time to get better so he will be ready to see floor time next season.
“I try to be high-energy when I do get in,” Busch said. “I want to be positive and help the guys out in any way I can. I think I’m getting better every day. I didn’t like where I was last year (at Cal Poly), and now I feel like I’m improving my game again. A lot of it tends to be hard work. Hopefully that will evolve into a role. I don’t know yet what that will be, but hopefully I can bring something to the table.”
Medved said the Gophers coaches and players have been impressed with Busch’s toughness and drive.
“Whenever he’s been able to get in a drill or segment of practice, he has worked his tail off,” Medved said. “He plays really, really hard. He’s a good defender and he can score, so he helps us in practice. But it’s also important that Travis helps himself and improves, so when he’s eligible to play next year he can contribute. We’ve all been very happy with where he is. I think he has a bright future here at Minnesota.”
One struggle Busch has is that in a lot of ways he has to go through the redshirt season by himself. Last year, the Gophers had a trio of players – Damian Johnson, Lawrence McKenzie and Kevin Payton – redshirting, who could lean on each other for support. But this year, Busch is on his own as the only player who is sitting out.
When Ryan Saunders is healed from his shoulder injury, Busch will be the only player in a suit watching the game from behind the Gophers bench. His role will be to watch, cheer and learn. But he is more than ready to see the court again.
“It’s going to be kind of boring with no one to sit with at games,” Busch said. “I’m just really tired of sitting out.”
For now though, he’s just glad to be home.
story by Emily Wickstrom, athletic communications student assistant
