Coon Rapids' Buckley is back playing basketball with new attitude

Coon Rapids senior guard Chris Buckley said his basketball game is all about contact, taking on defenders regardless of size and scoring.

About halfway though last season, however, Buckley was knocked to the floor and remained down. Pride, not injury, prevented him from getting up.

Indifferent about attending class or practice, Buckley got removed from the Cardinals varsity last January. Several months later, looking out at the Pacific Ocean, Buckley's heart softened. He reflected on his shortcomings and vowed to make them right.

Through the first four games this season, Buckley, a 6-foot guard, leads the Cardinals in scoring (22.8 points per game). He has always relished contact; now he better understands the importance of making connections.

"I'm happier," Buckley said. "Last year I felt like I was a selfish person. I wasn't really as much about the team. Just more about stats and just me, me, me."

A Louisiana native, Buckley moved to Minnesota as a fourth-grader. He attended Minneapolis Washburn as a freshman and transferred to Patrick Henry as a sophomore. Transferring again, this time to Coon Rapids, Buckley sought to change his environment and enjoy his first taste of varsity basketball.

Hoping to showcase his "explosive" talents, Buckley imploded instead. He fell into the wrong crowd and his dedication to school work and the Cardinals' struggling basketball team lapsed. He periodically showed up to class and practice, often tardy when he did.

Frustrated, coach Mike Ogorek told Buckley he could practice with the team but the privilege of playing time was gone. Buckley walked away.

Basketball called him back. Invited to play with an AAU team, Buckley made a July trip to California for a tournament. He got his first look at the ocean and used the time to reflect.

"I had to learn about myself and understand why I'm here, my purpose in life," Buckley said. "I was sitting there one day watching the ocean and I started to understand that basketball is really all I have. People always tell me, 'Basketball is your gift.' Coach Ogorek tells me about my talents and that I'm one of the best players he's ever coached. So why am I at Coon Rapids if I'm not going to show people my talents?"

Further education came as Buckley played a role off the bench for much of the tournament.

"I had to learn how to be more of a team player, how to support people who are in the game," Buckley said. "I needed to learn about other players' stories and not just mine. I wanted to become a person that people want to play with and not just have to play with."

"It was pretty shaky at first," Buckley said. "But what they were saying was true, and I couldn't blame anybody but myself. I told them, 'It's not going to be the same and I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep my grades up, to have a better attitude and do whatever it takes to get some W's.' "

The grind has been substantial and required Buckley, whom Ogorek considers the program's most competitive player, to call on all his resolve.

Buckley takes three evening classes to make up for last year's academic stumbles. Last Tuesday he took an English class right after school, then got on the bus to Elk River for a game. On Wednesdays he takes chemistry and government classes. He should be caught up in early March when the trimester ends and make good on his desire to become the first member of his family to get a college education.

"It's not easy, but my life is basketball," said Buckley, who tattooed the Michael Jordan "Jumpman" logo beneath his Adam's apple. "I don't want to be in the position that I was in last year. I've just got to make better decisions."

It's early, Ogorek said, but the coach is encouraged. A recent text message to Buckley said: "You're continuing to prove me wrong and I love being made to look stupid when it comes to something like this."

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574