Cinderella story Middle Tennessee State University had just defeated final-four favorite Michigan State in the 2015 NCAA Tournament and was preparing for the most important game in program history against Syracuse when senior guard Perrin Buford walked into team film study one minute late.
Head coach Kermit Davis looked at his team leader and said, “You’re not starting.” Then he pointed at one of Buford’s back-ups and told him that he was.
Some might consider the decision to sit a starter in a crucial NCAA Tournament game for a seemingly inconsequential blunder to be short-sighted — but not Davis, the new frontman of Ole Miss Basketball.