Siena senior's game gets lift after talk from coach
Siena senior forward Owen Wignot is known to get down on himself when things aren't going well.
Men's basketball assistant coach Craig Carter even compared Wignot to Eeyore, the eternally pessimistic character from the Winnie-the-Pooh books.
"(Wignot) wants to be good, so he puts too much pressure on himself," Carter said. "Instead of shooting and making, he shoots not to miss."
Carter took a short drive with Wignot last week to pick up lunch, and on the way over, encouraged him to make the most of the remainder of his career.
"I just wanted him to know that Coach (Mitch Buonaguro) had the utmost confidence in him, and this team needs him to play well, and he has the ability to play well,'' Carter said. "That he has to re-find his love and passion for the game and have some fun and just play."
Whether a coincidence or not, Wignot played perhaps his best basketball of the season on the team's trip to Niagara and Canisius last weekend.
He was aggressive and a factor at both ends of the floor, encouraging signs for the Saints as they get ready to take on Manhattan on Tuesday at Times Union Center.
"I think I played a little bit better,'' Wignot said. "It was the last Buffalo trip and going into it, I realized I wasn't going to be playing there again. I really don't like playing at either gym so I kind of was just psyching myself up for it before the games. I think that's why I played good."
He had 11 points, one off his season high, and tied his career best with nine rebounds in the 58-54 loss to Niagara on Thursday. Two days later, Wignot stuffed the box score with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds, four steals and three blocks in a 60-50 triumph over Canisius.
"He played more relaxed,'' Buonaguro said. "He had a couple of misses, but then he got right back in it, made a couple of defensive plays. I think Owen is in a good place right now. I think he's ready to really play well the rest of the year and give us the double figures (in scoring) we need every night."
Wignot, a second-year starter from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is averaging 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
He said the team was down after losses to Saint Peter's and Fairfield when he got the pep talk from Carter. "He just really said I can't be letting that stuff really affect my play because I have now, really, only four games left in the regular season in my career at Siena,'' Wignot said.
The 6-foot-6 Wignot said he felt more aggressive during the Buffalo trip and tried to attack the basket rather than settling for jump shots.
Wignot's senior year got off to a rough start when he suffered a head injury in the opener against Navy and missed five games. Feeling good now, Wignot said he can hear the clock ticking on his career with only two home games remaining.
"It's almost over,'' he said. "It's getting closer and I think I'm starting to realize that more. It's kind of scary, but I've got to make the best effort out of everything."
Siena senior forward Owen Wignot is known to get down on himself when things aren't going well.
Men's basketball assistant coach Craig Carter even compared Wignot to Eeyore, the eternally pessimistic character from the Winnie-the-Pooh books.
"(Wignot) wants to be good, so he puts too much pressure on himself," Carter said. "Instead of shooting and making, he shoots not to miss."
Carter took a short drive with Wignot last week to pick up lunch, and on the way over, encouraged him to make the most of the remainder of his career.
"I just wanted him to know that Coach (Mitch Buonaguro) had the utmost confidence in him, and this team needs him to play well, and he has the ability to play well,'' Carter said. "That he has to re-find his love and passion for the game and have some fun and just play."
Whether a coincidence or not, Wignot played perhaps his best basketball of the season on the team's trip to Niagara and Canisius last weekend.
He was aggressive and a factor at both ends of the floor, encouraging signs for the Saints as they get ready to take on Manhattan on Tuesday at Times Union Center.
"I think I played a little bit better,'' Wignot said. "It was the last Buffalo trip and going into it, I realized I wasn't going to be playing there again. I really don't like playing at either gym so I kind of was just psyching myself up for it before the games. I think that's why I played good."
He had 11 points, one off his season high, and tied his career best with nine rebounds in the 58-54 loss to Niagara on Thursday. Two days later, Wignot stuffed the box score with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds, four steals and three blocks in a 60-50 triumph over Canisius.
"He played more relaxed,'' Buonaguro said. "He had a couple of misses, but then he got right back in it, made a couple of defensive plays. I think Owen is in a good place right now. I think he's ready to really play well the rest of the year and give us the double figures (in scoring) we need every night."
Wignot, a second-year starter from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is averaging 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
He said the team was down after losses to Saint Peter's and Fairfield when he got the pep talk from Carter. "He just really said I can't be letting that stuff really affect my play because I have now, really, only four games left in the regular season in my career at Siena,'' Wignot said.
The 6-foot-6 Wignot said he felt more aggressive during the Buffalo trip and tried to attack the basket rather than settling for jump shots.
Wignot's senior year got off to a rough start when he suffered a head injury in the opener against Navy and missed five games. Feeling good now, Wignot said he can hear the clock ticking on his career with only two home games remaining.
"It's almost over,'' he said. "It's getting closer and I think I'm starting to realize that more. It's kind of scary, but I've got to make the best effort out of everything."
