Drew Buggs has become self-aware.

The Hawaii point guard has churned out assists like a machine of late, the clearest sign yet that he’s adapted to the considerable responsibilities thrust upon him.

Coming off Buggs’ finest game to date — he notched his first career double-double, 11 points and 11 assists, in UH’s 19-point win at Cal State Northridge on Saturday — the matchup of guards figures to be key for UH (10-5, 1-1 Big West) against 3-point-happy Cal Poly.

The Mustangs (6-10, 1-1 BWC) feature two waterbug scoring guards in Victor Joseph (6 feet, 170 pounds) and Donovan Fields (5-10, 160), who account for nearly half of their team’s points at 29.2 per game.

That’s not Buggs, stylistically (7.3 ppg, 3.8 apg) or physically. At 6-2 and 190-plus, he qualifies as a power guard against his league peers. He has come to learn what he does well (getting in the paint and drawing double teams on offense, reading passing lanes on defense). But maybe more acutely, what he does not.

“I just try to watch all point guards, and try to take things from each one, because I know my game is a little different than most people,” the redshirt freshman said. “I’m not really a shooter or don’t have just athleticism, so I just try to use different aspects of the game and just try to be an all-around player.”

Buggs arrived out of Long Beach Poly as a combo guard hampered by a serious ACL and meniscus injury, one that ultimately caused him to miss last season.

It was a hard truth for someone who balances a mild-mannered persona with hyper-competitive instincts.

That’s instilled from his father, Andrew Buggs, a former cornerback at Iowa State who works as an academic adviser for Long Beach State student-athletes.

“One thing we’ve always been emphatic about is having the proper attitude,” the elder Buggs said. “It’s a fine line between being competitive and being a poor sport, so we always want him to represent himself well, the family well.”

The Buggs family — Drew is the eldest of four children — watched him score 14 points with five assists against the 49ers in an eight-point loss last Thursday. Andrew wants to see Beach players succeed, but pulled for UH this time.

Buggs credits his upbringing in Long Beach for his drive to succeed.

“We produce so many athletes, scholars, just everything, we produce a lot. So we take great pride in that,” he said. “Growing up there, there’s so much competition, it just pushes you to be better.”

Buggs played basketball and football growing up minutes from the Pyramid. Football was actually his favorite; he played quarterback and patterned his game after Vince Young and other dual threats.

He wanted to play quarterback for Long Beach Poly but went all in on basketball (former Lakers guard De’Angelo Russell became his favorite) because the prospects were better as a full-time sport. The pigskin instincts have stuck with him at UH; he has read passers’ eyes for several “pick-2” layups. He leads the ’Bows with 21 steals, something he’s done consistently this year while his playmaking caught up.

After recording three or fewer assists in the first eight games of the season, he’s not dipped below four in the last seven. His assist tally against CSUN was two shy of cracking the UH single-game top six.

Things began to turn around for Buggs on Dec. 2 at Utah, when he came off the bench to help keep things close in the first half before UH lost by 20.

Buggs’ shooting has similarly swung since he was 4-for-20 over the first five games; beginning with the Utah game, he’s shot 35-for-71.

“Now he’s seeing his looks, his reads,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “The guy is averaging, I think, six assists a game over the last six games or so. He’s effective in transition. … He works hard, he wants to be good, he’s cerebral.

“He just needs experience and reps, and he’s starting to get some of that.”

Some of his highest praise comes from the guy who held his job last season. Junior guard Brocke Stepteau is still very much a vital piece for the ’Bows, but now mostly at the off guard spot as a shooter and finisher while he shares the court with Buggs.

“Especially at this level, it takes time to get used to it and figure out what you’re doing. Speed of the game and all that,” Stepteau said. “I had to go through it. He’s going through it. That’s why no one was really worried when he was playing not as well as we knew he could at the beginning of the season. It was just going to take time. And now he’s seeing the floor well, he’s passing the ball probably as good as anyone I’ve seen.”

Buggs has the requisite belief. He knows continual improvement is a must.

“Yeah, I believe I’m a point guard,” he said.