Buckingham Signs to Play Professionally in Spain

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern men's basketball standout Kevin Buckingham has agreed to continue his playing career professionally, signing to play for Juaristi ISB in Azpeitia, Spain
 
Juaristi ISB plays in the LEB Silver League and ranked third in the Eat Division Standings last season in Stage One.
 
"When the opportunity came to play professional basketball in Spain" said Buckingham, "I actually started feeling my dream come to a reality. I was incredibly thrilled and jumped on the offer immediately. We had a signing party later that week and the support from my family was unbelievable. I am joyful for that."

"I see the transition," Buckingham continued, "To be very intense from an emotional and cultural standpoint. I've only ever been out of the country once, and that was only a couple of months ago. Leaving to go live in a different country will be quite different than anything I've been used to my whole life. I'll be away from my wife for a few months as she stays back in the U.S. to finish her degree and I'll be away from family, as well. The level of basketball will be unlike any kind of competition I've ever played before. There are bigger, taller, stronger, faster and more experienced basketball players. I'm prepared, confident, and excited to compete in Spain and make my wife and family proud. 
 
"We are very excited and extremely happy for Kevin," said head coach Kelly Green, "That he has fulfilled a dream of his by signing to play professional basketball in Spain this Fall.  When Kevin arrived at SE, we knew he had the ability to be a very good player, but we did not know that his internal drive and total dedication to improve his skills, build up his body, and improve his knowledge of the game would be at such a high level.  He has truly made his mark here and will leave our university as another of the many great players that have come through the SE Men's basketball program throughout the years.   We wish him all the best as he goes and represents Southeastern Oklahoma State University around the world"
 
Buckingham, a native of Keller, Texas, is a two-time Academic All-American, an All-America selection in 2019, 2019 GAC Player of the Year, two-time All-Central Region, a three-time All-GAC pick and was twice named Southeastern's Male Athlete of the Year.
 
Over the 2019-20 season he has averaged 21.0 ppg while shooting 56.4 percent from the field and pulling down 7.4 rebounds per game while helping the team to a 23-8 record and a second-straight trip to the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
 
Buckingham closed the season by becoming the fourth player in program history and just the second in Great American Conference history to pass the 2,000-point mark, ranking him fourth in SE history and second in GAC history in scoring with 2,003 points.
 
On the boards he is the GAC all-time leader with 856 rebounds which is good for third all-time on Southeastern's list.
 
He also ranks in the top five in program history in steals and blocked shots and is among the GAC's top-10 in both.
 
"My long term goals for basketball are to continue playing as long as I can." Said Buckingham. "Whether that be just this next year, or until I'm 40 years old, I have loved the game my whole life, and I want to play basketball at the highest level to which my abilities can get me."