Last Ride: Radford Lands Former Richmond & CSUB Star De’Monte Buckingham

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UPDATE: Buckingham followed former Radford head coach Mike Jones to UNC-Greensboro.

De’Monte Buckingham played his high school ball locally at Henrico High School before spending two seasons at nearby Richmond (2016-18). He then transferred across the country to Cal State Bakersfield (2018-21) but he’s decided to finish his college career back in Virginia. Buckingham announced on Twitter yesterday that he’d spend his final year of eligibility at Radford.

“Bet on yourself,” he wrote above a graphic that read “Last Ride” in Radford’s colors.

https://twitter.com/DoIt4G_10/status/1376322636259594245

“I wanted to come back,” he told The Roanoke Times, adding he wanted to finish his career “the right way” and “with a bang.”

Per the article, the 2017 Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year heard from several schools upon entering the transfer portal, including Lamar, UNC Asheville, and Jackson State.

Buckingham averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in his two seasons at Richmond before getting dismissed from the program for a policy violation. At Cal State Bakersfield he found a home, though his numbers dipped to 8.1/4.5/1.6 in two seasons. While he’s never made it to the Big Dance, he did average 12.7 points per game in three NIT games in 2017.

It remains to be seen what the Highlanders roster will look like in 2021-22. Six players from last year’s 15-win team have entered the transfer portal, including leading scorer Fah’Mir Ali, who told The Roanoke Times him and head coach Mike Jones “weren’t always on the same page during the season.” Radford went 12-6 in league play before falling to Campbell in the Big South Tournament.