April 20, 2016 Inside LMU Women's Basketball | Give to LMU Athletics | LMU on Facebook |
LOS ANGELES - The LMU women's basketball front line just got a whole lot taller. Head Coach Charity Elliott announced Wednesday that 6-5 center Josie Buckingham, a transfer from the University of Minnesota, has committed to continuing her education and collegiate basketball career with the Lions.
The New Richmond, Ohio, native will sit out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules. She will be eligible to compete in 2017-18 and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
"We are so thrilled to welcome Josie into the LMU family," said Elliott. "She is an amazing young lady who will make a tremendous impact on our team both in the locker room and on the floor. She has great size, runs the floor well and will have two great years to play after benefiting from this upcoming redshirt year."
Buckingham will become the tallest player to don a Lion uniform since 1998-99 when 6-6 Julie Jarosz suited up for LMU. It is believed that she is also just the third player in program history to stand 6-5 or taller, the first being 6-5 Amy Lundquist (1992-94).
In two seasons at the University of Minnesota, Buckingham saw limited action, appearing in 11 total games. She averaged 3.4 minutes per game in 2015-16, had two games where she grabbed two rebounds and twice recorded a block.
A 2014 graduate of New Richmond High School in Ohio, she concluded her prep career as the top scorer (1,432 points), rebounder (1,004 rebounds) and shot blocker (440 blocks) in school history. Her single-game records were 42 points, 17 blocks and 26 rebounds and, upon graduation, her 440 career blocks ranked fifth in state history, while her 153 blocks in a season ranked eighth.
Her 42-point outburst broke New Richmond's school record for points in a game, which had been held by her mother, Liz Misheff (38 during 1976-77).
She concluded her prep career earning a spot on the 2013-14 Associated Press Division II All-Ohio Girls Basketball Third Team, was named to the 2013-14 Associate Press All-Southwest Division II First Team, was District 16 Player of the Year and was named the Southern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year.
"Josie fits in so perfectly with our team," Elliott added. "And, in addition to the two freshmen that we signed in November, ensures that the future of LMU women's basketball will be exciting!"
In November, the Lions signed 5-10 guard/forward combo Brittney Reed out of Vista Murrieta High School and 6-2 center Raychel Stanley who hails from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Click here for the full release on their signing and here for a update on the duo's senior seasons.
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