Get to know the Bison of Bucknell University, Kentucky's next opponent

Kentucky Basketball will welcome a new opponent into Rupp Arena on Saturday for the Wildcats’ second game of the Mark Pope era. Game 2 of Kentucky’s 2024-25 regular season is against the Bucknell Bison out of the Patriot League, an experienced team with two games under its belt already.

Before Kentucky-Bucknell tips off, some things to know about Bucknell University and its basketball program.

Bucknell University Things To Know

• Bucknell is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles north of Harrisburg, the state capital.
• Bucknell was founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg. It was renamed in 1886 to recognize William Bucknell, whose $50,000 donation saved the college from closing its doors.
• Famous Bucknell alums include former Villanova head coach Jay Wright, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, and actors Ralph Waite, who played John Walton on “The Waltons,” and Gbenga Akinnagbe, who played Chris on “The Wire.” There is another who we’ll address in a moment.
• Bucky the Bison is the official mascot of the Bucknell Bison. You can book Bucky for corporate events, birthday parties, bachelor parties, etc.

2-0 this season

The Bison already played two games this season, winning at Delaware, 85-73, on Monday, followed by an overtime game at Southern Indiana on Thursday. Against USI, Bucknell’s Noah Williamson had two free attempts with one second on the clock to potentially win the game, but he could only make one of two, which sent the game to overtime. In OT, Williamson outscored USI by himself with seven points, leading the Bison to a 75-69 win in Evansville.

Williamson is Bucknell’s All-Patriot League selection

Williamson, Bucknell’s seven-foot Latvian center, was one of five preseason All-Patriot League selections following a breakout sophomore season, in which he averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game. Williamson had six 20-point games, 19 double-figure scoring games, and four double-doubles in 2023-24, plus a career-high 28-point performance against Loyola. He was named Third Team All-Patriot League as a sophomore.

Williamson averaged 25.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in his first two games as a junior.

Picked fourth in the Patriot League

The panel behind Noah Williamson’s All-Patriot selection also voted Bucknell fourth in the Patriot League’s Preseason Poll. The Bison received 115 points to finish only five points shy of third-place Boston University. Colgate was picked to win the Patriot; American University was second.

1. Colgate, 156 points (14)
2. American, 144, (4)
3. Boston University, 120 (2)
4. Bucknell, 115
5. Lehigh, 103
6. Lafayette, 77
7. Army West Point, 64
8. Navy, 61
9. Holy Cross, 40
10. Loyola Maryland, 20

Lots of experience and returning scorers

10 of the 15 players on Bucknell’s roster are juniors or seniors. Leading scorer Jack Forrest is gone from a year ago, but six of the top seven scorers returned to Lewisburg for 2024-25. The Bison saw very little roster turnover in the offseason.

Head coach John Griffin

John Griffin is in his second season as Bucknell’s head basketball coach, but his ties to Bucknell run deep. Griffin was an All-Patriot League guard for the Bison in 2005 and 2006, then an assistant coach from 2015 to 2019. Bucknell called him home from the Saint Joseph’s bench in March 2023 to replace Nathan Davis as the leader of the Bison. Bucknell went 14-19 in Griffin’s first season on the job, with a signature road win at Penn State.

Series History

Saturday’s game is the first-ever meeting between Kentucky and Bucknell, so bragging rights are on the line in the all-time series. There is one significant Kentucky-Bucknell connection from the past, though.

The former basketball home of Nate Sestina

Former Wildcat Nate Sestina began his college career at Bucknell, where he spent four years before transferring to Lexington for a fifth year of basketball. At Kentucky, the former Second Team All-Patriot League star averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds a game, playing alongside stars like Tyrese Maxey, Immagnuel Quickley, and Nick Richards in the season without a tournament.

Sestina returned to the Bluegrass this past summer as one of the stars of La Familia for The Basketball Tournament. We appreciate Bucknell sharing him with Kentucky.

Go Cats.