Shelton State’s Justin Bufford signs with Middle Tennessee State

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Jack Hutchens

After finishing a workout earlier this month, Justin Bufford saw that he had two missed calls.

One was from his coach at Shelton State Community College. The other was from Nick McDevitt — the head men’s basketball coach at Middle Tennessee State University.

Playing only one season at Shelton State, Bufford was offered the opportunity to continue his basketball career at Middle Tennessee, a Division I school.

“Right then, I had a special feeling,” he said. “Going to the Division I level, that’s what really just made the choice.”

Because he was academically eligible after graduating from Montgomery Catholic High School, Bufford was able to transfer after one year, giving him three years of eligibility at Middle Tennessee.

The 6-foot-7-inch guard averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game last season at Shelton State, helping lead the college to the NJCAA National Tournament.