Raiders Ink Versatile Guard Justin Bufford

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Northwest Florida men's basketball head coach Butch Pierre officially announced the signing of Justin Bufford on Tuesday.

Bufford, a 6-6, 190-pound guard from Montgomery, Ala., led Montgomery Catholic to the AHSAA Final Four and averaging 22.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, and 3.6 steals along the way.

After transferring from Selma's Ellwood Christian, Bufford was named all-metro and all-state while playing under former Northwest Florida assistant Mike Curry.

"What I like about Justin is that he has been coached by someone familiar with the Panhandle Conference," Pierre said. "He's a player with size, he's a winner, has a high basketball IQ, and is a playmaker at multiple positions. He's a kid that can make plays and that's what you need in the toughest junior college league in the country."

Bufford said the connection he formed with Pierre and NWF's history of producing top talent were key factors in his decision.

"The bond that me and coach Pierre was building was getting stronger and then having coach Curry in my ear about different schools," helped Bufford make his decision, he told the Montgomery Advertiser. "I wanted to go at my own pace, so I was like maybe JUCO might be a good start for me and knowing that Northwest Florida has a lot of good products coming out of there."

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