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Heck of a Week for Cameron Co. Grad Sestina; Named All-Decade at Bucknell, Signs Pro Contract in Russia

Photo of Nate Sestina. Photo courtesy of Kentucky Athletics

EMPORIUM, Pa. – It’s been quite a week for Cameron County graduate Nate Sestina.

Last Monday, Sept. 7, Sestina was named to the All-Decade men’s basketball team at Bucknell University, and, later in the week, he penned a pro contract to play basketball in Russia.

The 2015 Cameron County graduate recently signed to play for BC Nizhny Novgorod in the VTB League in Russia.

The VTB League is considered a top-tier league in Russia with the champion considered the champion of Russia.

BC Nizhny Novgorod finished as the runner-up for the Russian Cup in both 2018 and 2019. The city of Nizhny Novgorod is located 422 kilometers or 262 miles east of Moscow.

                                      

Sestina, who played at Bucknell from 2016-19 helped the Bison to a pair of Patriot League titles and two NCAA Division I Tournament berths before transferring to Kentucky as a graduate transfer last season.

In his final year at Bucknell, the 6-foot-9 Sestina averaged 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and earned All-Patriot League second-team honors. At Kentucky, last season, the Wildcats were well on their way to a high seed in the NCAA Tournament prior to COVID-19 shutting down the tournament, and Sestina was averaging 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

At Cameron County, Sestina was the co-District 9 Player of the Year as a senior in 2015 when he led the Red Raiders to a second-place finish in District 9 while averaging 21.5 points, 14.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game and shooting 63.4 percent from the field. He also recorded 26 double-doubles in 28 games and finished his high school career with 1,698 points.

                       

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