University of North Carolina Athletics
My Carolina Experience: Megan Buckland
June 10, 2015 | Women's Basketball
My Carolina Experience: Megan Buckland
By: Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Megan Buckland was born and raised a Tar Heel thanks to her mother's love for the University. Hailing from High Point, N.C., she was further drawn to UNC through her affinity for the game of basketball.
After playing varsity basketball for Wesleyan Christian Academy in junior high school, Buckland transferred to Bishop McGuinness Christian High School for her sophomore through senior years. There she led her team to three state championships and earned the most valuable player award all three years.
Her success at McGuinness and on the travel circuit earned Buckland a national rank as the No. 15 guard, and an overall rank of No. 34 by ESPN HoopGurlz Recruiting Rnkings.
“I was recruited by a lot of Big East and ACC schools, some Ivy leagues, and some mid majors. When it came down to choosing I actually made an excel chart to rank all the things that were important to me. All the other schools didn't even hold a candle to Carolina in my view. That just kind of made me realize how much UNC had to offer,” says Buckland.
Buckland committed to UNC in her junior year of high school, and with all the success she'd experienced, she came in with high hopes. Early on she had the ambition of playing overseas, but injuries made that dream become more distant with each passing year.
As a freshman, Buckland played in nine games and started five before a torn anterior cruciate ligament put her on the bench. She then had an outstanding red-shirt freshman year in which she became the team's primary scoring option off the bench. She was UNC's top three point shooter and was ranked 11th in the ACC in that category.
As things began to look up, the following year was cut short when she suffered another knee injury in the second game of the season. From that point on, most of Buckland's career was focused on rehabilitation and finding herself outside of the parameters of her sport.
“I saw that through basketball I didn't have to be the one who was the star athlete, that I could be the one that was helping others, whether it was through outreach or community. Regardless of my injuries and the fact that it still got me down some days not to be playing, I was able to make a difference. I thought that was really special.”
Looking back, Buckland realizes that getting injured her freshman year actually improved her game. It gave her a chance to sit back and see what she needed to work on. When she got hurt during her red-shirt sophomore year she realized that she could do more than just be a cheerleader for her team.
“When I was helping the coaches with play calls and stats, that's when I started getting the idea that I might want to get into college coaching. Then, my senior year when I got injured, I really felt like I was able to see the game differently, and use that to relate and help my teammates more.
Now, after four years as a UNC women's basketball player, Buckland has hung up her basketball shoes to start pursuing her dream of coaching at the collegiate level. Buckland will be serving as the team's video coordinator and start to develop her skill set for what is to come.
The newly graduated exercise and sport science major knew what she wanted to study when she first arrived at Carolina, but her experience narrowed her focus. Making friends with other Carolina students in her major is something Buckland feels was an integral part of her experience as it earned her many friends outside of the already tight knit athletic community that was built into her career.
Buckland advises incoming athletes, “to do more outside of your sport because that's something I did that I wish I'd done more of. Make your group of friends bigger than your team because they'll always be there.
“I got to experience a lot of different cultures and diversity while at Carolina that have helped shape who I am. I'll be able to take all those different experiences out into the real world and show how well rounded I am. It hasn't completely set in, but I am proud and excited to be able to say I graduated from my dream school with the degree I wanted and worked hard for.”
