Star basketball player Skye Buck, who was named BCCAA Player of the Year in 2004, when he was also named a CCAA Tournament Championship 1st team All-Star, and a CCAA All-Canadian, is shooting hoops for the Essex and Hertz Leopards basketball team, which competes in the English Basketball League (EBL).

“To find the team here was actually quite a task,” said Buck. “I talked to former UCC players who in their travels have come across European teams and used some of their advice.”

Buck flew over to Germany at the beginning of July to attend a Professional Identification Camp in Bonn. He had planned to email or phone teams in the numerous different leagues they have in each country of Europe, with plans to try out until he found one he could play on and could pay a reasonable salary.

He found himself on an unwanted European vacation, however, when he discovered that none of the European leagues train from the end of their season in April/May until the end of August.

At the end of August he got on the Internet, emailing teams, only to find out that most had their teams finalized.

“I was blessed to find a good situation [with the Leopards] as it is very difficult to come and look for a team as an import player,” said Buck, explaining that each European team is normally allowed only two ‘imports’ or North American players.

He’s now playing for the Essex and Hertz Leopards, and coaching youth and high school age teams for the Leopards.

When his contract is over at the end of April, Skye Buck plans to return home to Clearwater and work for the summer. If he’s re-signed by the team or can find another to play on, he’ll fly back to Europe for another season; if not, he’ll return to TRU to complete his biology degree (he has one semester left to go) and then decide if he wants to enter a teaching program.

For more information, please contact Bronwen Scott by phone at 250-828-5739 or email. Information on the team can be found at the Essex Leopards web page.