2025-26
- Appeared in all 35 games in his first season on the court for the Tigers and made three starts, including two in the ACC Tournament.
- Averaged 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in 2025-26, including 0.8 steals per contest.
- Finished the season shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, 31.2 percent from three and 81.3 percent from the field.
- Despite starting the season 5-for-31 from three, Buckner finished the season 24-for-62 (38.7 percent) from three.
- He totaled 29 steals and three blocks and added 101 rebounds from the guard position, including 23 on the offensive glass.
- Buckner became the second Clemson freshman guard in the last 31 seasons to average 8.0 points or more in less than 20.0 minutes per game (Terrence Oglesby (2007-08))
- His scoring ranks sixth amongst freshman guards since 1995-96.
- Of that group of guards, Buckner’s shooting percentage is the highest and he is just the second freshman guard to grab over 100 rebounds.
- Buckner netted double-figure scoring in 16 games over the course of the season. Clemson was 11-5 in games that he scored in double figures.
- Finished with 18 points in his collegiate debut, with three rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.
- He outscored his father, Greg, who posted 10 points, nine assists and five rebounds in his debut on Nov. 29, 1994 against Charleston Southern.
- Buckner finished 6-for-7 from the floor and the free throw line in a win over New Hampshire (Nov. 3).
- Buckner had a career-best 19 points and added seven rebounds to lead Clemson to a 68-61 win over South Carolina (Dec. 16).
- It was not the first time a member of the Buckner family had led Clemson in scoring with 19 points in a game against the Gamecocks. On December 17, 1996, Ace’s dad, Greg Buckner, led the Tigers with 19 points and added eight rebounds in a victory over the Gamecocks in Columbia.
- In fact, Ace’s 19 points were the third time a member of the Buckner family scored exactly 19 points in a win over South Carolina. Greg Buckner also had 19 points and 11 rebounds as a freshman in a Clemson victory at South Carolina on December 8, 1994. Greg didn’t lead the Tigers in scoring that night, as Devin Gray had 22, but Buckner’s 11 rebounds did lead the Tigers.
- With the Clemson victory this year, the Buckner family is now 5-0 against South Carolina when a Buckner is on the court (Ace redshirted 2024-25 and did not play against South Carolina).
- He collected a career-best eight rebounds in a home victory over Louisville (Feb. 28) nearly tallying a double-double. He finished with 11 points.
- Totaled a career-best five assists (1 turnover) in a regular season finale victory over Georgia Tech (March 7).
Prior to Clemson
- Buckner came to Clemson as a 6-2, 175-pound combo guard who ranked as a three-star, according to On3. Buckner is the son of former Littlejohn Legend Greg Buckner who played for the Tigers from 1994-98.
- Averaged 8.8 points per game with All Ohio Red on the EYBL Circuit. Buckner boasted nearly a 2:1 assist/turnover ratio through 24 games on the circuit. He exploded for a 29-point performance at Peach Jam in July.
- “Ace is another combo guard who is comfortable playing with or without the basketball in his hands. He’s an excellent on-ball defender who, with strength, will excel at that end of the floor. Offensively, he can make threes off the bounce or catch and has a quick first step which helps him play in the paint. As a legacy, he has always had a dream to play at Clemson and we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to add a player of his caliber.”