LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky has signed former Bucknell forward Nate Sestina as a graduate transfer for next season, the school announced Thursday.

In addiition, the Wildcats signed forward Keion Brooks to a national letter of intent on Thursday.

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Sestina averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his first season as a starter for the Bison and ranked sixth and second in those categories, respectively, in the Patriot League. He will receive an undergraduate degree in geography next month and be eligible to play in the fall for the Wildcats.

Sestina also shot 54 percent from the field with 41 3-pointers on 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc in making the All-Patriot second team.

"I think everyone knows my stance on graduate transfers. We are only going to take someone if it's going to help both the kid and our program," Kentucky coach John Calipari said in a statement. "I'm not going to take someone if they're not going to have an impact. ...

"Nate falls into that scenario in that he's achieved what he set out to do and now wants to take this thing to the next level. I'm excited to get to work with him because he's where the game is going. He has the ability to play in the post but he can stretch you out, which gives us the ability to play a little different and open things up more."

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound Brooks, who is ranked No. 38 in the ESPN 100, is the Wildcats' first signee of the spring period that began Wednesday and runs through May 15. He averaged 20.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season for La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana.

He joins a recruiting class that includes guards Tyrese Maxey and Dontaie Allen, who signed last fall.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.