The NBA summer league is now underway and by our count, there are five former HBCU players on rosters. Here’s your unofficial guide to who’s playing and when you can see them.
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Tyrius Walker
Last season’s SIAC player of the year will be playing with the New York Knicks this summer. The Knicks play vs Atlanta on Saturday, July 7 (ESPN) and the following day versus Utah (NBA-TV). New York also has a guaranteed game in the Las Vegas league on Tuesday, July 10 versus the LA Lakers.
Walker was selected last season to play in the first ever NBPA Top 50 camp with players from the SIAC and the SWAC. That’s a good sign for the camp. The Knicks have a Morehouse connection as former Maroon Tiger star Harold Ellis was hired as player personnel director last year. Walker was named SIAC Player of The Year as a senior after scoring 22.8 points per game during the regular season while leading his team to a 25-3 record.
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Marvin Jones
The former Texas Southern big man is on the New Orleans roster after spending a year playing in Greece. The 7 footer averaged just over eight points per game during his senior season at Texas Southern. He transferred there after two seasons at Kent State. Jones was the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and the SWAC Tournament MVP in 2017.
https://youtu.be/W0ci959_N1s
The first three games for New Orleans in Las Vegas are July 6 versus Toronto (ESPNU), July 7 versus Miami (NBA-TV) and July 9 versus Detroit (ESPNU).
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Zach Lofton
Another former Texas Southern player, Zach Lofton, will play with the Detroit Pistons. Lofton, the 2017 SWAC Player of the Year, wasn’t selected in last month’s NBA Draft. After leaving Texas Southern in 2017 he played his final year at New Mexico State as a graduate transfer, averaging over 20 points per game.
Detroit plays on July 6 versus the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA-TV), July 7 versus Memphis (NBA-TV) and July 9 versus New Orleans (ESPNU).
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Phillip Carr
Mr. Double-Double from Morgan State is on the Philadelphia 76ers roster for summer league. Phillip Carr was the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year last season and finished with averages of 13.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. The 76ers play on July 6 versus Boston (ESPN), July 7 versus the LA Lakers (ESPN) and July 9 versus Washington (NBA-TV).
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Tiwian Kendley
Tiwian Kendley and his former Morgan State teammate Phillip Carr both worked out for the Washington Wizards before the NBA draft. The Wizards liked enough of what they saw in Kendley to put him on their summer league roster. Kendley averaged 25.7 points per game last season including a season-high 41 points versus Bethune-Cookman.
???OHHhh BABY!!!!?
Kendley 31pts#MORGvsFAMU pic.twitter.com/nPAkIj3uvk— Morgan State Bears (@MorganStBears) January 6, 2018
Washington kicks off its schedule on July 6 versus Cleveland (NBA-TV), July 8 versus San Antonio (ESPN2) and July 9 versus Philadelphia (NBA-TV).
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