How UConn, Yale players fared in NBA Summer League

NBA Summer League is over, and with it, a beautiful respite of midsummer basketball, with games on all afternoon and night, has passed us by.

You almost couldn’t turn on a summer league game without coming across a former state college basketball player, as UConn and Yale combined to have 10 former players competing in Las Vegas.

Here’s a look at how the former Huskies and Bulldogs stars performed on the summer league stage.

Liam McNeeley

McNeeley’s Charlotte Hornets went undefeated in Las Vegas and won the Summer League title, but the Husky one-and-done only played in two games before being shut down due to Achilles tendinitis. McNeeley averaged 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.

Cam Spencer

The fiery former Husky shone bright in a hefty Summer League workload, averaging 17.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four games in Vegas. Memphis clearly values Spencer, as he signed a four-year, $10.5 million contract with the Grizzlies earlier this month, earning him a guaranteed spot on the NBA roster a season after he spent much of his rookie year on a two-way deal, splitting time between the NBA and the G League.

Adama Sanogo

The bruising former Huskies big man signed on with the Utah Jazz for the summer, but saw just 12.9 minutes per game over four games and put up just 3.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. After being released by the Chicago Bulls in February as he recovered from a left knee contusion, Sanogo was hoping to latch on with Utah, though the Jazz roster is loaded with young players and bigs. It’s likely he’ll be playing somewhere else next season, or will be back in the G League, where he’s been dominant.

James Bouknight

Bouknight’s mission was to prove he belonged back in the league, after spending all of last season with the Portland Trail Blazers’ G League squad, the Rip City Remix. He performed well for the Blazers’ summer league squad, averaging 12.6 points in 19.1 minutes per game, including a 25-point performance on July 18. He also posted 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per. The 24-year-old is currently a free agent heading into next season, and it will be interesting to see where he lands.

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Tristen Newton

Newton’s overall summer league numbers weren’t anything to blog about (9.2 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per), but he went off in the finale. Newton recorded a very Newton-like 24 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals in 33 minutes, shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 6 of 9 from 3-point range. The Timberwolves have an open two-way contract spot, and the former UConn star may have convinced the team it should save it for him. Newton’s shooting numbers were solid overall as well, as he hit 47.6 percent from 3 on four attempts per game, and 41.9 percent for the summer.

Andre Jackson Jr.

Jackson isn’t known for scoring or eye-popping stats, but he did play his trademark suffocating defense and showed off his athleticism in 21 minutes per game over four games. Jackson fell out of the Bucks’ rotation after starting 43 games last season. He’s still just 23 years old, but not many players who start over half the games at the NBA level wind up playing in summer league. He has two more years on his contract, though a change in scenery could do him well.

Samson Johnson

The former Huskies big man didn’t make much of an impact on the stat sheet this summer, playing in two games for the Pacers and averaging 3.0 points in 8 minutes played. He’s on an Exhibit 10 contract with Indiana, and he’ll hope to earn a spot either as a two-way player or with the Pacers’ G League squad this season.

Danny Wolf

The former Yale and Michigan standout played in three games for the Nets, averaging 9.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 36 percent from the field. As the 27th overall pick, Wolf will get plenty of chances to play once the real thing tips off again come October.

John Poulakidas

Poulakidas struggled mightily with his shot in Summer League, going just 3-for-23 from the field and 1-for-15 from beyond the arc. He averaged just 1.3 points in 12 minutes per game across five games. The 6-6 guard was known for his shooting at Yale, and he averaged 19 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 40 from 3-point range. A rough Summer League could cost him as he tries to earn a two-way or G League spot, but it won’t prevent him from playing professionally somewhere next season.

Bez Mbeng

Another former Yale guard, Mbeng didn’t get much run in Vegas, playing just 21 minutes in the Golden State Warriors’ final summer league game. He finished 1-for-2 from the field for two points. Mbeng will earn a job somewhere, but it’s yet to be seen if he’ll stick with the Warriors organization come fall.

Originally Published: July 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM EDT