Over the past half-decade or so, Virginia basketball has become known for its winning culture. But unlike one-and-done schools like Duke or Kentucky, Charlottesville has never really been thought of as a breeding ground for future NBA stars.
That’s about to change.
On opening day of the NBA season, there were eight Hoos in the NBA, placing Virginia 11th amongst colleges. Guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Joe Harris, and De’Andre Hunter have established themselves as big-time players, while those like Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, and Mamadi Diakite play smaller roles but are working their way up.
The last few weeks have seen some exciting news pertaining to former UVA players. Let’s take a look at every Wahoo playing pro basketball in America and what they’re doing.
Ty Jerome called up to the NBA
Ty had an inauspicious beginning to his professional career with the Suns. After a year in Phoenix, he was traded to Oklahoma City, where he got off to a solid start with G-League team Oklahoma City Blue.
His 12.1 points and 3.2 assists over nine games were enough to gain the attention of the Thunder decision-makers, who pulled him up for his first game of the 2020-21 regular season last week.
The point guard exceeded all expectations in the game, an 118-109 win over Atlanta. Jerome played 22 minutes, going 4-7 from the field for nine points. His seven assists were the most ever recorded in a debut by a Thunder player.
Ty then followed that up with 15 points on 6-12 shooting in his second game. It’s early days yet, but his NBA career with the Thunder is off to a very promising start.
Mamadi Diakite making waves in the G-League
Mamadi was a very raw player when he arrived on grounds, brimming with unrefined potential. Tony Bennett did his best to harness that potential, but not until now has Mamadi really broken out.
He’s put together a fiery first ten games of the season, averaging 17.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, and two blocks per game. Mamadi was always going to be a project for whatever team signed him, and there’s still a ways to go in his development. But he’s growing at a much faster rate than most expected, and his time in the NBA is clearly not far off.
Kyle Guy goes for career high
Guy has been a mainstay on the Kings’ bench this season, the 6-foot-1 sharpshooter only playing in 14 of 33 games. Last week he finally broke out, scoring nine points in as many minutes, including this three:
The shooting percentages aren’t great, but Guy is slowly earning more minutes, and a larger role is hopefully soon to follow.
Joe Harris blossoms in Brooklyn
The arrival of James Harden to a team already containing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant led many to christen the trio the “big three.” What they didn’t count on was that it would soon become the big four.
The prevailing thought upon Harden’s appearance was that Harris would slowly lose minutes and become less of a focus. But that could not be farther from the truth, Harris burgeoning into an integral part of the Nets’ rise to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Joe leads the league in three-point percentage, making an absurd 50.4% of his tries from downtown (still a bit off from the record: Kyle Korver had a 53.6% season). He’s also scoring 15 points and playing 30.9 minutes. This is already his seventh year in the NBA, but at this rate his career isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Malcolm Brogdon takes over in Indiana
Victor Oladipo’s departure made Brogdon the true leader in the Indiana backcourt, and the Prez has not disappointed. To say he was ‘snubbed’ in All-Star voting is probably too strong of a statement, but there is certainly a case to be made that the Pacers guard should have made the reserve list.
He has epitomized consistency this season, scoring in double figures in all 31 games that he’s played. Brogdon is averaging 21.4 points per game, to go with 6.4 assists and only 2.1 turnovers. Check out this smooth dime he made the other night:
As arguably the most important player on the Pacers, Brogdon is garnering recognition across the league, and more accolades are sure to follow for the former NBA Rookie of the Year.
Braxton Key has career outing
It’s been a rough introduction to pro basketball for Key, who is playing just 7.8 minutes per game for the G-League’s Delaware Blue Coats. Key will always be remembered as one of the staunchest defenders to wear a Virginia uniform, but he’s struggled considerably when it comes to shooting the ball.
That changed on Thursday, when Key made four of five shots, scoring 10 points and dishing out one assist.
It’ll be awhile before anybody discusses the prospect of Key reaching the League, but hopefully his solid outing will be the spark that might get him there eventually.
London Perrantes chugging along in G-League
After playing a program-record 138 games for Virginia, Perrantes has had a jumbled pro career. He now plays for the Austin Spurs, where he is putting together a quiet but effective season, going for 7.6 points and 5.2 assists per game.
Well, maybe quiet isn’t the best way to describe the half-court shot Perrantes hit a couple weeks ago:
Anthony Gill back in America
Gill spent four years overseas after leaving C-Ville, and upon his return he went straight to the nation’s capital, signing a two-year deal with the Washington Wizards.
While Gill doesn’t play much, it’s still nice to see him take the court occasionally. He’s averaging about a point per game, getting on an NBA box score for the first time at the end of December:
Mike Scott playing small role in Philly
Scott’s role has diminished over the last couple years, but he still plays regularly and is averaging just under four points per game. His shooting percentages have improved recently, though Scott takes a fairly low volume of shots.
De’Andre Hunter still injured
Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen to a former Hoo this year is Hunter’s breakout in Atlanta. He was in the midst of a phenomenal season, scoring 17.2 points per game while shooting the ball at a 51.4% clip.
Hunter had evolved into one of the NBA’s most improved players, and was garnering national attention. But then he went down with a right knee injury that ultimately required surgery. A definitive timeline has not been issued, but it seems as if Dre will miss at least another few weeks.
In the meantime, enjoy this tough finish at the rim:
Hunter may still be sidelined, but there are plenty of former Wahoos to watch until he returns.
Image – Oklahoma City Thunder
1 comment
Thanks for the update. What is Justin Anderson doing now?
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