EUGENE- Las Vegas heats up for the NBA 2K25 Summer League, and so do some former Oregon Ducks who are set to hit the court at the Thomas & Mack Center over the next ten days.
Former Oregon men’s basketball standouts Eugene Omoruyi, Payton Pritchard, Jermaine Couisnard, N’Faly Dante, and Kel’el Ware, who transferred from Oregon to Indiana before being drafted, are all competing at the NBA 2K25 Summer League.
Eugene Omoruyi
Former Duck Eugene Omoruyi is competing as a Washington Wizard. After playing for both the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Oregon Ducks in college, he went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft. Despite his name not being called at the draft, Omoruyi signed a two-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks. However, a season-ending injury in December of that year put his NBA debut on hold.
Apr 5, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Eugene Omoruyi (97) is fouled while shooting by Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) as Trail Blazers center Duop Reath (26) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
In March, the Wizards converted Omoruyi’s contract to a standard NBA deal. Now healthy and with Washington, Omoruyi is determined to carve out his niche in the league.
On Day 1 of the NBA 2K25 Summer League, Omoruyi and the Wizards beat the Atlanta Hawks 94-88. Omoruyi scored eight points while contributing five rebounds, two assists, four steals, and a block.
Payton Pritchard
Fresh off an NBA championship, former Duck and current Boston Celtic’s guard Payton Pritchard is ready to compete at the NBA 2k25 Summer League.
The 6-1 guard out of the University of Oregon joined the Boston Celtics as a first-round pick in 2020. Pritchard played for the Celtics Summer League team in 2021, where he led Boston to the Summer League championship game.
Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) reacts after making a half-court shot at the buzzer to end the second quarter in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
This past regular season, Pritchard made a significant impact for the Celtics, setting new career highs in nearly every category. Pritchard averaged 7.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game.
Pritchard and the Celtics will play their first game in Vegas on Saturday, July 13, at 3:30 p.m. PDT against another former Duck: Kel’el Ware.
Jermaine Couisnard
Oregon’s Jermaine Couisnard put on an incredible performance in his final collegiate season with the Ducks. The East Chicago, Indiana, native averaged 16.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He also scored a season-high 40 points in Oregon’s win against his former South Carolina, setting a school record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.
Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard (5) shoots the ball against Creighton Bluejays guard Trey Alexander (23) during the first half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Following the 2023-24 season, Couisnard worked out with various NBA teams around the nation. On June 28, Couisnard signed with the New Orleans Pelicans as an undrafted free agent.
Although Couisnard did not play in the first game, he is expected to get playing time later in the week.
N’Faly Dante
N’Faly Dante is another notable Duck competing in the NBA 2K25 Summer League and has already made an impact for the Houston Rockets in his NBA debut. Dante started at center and scored two points in the Rockets’ 99-80 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers. Per usual, Dante was a force on the boards, adding seven rebounds, the second most of all players. Dante also had a block against Bronny James.
Bronny got blocked by N’Faly Dante 😱 pic.twitter.com/jvwT0XSRko
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 12, 2024
Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks center N’Faly Dante (1) dunks the ball against Creighton Bluejays guard Baylor Scheierman (55) in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Dante is just the fourth NBA player from Mali. Historically, there have only been three: Cheick Diallo (New Orleans Pelicans), Sagaba Konate (Toronto Raptors), and Adama Sanogo (Chicago Bulls).
Kel’el Ware
Kel’el Ware is a young center on the rise in the NBA. Drafted 15th overall by the Miami Heat in 2024, Ware played college ball for Oregon before transferring to Indiana last season.
Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kel’el Ware arrives before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Ware has averaged 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game across his first two Summer League outings. He will play his first game of the NBA 2k25 Summer League against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, July 13, at 3:30 p.m. PDT.
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Publish date : 2024-07-13 17:22:14
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