The basketball world is getting ready to turn its attention to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League and for the first time in quite a while, the St. John’s basketball program will have a major presence at the premier summer basketball destination.
The Johnnies will have eight of its former players take the court in hopes of impressing an NBA team to get a training camp invitation this fall. Its group will be headlined by the three draft picks from last months – Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins – as well their former Red Storm teammate Oziyah Sellers who landed a spot on the New York Knicks Summer League roster.
Kadary Richmond (Wizards), Deivon Smith (Warriors), Chris Ledlum (Rockets), and Aaron Scott (Nets) will also be lacing it up in the desert this week.
Ejiofor, Smith, and Scott have already gotten a taste of NBA Summer League action at the Salt Lake City Summer League and California Classic ahead of making the trip to Las Vegas.
St. John’s could have seen one more of its former players, RJ Luis, ink a Summer League contract but the former Big East Player of the Year opted to play for the Dominican Republic this summer as he attempts a comeback into college basketball following his shocking commitment to LSU this spring.
The Johnnies saw three players make appearances in the NBA this season, Julian Champagnie, Daniss Jenkins, and Richmond, as the list will surely grow next year with Rick Pitino continuing to develop talent and help players reach their goals.
The Las Vegas Summer League begins on Thursday, July 9 and runs through July 19. The full slate of games can be found here.
Daniss Jenkins, an undrafted player, proved that he was good enough to make the NBA over the last two summers in Vegas and parlayed that into a guaranteed deal with the Detroit Pistons this winter.
St. John’s is hoping that more of its former stars will shine bright with the entire basketball community based in Las Vegas. Â
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