Three Jayhawks earn 2017 NBA Summer League honors
NBA Summer League Central | NBA.com
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Former Kansas men’s basketball players Josh Jackson, Wayne Selden Jr. and Cheick Diallo were named to the 2017 NBA Summer League Team. Jackson earned first-team recognition, while Selden and Diallo were on the second team.
Seven Jayhawks competed in the 2017 NBA Summer League. The league started in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, and Salt Lake City, Utah, July 3-6, with the bulk of the competition played in Las Vegas, July 7-17.
Four Jayhawks played in their first NBA Summer League with those being Selden, Jackson (Phoenix), Frank Mason III (Sacramento) and Landen Lucas (Boston). Diallo (New Orleans) and Perry Ellis (Minnesota) competed in their second summer league, while Julian Wright (Utah), who last played at Kansas in 2007, was also vying for an NBA roster via the league.
Selden’s 22.7 scoring average ranked fourth in the Las Vegas league, while Diallo’s 9.8 rebound average was third.
Here is capsule of each Jayhawk who competed in the NBA Summer League:
CHEICK DIALLO (2016 at KU) – In five games for New Orleans, Diallo averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots in earning 2017 NBA Summer League Second Team honors. He had three games of 20-plus points and recorded three double-doubles. Diallo had no less than eight rebounds in his five outings. Diallo was the No. 33 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and played in 17 games for New Orleans in 2016-17. Diallo played one season at KU, competing in 27 games in 2015-16 averaging 7.5 minutes and 3.0 points per contest.
PERRY ELLIS (2013-16 at KU) – Ellis played five games for Minnesota averaging 11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. He scored 12 or more points in four of five games played and pulled down 15 rebounds in back-to-back games against Golden State with seven July 11 and eight July 12. In a win against Denver (July 9), Ellis scored a team-high 19 points with three rebounds. Ellis was a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection who was a Consensus All-America Second Team honoree in 2015-16. He started 109 of 144 games while at KU and ranks ninth on the KU career scoring list with 1,798 points.
JOSH JACKSON (2017 at KU) – The No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Jackson averaged 17.4 points and 9.2 rebounds in five games for Phoenix and was named to the 2017 NBA Summer League First Team. He posted one double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds versus Utah (July 12) and he had eight or more rebounds in four contests. A Wooden Award All-America and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Jackson broke the KU freshman record for field goals made (220) and tied the freshman mark for rebounds (258). Jackson averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds for KU in 2016-17.
LANDEN LUCAS (2014-17 at KU) – For the Boston Celtics, Lucas played in two games in the Utah Summer League averaging 10.5 minutes, 1.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. In Las Vegas, Lucas competed in five games averaging 12.6 minutes, 4.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg. Included was a seven-rebound effort against Philadelphia (July 11). A five-year player while at Kansas, Lucas became the 17th player in KU history to record 700 career rebounds, ending with 702. His 63.1 field goal percentage in 2016-17 ranks fourth on the KU single-season list. Lucas was fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding his senior season with 8.3 boards per game.
FRANK MASON III (2014-17 at KU) – In four games for Sacramento, Mason averaged 16.5 minutes, 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. His best game came against the L.A. Lakers (July 10) where he had 24 points, five rebounds and six assists. A second-round NBA Draft selection, Mason signed a three-year contract with Sacramento on July 13. Mason is the most decorated player in KU history earning 10 national player of the year awards following the 2016-17 season. KU’s 29th Consensus All-America First Team selection, Mason’s 1,885 points are sixth on the KU career charts and his 576 all-time assists are also sixth. Mason is the only player in school history to rank that high in both stats.
WAYNE SELDEN JR. (2014-16 at KU) – Selden was the NBA Summer League’s fourth-leading scorer averaging 22.7 points in six contests and earning 2017 NBA Summer League Second Team accolades. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists for Memphis. He scored 33 points against Phoenix (July 13) and had four games of 21 points or more. Selden came on strong toward the end of his rookie season playing in the final 14 games and the playoffs for Memphis in 2016-17. Earlier this summer Selden signed a two-year contract with Memphis. A three-time All-Big 12 honoree while at Kansas, Selden started 108 games in his KU career and his 1,202 all-time points are 38th on the school list.
JULIAN WRIGHT (2006-07 at KU) – In two games with Utah, Wright averaged 20.5 minutes, 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds during the Utah Summer League, July 3-6. In four games in Las Vegas, Wright averaged 8.8 minutes and 3.0 points per contest. Wright was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the New Orleans then-Hornets. He played three seasons in New Orleans (2008-10) and one in Toronto (2010-11) before playing professionally overseas. A two-time All-Big 12 selection in his two seasons at KU, Wright was an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention in 2007. He averaged 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 2006-07.
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