Tag: Caleb McConnell

Caleb McConnell, a Rutgers basketball legend, wins NBA G-League Championship with Oklahoma City Blue

Caleb McConnell wins the NBA G-League championship.

Former Rutgers basketball standout Caleb McConnell helped the Oklahoma City Blue make history this week. The Blue secured their first championship in team history by defeating the Maine Celtics in a best-of-three series, and McDonnell continued to be a lockdown defender.

While McConnell only played two minutes in the Blue’s 117-100 win on Monday, he added one offensive rebound to his resume. He was a mainstay in the lineup during the regular season, averaging 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Like he did at Rutgers, McDonnell thrived on defense.

In his first season with the Oklahoma Blue, the former two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year played in 32 games, starting 11. It is an experience that he did not take for granted.

 

“I am blessed to even get this experience to play beyond college in a top league like this,” McConnell told Rutgers Athletics. “I feel like I am just one step closer to achieving my dreams and aspirations. My first year in the NBA G-League was an awesome experience. I feel like this organization is run differently than other teams and I am just blessed to be a part of it.”

As McConnell prepares for a well-deserved offseason, he will look to build on his success. He averaged just under 20 minutes a game for the Blue. While his focus is on his professional career, McConnell has kept an eye on Rutgers basketball and is excited about what the future holds.

“I am so excited for next year, especially with some of the pieces we have coming in,” McConnell said. “Pikiell is bringing in all the right pieces. He deserves the best.”

Watch: Former Rutgers basketball standout Caleb McConnell turns defense into offense

Caleb McConnell has been strong this year in the G-League.

During his time at Rutgers, Caleb McConnell became a fan favorite because of his play on defense. That has continued at the next level and was on display this weekend for the Oklahoma City Blue.

On Friday, the Jacksonville native gave Oklahoma a 38-30 lead in the second quarter when he stole a pass and slammed it down for two. While he is still trying to find his way offensively, the 24-year-old has made an impact at both ends of the court.

 

In seven games for the Thunders G-League team, McConnell is averaging 5.3 defensive rebounds and 1.1 steals a game. He is also averaging 0.6 blocks a game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field. Although the 2023-2024 campaign is far from over, the former Rutgers star is making a good first impression.

For Rutgers fans, McConell’s play on Friday is something they have seen hundreds of times before. He was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a Scarlet Knight. That is partly why Oklahoma City signed him to a G League contract.

If the talented guard continues to cause turnovers, he could earn a trip to the NBA. Defense is critical to success and regardless of the level that is where McConell has thrived.

Recap: 2023-24 OKC Blue media day

Here’s a recap of the OKC Blue’s Media Day:

The OKC Blue held their 2023-24 media day on Thursday in preparation for the new season. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s G League affiliate recently kicked off their training camp.

The Blue’s season starts on Nov. 10. Head coach Kam Woods will enter his second consecutive season at the helm.

The three Thunder two-way players headline the Blue’s training camp roster: Keyontae Johnson, Lindy Waters III and Olivier Sarr. As in previous seasons, the Thunder will use the Blue to give their younger players extensive minutes.

Woods, Jaden Shackelford, Hunter Maldonado and Caleb McConnell spoke with the media during Thursday’s event.

Let’s recap what they said.

Rutgers basketball Caleb McConnell was signed and waived by the OKC Thunder

Former Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder a day after OKC signed the ex-Scarlet Knight on Thursday.

Former Rutgers basketball guard Caleb McConnell was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder a day after he had signed with the team.

With the release of McConnell, the Thunder can gain the G-League rights of him and assign him to their G-League Team, the OKC Blue.

McConnell, the two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft. The contract is a one-year, minimum-salary NBA deal that allows the franchise to convert the contract to a two-way contract if that change is made before the start of the regular season.

The  Jacksonville, Florida, native played with the Thunder in the NBA Summer League, averaging 2.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, two assists, and one steal through five games.

While playing with the Scarlet Knights last season, McConnell averaged 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists through 28 games. The former Rutgers guard was known for his defense, averaging 2.5 steals per game with 71 steals, good for second in the conference last season. McConnell’s 2.56 steals per game ranked him No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference.

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McConnell completed the 2022-23 season by winning the 2023 Lefty Driesell Award for the nation’s best defender. Also, he captured Rutgers’ all-time steal record (221) by surpassing Eddie Jordan’s record of 220 career.

 

OKC Thunder sign Jaden Shackelford, Jahmi’us Ramsey; waive Caleb McConnell, Adam Flagler

The Thunder continue to collect the G League rights of several players.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced another series of roster moves on Friday.

The Thunder announced they had waived Caleb McConnell and Adam Flagler a day after signing them. Both players went undrafted after lengthy college careers and played for the Thunder in summer league.

Immediately afterward, they announced the signings of Jaden Shackelford and Jahmi’us Ramsey.

None of these moves should be surprising to anybody who follows the Thunder. All these additions and releases are to give the Thunder the G League rights of these players, setting the stage for the Thunder to assign them to the OKC Blue.

The Thunder made the same sign-and-immediately-waive moves on Hunter Maldonado and KJ Williams. Both players went undrafted after lengthy college careers and played for the Thunder in summer league.

In Shackelford’s case, he’ll continue his G League career with the Blue. In 44 games last season, he averaged 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. The 22-year-old went undrafted in 2022 and subsequently signed with the Blue.

Ramsey has played in the G League since going undrafted in 2020. Last season with the Blue, he averaged 21.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals.

Shackelford and Ramsey will likely get waived soon and be assigned to the Blue once again.

The Blue’s 2023-24 season is set to start on Nov. 10.

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OKC Thunder sign Caleb McConnell, Adam Flagler; waive Hunter Maldonado, KJ Williams

The Thunder made a series of roster moves related to the OKC Blue.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced a series of roster moves on Thursday prior to their preseason finale against the Detroit Pistons.

The Thunder announced they had waived Hunter Maldonado and KJ Williams a day after signing them. Both players went undrafted and played on the Thunder’s summer league roster in July.

This shouldn’t be surprising. The Thunder signed both players to their rosters and quickly released them to gain their G League rights and assign them to the OKC Blue.

In a similar move, the Thunder announced they had signed Caleb McConnell and Adam Flagler to their roster. Both players went undrafted and played for their summer league roster this past July.

McConnell played five college seasons at Rutgers from 2018 to 2023. For his career, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. The 24-year-old is a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Flagler played college seasons between Presbyterian and Baylor from 2018 to 2023. For his career, he averaged 13.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The 23-year-old was a 2022-23 AP All-American honorable mention.

Just like Maldonado and Williams, McConnell and Flagler will presumably be waived shortly and assigned to the OKC Blue once the Thunder acquire their G League rights.

The OKC Blue is set to start their 2022-23 season on Nov. 10.

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How did Caleb McConnell perform in the 2023 NBA Summer League?

After being undrafted, McConnell signed an Exhibition-10 contract, participating in the NBA Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Former Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell received his first NBA action as he participated in the 2023 NBA Summer League. McConnell did not hear his name called during the 2023 NBA draft, but the former Scarlet Knight didn’t need to wait long to begin his professional career. After being undrafted, McConnell signed an Exhibition-10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The former Rutgers star signed a one-year deal that can turn into a two-way before the regular season begins. If McConnell gets waived before the season, he can agree to sign with a G-League team elsewhere.

While with the Scarlet Knights, McConnell received two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. He averaged 2.5 steals per game last season, breaking Rutgers legend Eddie Jordan’s steal record with his 221st career steal. He was considered one of the best defenders in the conference and the country.

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 McConnell wasn’t the top threat on offense for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 39.5% from the field. Also, he struggled from three-point range, finishing 20.3% as a senior.

NBA: 2K24 Summer League

Caleb McConnell’s NBA 2K24 Summer League Stats, according to nba.com
GP MIN PTS FGA FGM REBS AST STL
5 15.5 2.8 4.0 1.0 3.8 1.7 0.7

While playing with the Thunder, McConnell guided Oklahoma City to a 2-3 record, ranking them No. 21 in the Summer League standings. The former Scarlet Knight played in five games for Oklahoma City, averaging 2.8 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, two assists per game, and one steal per game.

In the Thunder’s 100-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, McConnell recorded a tournament-high eight points on four of eight shooting. Also, he logged four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 14 minutes of action.

In a 105-92 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Flordia native from Jacksonville, Florida, logged six points, ten rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block while playing 28 minutes.

McConnell saw only five minutes of game action in his final game, recording one steal before exiting the game with concussion-like symptoms against the Washington Wizards.

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FTW: 2 OKC Thunder summer league players who should get offered two-way deals

. @ForTheWin argues a pair of undrafted rookies the Thunder signed for summer league should receive two-way deals:

2023 summer league is officially in the books, which means the undrafted rookies and G Leaguer portion of the participants put in their final impressions before teams start to fill out their three two-way spots.

While the Las Vegas extravaganza is known for showcasing the top rookies in their first games with their new teams, the majority of players are there to keep their NBA hopes alive.

With the addition of a third two-way spot, the backend of NBA rosters grew to absorb 30 new players who are on the edge of being in and out of the league.

For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky decided to break down the 10 best undrafted rookies who should be offered a two-way spot. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a couple of familiar names in the rankings.

Perhaps the Thunder could offer one or both of these players a two-way spot as only second-round rookie Keyontae Johnson is under a two-way deal.

10 undrafted rookies who should get offered two-way deals after NBA Summer League

Charles Bediako and Nathan Mensah should have NBA deals.

One of the greatest joys of the NBA Summer League is watching top prospects fight to keep their dreams alive.

Now that NBA 2K24 Summer League has passed and the Cleveland Cavaliers were crowned champions, this year was no exception. We saw several second-rounders outperform their draft position and other notable undrafted free agents look like potential steals on two-way deals.

But there are still several UDFA who are looking to earn their own two-way deal and potentially showed enough while on the court to receive that chance from an NBA team.

We ranked the prospects most likely to get that call from a front office.

This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.

RELATED: 5 second-round picks in 2023 who already look like draft steals during NBA Summer League

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How is Caleb McConnell doing at the NBA summer league?

Caleb McConnell is showing well in NBA summer league.

At the NBA 2K24 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, former Rutgers basketball guard Caleb McConnell is having a solid showing.

Not a surprise as he is apparently a 27-year old rookie.

Following the NBA draft, McConnell signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. At Rutgers he was a multi-year starter during his five years with the Big Ten program. He was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year during his final two seasons with the Scarlet Knights.

Shooting 27 percent from the floor, McConnell is averaging 3.0 points per game in his two summer league games so far. On Wednesday night, McConnell played 13 minutes and didn’t take a single shot.

But most importantly, he is showing his trademark defensive grit and hustle.

If McConnell is going to make a mark in professional basketball, then it is likely going to be first and foremost because of his defensive ability.

Rutgers made the postseason in each of his final three seasons with the program, twice making the NCAA Tournament.