Latest news with #KameronJones
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Johnny Furphy, Quenton Jackson highlight Pacers Summer League Roster
INDIANAPOLIS -- Forward Johnny Furphy, second-round pick Taelon Peter and two-way contract players Quenton Jackson, Enrique Freeman and RayJ Dennis will be part of the Pacers NBA Summer League roster, the Pacers released Friday. The summer Pacers began practice on Friday and play their first game in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 10 at 5 p.m. against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Second-round pick Kameron Jones from Marquette was not on the initial roster released Friday, but a league source confirmed that the reason for that is because the pick the Pacers used to draft him was acquired in a trade with the Spurs and those trades don't become official until Sunday. He is expected to take part in Summer League play. Advertisement Furphy, taken with the No. 35 overall pick, appeared in 50 games this season and averaged 2.1 points and 7.6 minutes per game. He spent time in the rotation in November and early December when the Pacers were depleted with injuries but got most of the rest of his minutes after that in garbage time situations. He played 10 regular season G League games with the Mad Ants and averaged 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Re-live the Pacers incredible postseason run with our commemorative book Jackson was the most extensively used of the two-way contract players. He averaged 5.8 points per game for the Pacers and started seven games when they were short-handed. He averaged 22.5 points, 5.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in 16 games with the Mad Ants. Advertisement Also on the roster are rookies Samson Johnson of Connecticut, Steven Ashworth of Creighton and R.J. Felton of East Carolina, all of whom were signed to undrafted free agent contracts after last week's draft, which are likely to become Exhibit 10 contracts. They will eventually be waived but would be do a bonus of close to $75,000 for playing with the Pacers' G League team, which relocated and this season will be called the Noblesville Boom. Guard Keisei Tominaga and forward Josiah Jordan-James -- who played college ball at Nebraska and Tennessee, respectively -- are both on the roster after playing with the Mad Ants last season. The Pacers added four players to the roster who played professionally elsewhere last season. Buddy Boeheim, son of legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, played last season with the Oklahoma City Blue. The 6-6 wing was an All-ACC pick at Syracuse under his father and has been in the G League for the last three seasons. He averaged 12.4 points per game with the Blue last year. Former Wyoming star Hunter Maldonado is on the roster after spending last season playing professionally in Germany. Forward Phillip Wheeler will play for the Summer Pacers after playing five games with the 76ers last year and also playing for both the Celtics and Mavericks' G League squads. Center Robert Baker, who played college ball at Harvard, played last year with the Osceola Magic. Advertisement Get IndyStar's Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers Summer League roster includes Johnny Furphy, Quenton Jackson
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Indiana Pacers Reshape Backcourt With Two Picks In 2025 NBA Draft
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 14: Kam Jones #1 of the Marquette Golden Eagles dribbles in the first ... More half of a semifinal game against the St. John's Red Storm during the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) INDIANAPOLIS – Before the 2025 NBA Draft began, it was clear the Indiana Pacers were eager to add a contributor. Just before the first round tipped off, Indiana struck a deal with the San Antonio Spurs, acquiring the 38th pick. With the Pacers financial picture in mind, adding a rookie on a lower-salary deal made strategic sense. That pick gave Indiana a shot at doing just that. And after a day of waiting, the Pacers made their selection early in the second round by bringing in Marquette product Kameron Jones, a 23-year old from Tennessee. He spent four seasons with the Golden Eagles and evolved tremendously year over year. As a freshman, Jones came off the bench and learned the ropes. His scoring more than doubled as a sophomore, and his efficiency jumped in year three. When Tyler Kolek left Marquette for the NBA, Jones assumed more playmaking responsibilities. His assists per game number then rose from 2.4 per game to 5.9 as a senior, and that passing tied together his ball handling skills. Each year, Jones added a new layer to his game. The Pacers current front office likes when players who work on their craft and continuously develop – Jones fits that mold. 'I like it!' Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard tweeted after the pick. As a senior, Jones averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. He was a consensus second team All-American honoree and was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award. Importantly for Indiana, he did a lot of things that suggest he will fit well in the Pacers system. What do Pacers draft picks need to do? Indiana's identity is built on pace, ball movement, possessions, and efficiency. Those principles have propelled them to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and a recent trip to the NBA Finals. Clearly, their identity is successful, and it requires specific strengths from players at certain positions. Guards in Indiana's scheme must be smart decision makers, capable shooters, and comfortable in the pick-and-roll. They need to play fast without sacrificing control. Pacers initiators are versatile. Jones' college metrics suggest he can fit into that style as he grows in the NBA. While having a usage rate approaching 30%, Jones held a turnover rate below 10% – he rarely made poor decisions despite being heavily involved. According to Synergy Sports, he ran 302 pick-and-roll possessions last season, ranking in the 99th percentile for frequency and 85th percentile in efficiency. He made a tidy 36.6% of his three-point shots across 861 attempts at Marquette. His defense features more speed than strength. Jones catch-and-shoot numbers are better than his off the dribble J, and he doesn't get to the foul line as often as other guard prospects. But his strengths are obvious, and they are a snug fit with what the Pacers hope to get out of ball handlers. At pick 38, he's a logical fit. 'I'm just ready to get to Naptown and get to work,' Jones said on ESPN after being drafted. Given when Jones was drafted, it is likely he receives a standard NBA contract with the blue and gold – just like previous Pacers high second-round picks Andrew Nembhard and Johnny Furphy. With Indiana's star point guard Tyrese Haliburton out for a while due to a torn Achilles, Jones could add meaningful depth to the blue and gold. Another area that guides the Pacers success, and particularly their efficiency, is shot making. That sounds obvious as the objective of the sport, but Indiana's player development program works hard at improving the jump shooting ability of every player on the roster. That's why the Pacers ranked fourth in effective field goal percentage last season – they move the ball well and have a team filled with shot makers. That priority also explains the Pacers 54th overall pick in Thursday's second round. They took Liberty guard Taelon Peter, a five-year college player born in Arkansas. LYNCHBURG, VA - FEBRUARY 27: Taelon Peter #2 of the Liberty Flames takes a jump shot during a ... More college basketball game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Liberty Arena on February 27, 2025 in Lynchburg, Virginia. (Photo by) Peter, 23, was a masterful play finisher for the Flames last season. He led Conference USA with a 75.6% field goal percentage on two-point shots, a remarkable feat for a guard, while also canning a ridiculous 45.3% of his outside shots. He attempted 170 three pointers, too. This isn't a case of low volume clouding the percentages. That efficiency is unheard of. Peter's true shooting percentage in his final collegiate season was 72.8%, among the NCAA's best. Of the 13 players who logged at least 500 minutes and eclipsed 70% true shooting, only three – including Peter – weren't post players, and most didn't attempt even 20 threes. It's difficult to take a bunch of jumpers yet maintain a high efficiency. Peter did it. He averaged 13.7 points per game for Liberty this past season and played in 35 games. He primarily came off the bench. 'My role is obviously a little different than it was last year, so learning which ways I can be the best teammate is definitely something that I'm trying to learn and grow,' Peter told the Liberty Champion of his development. Prospects who can make shots have a clear path to success in the NBA. Peter still has areas to improve, but his elite shooting and athleticism give him a solid foundation. He can get up threes quickly, rarely takes analytically-unkind shots, and has impressive bounce to go with it. Peter ranked in the 99th percentile on spot up shot efficiency in the NCAA ranks last season, per Synergy Sports. His transition efficiency was in the 96th percentile. On a Pacers team that thrives in the open floor and emphasizes shot making, he's a promising developmental piece. The Liberty product should fit right in. Since the two-way contract was introduced in 2017, every 54th pick has signed one in their first season. That should be the expectation for Peter, who was drafted late by an Indiana team that could have openings with their two-way contracts pending the futures of Enrique Freeman and Quenton Jackson. The NBA Draft can be an unknown. Much of it is hard to project. The Pacers are trying to make their reality more known by picking players who fit their system well, and they did exactly that.
Washington Post
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
DePaul visits No. 11 Marquette following Jones' 27-point game
DePaul Blue Demons (11-13, 2-11 Big East) at Marquette Golden Eagles (18-6, 9-4 Big East) Milwaukee; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. 11 Marquette hosts DePaul after Kameron Jones scored 27 points in Marquette's 77-67 loss to the Creighton Bluejays.
Associated Press
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
DePaul visits No. 11 Marquette following Jones' 27-point game
DePaul Blue Demons (11-13, 2-11 Big East) at Marquette Golden Eagles (18-6, 9-4 Big East) BOTTOM LINE: No. 11 Marquette hosts DePaul after Kameron Jones scored 27 points in Marquette's 77-67 loss to the Creighton Bluejays. The Golden Eagles are 11-2 on their home court. Marquette is 2-1 in games decided by less than 4 points. The Blue Demons are 2-11 in conference matchups. DePaul is 1-1 in games decided by 3 points or fewer. Marquette is shooting 44.3% from the field this season, 0.6 percentage points lower than the 44.9% DePaul allows to opponents. DePaul averages 5.7 more points per game (73.6) than Marquette allows (67.9). TOP PERFORMERS: Jones is scoring 19.2 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds for the Golden Eagles. David Joplin is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games. Conor Enright is averaging 7.5 points and 6.2 assists for the Blue Demons. CJ Gunn is averaging 15 points and 5.2 rebounds over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Eagles: 6-4, averaging 73.6 points, 28.8 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 41.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.5 points per game. Blue Demons: 2-8, averaging 65.7 points, 29.2 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 42.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.2 points. ___
Associated Press
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Mitchell leads No. 9 Marquette against No. 25 UConn after 22-point outing
UConn Huskies (15-6, 7-3 Big East) at Marquette Golden Eagles (18-3, 9-1 Big East) Milwaukee; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. 9 Marquette faces No. 25 UConn after Stevie Mitchell scored 22 points in Marquette's 78-69 victory over the Butler Bulldogs. The Golden Eagles are 11-1 on their home court. Marquette is third in the Big East with 36.6 points per game in the paint led by Kameron Jones averaging 11.1. The Huskies are 7-3 in conference play. UConn averages 19.1 assists per game to lead the Big East, paced by Hassan Diarra with 6.4. Marquette makes 45.1% of its shots from the field this season, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than UConn has allowed to its opponents (42.8%). UConn has shot at a 49.0% rate from the field this season, 5.3 percentage points above the 43.7% shooting opponents of Marquette have averaged. The Golden Eagles and Huskies face off Saturday for the first time in Big East play this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Jones is averaging 18.9 points, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals for the Golden Eagles. David Joplin is averaging 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 41.4% over the last 10 games. Solomon Ball is shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc with 2.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Huskies, while averaging 14.6 points. Alex Karaban is shooting 41.4% and averaging 14.5 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Eagles: 9-1, averaging 76.6 points, 30.9 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 10.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.1 points per game. Huskies: 7-3, averaging 76.1 points, 28.8 rebounds, 18.3 assists, 5.2 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.6 points. ___
