San Antonio Spurs’ Rudy Gay (22) collides with Los Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in San Antonio. Los Angeles won 103-96. Rudy Gay continues to provide a valuable veteran presence for a San Antonio team with several young players in large roles. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
As the men’s basketball team prepares for its season opener on Friday against Sacred Heart, former Huskies continue to produce on the hardwood at the professional level.
Despite only playing collegiate basketball for a single season, Andre Drummond has quickly become a force to be reckoned with in the paint. The Pistons’ big man became the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon to record at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, five blocks, six assists and three steals in a game this past weekend. Drummond has collected 20 or more boards in four straight contests and continues to lead the league in rebounding by a wide margin. The biggest surprise when it comes to Drummond’s play might be his improvement from the free-throw line where he has shot nearly 67%; a much higher clip than his career average of 45%.
Kemba Walker has continued to shine as of late, helping the Celtics improve to 5-1 on the young season. The Bronx product currently sits 10th in the league in scoring, averaging just over 26 points per game. Walker has been able to successfully balance the traditional point guard responsibilities of sharing the ball and being the main source of scoring on a nightly basis. Kemba tallied 25 points and eight rebounds in a 119-113 victory in Cleveland on Tuesday.
Jeremy Lamb has quietly produced very solid numbers for an Indiana Pacers team that has been bitten by the injury bug as of late. Lamb is averaging nearly 17 points per game during his time in the starting lineup, proving he is worthy of substantial minutes even once his teammates return. The former 12th overall pick put up 18 points and five rebounds in an overtime loss to Charlotte Tuesday night.
Rudy Gay continues to provide a valuable veteran presence for a San Antonio team with several young players in large roles. Despite only being a shell of what he once was, the former McDonald’s All American still has the ability to provide a spark off the bench. In a 103-96 loss to the Lakers on Sunday, Gay recorded his first double-double of the season by putting up 16 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes. As the season progresses, the Spurs will need more of the same from the former Husky to make a playoff push.
Thumbnail photo by (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Matt Severino is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at matt.severino@uconn.edu. He tweets @matt_seve.
