The NBA 2K26 Summer League is set to tip off in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 10. This year's event will feature all 30 NBA teams, each of which are guaranteed to play at least five games. Rosters are made up of recent draft picks as well as a mix of older players who are still trying to prove that they belong in the association.
For basketball fans, it's the perfect offseason fix, and for college hoops followers, it offers a chance to see familiar faces who have yet to make it on the big stage. With many fans already familiar with the latest draft class, let’s take a look at 20 notable former college basketball stars, who are at least one year removed from the collegiate level, set to compete in the 2025 Las Vegas NBA Summer League.
Terrence Shannon Jr. - Illinois (Minnesota Timberwolves)
TSJ was electric during his college days with both Texas Tech and Illinois. His final year in Champaign, just two seasons ago, will be hard to forget, as he finished third in the nation in scoring and played a pivotal role in getting the Illini to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013. Shannon has all the tools of a solid NBA player in my mind and showed promising flashes for the Timberwolves last season. In the brief time he spent in the G League, he averaged 36.5 points per game, and I would expect to see a similar showing if given an extensive role in this Summer League.
Armando Bacot - North Carolina (Memphis Grizzlies)
Bacot started in all but one of the 169 games he appeared in for North Carolina and averaged a double-double over his five-year career. Last season, he played in the G League with the Memphis Hustle, where he led the team in rebounding and was second in scoring. It is hard to understand why a player like Bacot, who was so dominant in college, would not make it in the NBA, but that speaks to the difference in the big man position between the college and pro level.
Boo Buie - Northwestern (Denver Nuggets)
The former Wildcat guard was one of the most prolific players during his college career. He averaged double figures in all five of his seasons and holds school records for both points and games played, while ranking second in assists. After going undrafted last year, Buie played for the Suns in the 2024 Summer League before signing with New York where he played for the Westchester Knicks.
Drew Timme - Gonzaga (Brooklyn Nets)
The former Gonzaga big man known for his nifty footwork down low will play for the Nets after appearing in nine games and starting in two for them last season. Timme is widely regarded as one of the best Zags of all time with over 100 games started in his college career and holding the school’s all-time scoring record.
Dalton Knecht - Tennessee (Los Angeles Lakers)
Knecht is just one year removed from his incredible SEC Player of the Year campaign at Tennessee where he averaged 21.7 points per game. Prior to that, he was one of the top players at the mid-major level at Northern Colorado. The first-round draft pick was a significant part of the Lakers' rotation last season, playing in 78 games and averaging just under double figures. He hasn’t looked like himself early in offseason play, shooting just 25% from the field and going 0-for-9 from three-point range in his first two games at the Utah Summer League.
Reed Sheppard - Kentucky (Houston Rockets)
The 2024 lottery pick struggled to find a consistent role with the Rockets as a rookie. Sheppard was a surprise one-and-done player after winning SEC Freshman of the Year despite coming off the bench for most of the season at Kentucky. Last year he appeared in three G League games, where he averaged 30.7 points, and played in 52 NBA games for Houston but averaging just 12.6 minutes. He made his first career start late in the regular season, finishing with 25 points in what was by far his best showing.
Jamal Shead - Houston (Toronto Raptors)
Shead was the perfect Houston Cougar for Kelvin Sampson, starting in over 100 games and being a top player in the country on both sides of the floor. In his final season, he earned Big 12 Player of the Year and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. Sadly, one of the most well-known moments of his college career came when he suffered an injury that would sideline him for the rest of a Sweet 16 matchup that Houston would go on to lose against Duke. Shead had a solid start to his pro career, though, averaging just under 20 minutes in the 75 games he played in for the Raptors last season.
Zavier Simpson - Michigan (Los Angeles Clippers)
Simpson will be one of the older players in this Summer League with his college career ending back in 2020. The point guard, nicknamed “Captain Hook” for his signature hook shot, was the straw that stirred the drink for the Wolverines' offense during their successful run at the end of John Beilein’s Michigan career. Since college, he has had several stops, with most of his time spent with the Thunder’s G League affiliate. Most recently, he played in Romania, where he led his team to a championship and earned Finals MVP.
Tyler Kolek - Marquette (New York Knicks)
The former Marquette guard, who began his career at George Mason, has quite the college resume that includes Big East Player of the Year, two All-American selections, A-10 Rookie of the Year, and more. Kolek was a dynamic playmaker, especially during his final two seasons under Shaka Smart, having a massive impact on both sides of the floor. A second-round pick, he split time last season between the G League and the New York Knicks.
Blake Hinson - Pitt (Golden State Warriors)
Blake Hinson had a long and challenging start to his college career before ultimately finding a home at Pitt. The three-point sharpshooter with limitless range was a key factor in the Panthers’ return to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. He spent all of last season in the G League, where he averaged over 20 points per game, including a stellar performance with 44 points with 10 made three-pointers.
Judah Mintz - Syracuse (Philadelphia 76ers)
Judah Mintz was one of very few bright spots on Syracuse teams during his time there, which I believe made him fly under the radar as a college player. With the Orange, Mintz was a straight playmaker as he surpassed 1,000 career points in just two seasons. He played for the Delaware Blue Coats last season scoring just over 20 points per game.
Adam Flagler - Baylor (Atlanta Hawks)
Flagler has now been part of teams that have won an NCAA Championship, a G League Championship, and an NBA Championship. He began his college career at Presbyterian, where he was named Big South Freshman of the Year, before transferring to Baylor where he was a key piece in helping the team achieve a .796 winning percentage during his time there. In the two games he played during last year's Summer League, Flagler averaged 21.5 points per game while shooting 55% from three-point range.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. - Louisiana Tech (Boston Celtics)
Lofton Jr. spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech where he averaged double figures both years, and earned First Team All C-USA as a sophomore after averaging a double-double. He has appeared in a total of 45 NBA games with four different teams. He looked promising early in his pro career as part of the Grizzlies organization on a two-way contract and won G League Rookie of the Year. Most recently he played for the Shanghai Sharks in China, where he averaged 25.2 points per game last season.
Keisei Tominaga - Nebraska (Indiana Pacers)
Tominaga became one of college basketball’s fan favorites two seasons ago, helping lead Nebraska to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in nine years. Last season he played for the Indiana Mad Ants, where he was a solid contributor off the bench. He recently signed a contract with Levanga Hokkaido as he will return to his home country to play in the Japan Professional Basketball League.
Jon Elmore - Marshall (Sacramento Kings)
Elmore will be one of the oldest players in this year’s Summer League, and while he may not look like your typical NBA player, he can flat-out hoop. A star at Marshall, what now feels like ages ago, Elmore averaged nearly 20 points per game over his four-year college career. During that time he became the Herd’s all-time leader in both points and assists and was the first player in Division I history to surpass 2,500 points and 750 assists. Since college, he has spent time in leagues all over the world and has recently become a mainstay in the G League.
Boogie Ellis - USC (Phoenix Suns)
Ellis began his college career with Penny Hardaway at Memphis before transferring to USC, where he became one of the top players in the Pac-12, averaging double figures in all three seasons. He was a solid contributor in the G League last season and will now look to make an impression in the Summer League with the Suns, the third organization he has been a part of
Trey Alexander - Creighton (New Orleans Pelicans)
The reigning G League Rookie of the Year had a promising first season with the Nuggets organization after going undrafted. Alexander has always been dangerous with the ball in his hands, and that was especially true during his time at Creighton. His size, defensive ability, and shot-making set him apart in college, and he will hope to showcase those in Summer League to help secure a spot on an NBA roster.
Keita Bates-Diop - Ohio State (Milwaukee Bucks)
Bates-Diop is another older guy, but he was an elite playmaker at the college level. In his final season at Ohio State he won Big Ten Player of the Year averaging just under 20 points and nine rebounds per game. This is a guy who comes with a lot of experience who is a surprise to see on a Summer League roster. Since getting drafted in the second round in 2018, he has played in 283 NBA games and at one point was a prominent piece for the Spurs.
Buddy Boeheim - Syracuse (Indiana Pacers)
Boeheim was a fantastic college player that has been a solid G League contributor, but has yet to break through to the NBA. He was an elite scoring threat playing under his father at Syracuse, as he led the team in scoring his final two seasons and earned First Team All-ACC in 2022.
Tristan da Silva - Colorado (Orlando Magic)
Da Silva will give it another go in the Summer League after an impressive showing last year, where he averaged 17.7 points per game. He then went on to be a big piece on a good Magic team as a consistent contributor that posted 38 starts. He was a staple of the Pac-12 in his and the conference's final two seasons, averaging 16 points per game and receiving All-Pac 12 honors both years.