Former Duke Basketball Teammates Square Off in Salt Lake City
Vernon Carey Jr., who has played only 37 games in his three-year NBA career, is on contract with the Utah Jazz for next season. Fellow 2019-20 Duke basketball frontcourt starter Matthew Hurt has never landed on an NBA roster but averaged 15.3 points last season for the Memphis Grizzlies' G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.
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On Thursday night, though, the former Blue Devils faced each other in Salt Lake City Summer League action.
Carey, a 22-year-old former second-round draft pick, totaled nine points, seven rebounds, one assist, and two steals across his 20 minutes in a 98-83 Jazz win.
It was his first time coming off the bench in three Salt Lake City Summer League outings. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds.
As for the 23-year-old Hurt, undrafted in 2021 following two Duke basketball campaigns, he drew his first start across the Grizzlies' three games in Salt Lake City before the teams head to the Las Vegas Summer League, which gets underway on Friday.
He finished with six points, three boards, two assists, and one block in 24 minutes on the floor against the Jazz and averaged 6.7 points in Salt Lake City.
Four years ago, Vernon Carey Jr. and Matthew Hurt arrived in Durham as the two highest-ranked recruits in their Duke basketball class and its only two composite five-stars at No. 6 and No. 12, respectively, on the 247Sports 2019 Composite.
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Each eventually became an All-ACC selection. Carey, a one-and-done center, was the 2020 ACC Rookie of the Year and NABC Freshman of the Year. And Hurt, a two-and-done stretch four, was the 2021 ACC Most Improved Player as a sophomore.
While neither of their games has translated into much in NBA terms, they're probably still a few years away from reaching their athletic primes. After all, remember that if they had stuck around at Duke, they'd be eligible to be fifth-year Blue Devils next season.
Crazy to think about.
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