Inside The Panthers

Pitt Basketball Alums Shine in NBA Summer League

Three Pitt Panthers alumni proved their worth in the NBA Summer League.

Ari Meyer

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (17) drives the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Nikola Durisic (7) and forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (17) drives the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Nikola Durisic (7) and forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- NBA Summer League is over for many teams, including former Pitt Panthers basketball alums who stood out with their performances.

Pitt had two new players to the NBA Summer League with Blake Hinson joining the Lakers as a two-way undrafted free agent and the Washington Wizards selecting Bub Carrington 14th overall. In addition to 2021 undrafted free agent Justin Champagnie joining the Wizards last season, Pitt had three representatives for the entirety of summer league.

Mouhamadou Gueye played in the first game of the Charlotte Hornets Summer League schedule in California, putting up 21 points against the San Antonio Spurs before suffering an injury in their second game, keeping him out throughout the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Lakers also played in the California Summer League, losing all three of their games.

Hinson got out to a hot start, finishing his first game with the Lakers scoring a team-leading 17 points against the Sacramento Kings in the California Summer League opener.

He cooled down following that game, putting up point totals of two, eight, 14 and eight the first four games of the Las Vegas Summer League. His best performance, however, came in the final Lakers Summer League appearance against the Chicago Bulls.

Hinson scored 25 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists en route to a 26 point lakers win. With 21 points in the first half and five three pointers, Hinson proved why he received the two-way contract before ever appearing in a Lakers jersey.

His best moment came on defense, as he faced 11th overall pick Matas Buzelis in the post. He forced Buzelis into a tough shooting position, leading the Bulls forward to travel.

Hinson was not the only elite shooter from Pitt in this year's Summer League, with two others that stood out.

Champagnie got a chance to show off his abilities following a 2023 season that involved him going from signing a 10-day contract to playing on the professional roster for the Wizards.

In this year's Summer League, Champagnie served as the second best all-around player for the Wizards, scoring double-digit point totals in three of his four appearances.

Champagnie scored 18, 19 and 13 points in his first three games before only playing the second half in his fourth game, where he had two points in limited minutes.

He showed his best abilities on the boards, as he had 20 rebounds total across his first three games. With his steals, blocks and assists totalling 18 across the first three games, Champagnie showed why he deserved his roster spot on the Wizards towards the end of last season.

Bub Carrington made a large impact on every game he played, likely earning All-Summer League honors in the future.

Carrington averaged 15.8 points as well as 7.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the Summer League. He additionally averaged a steal and 0.5 blocks per game, showing versatility on both sides of the ball.

Notching a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds in his final game, Carrington cemented himself within the upper echelon of 2024 Summer League players and one of the top rookies heading into the upcoming season.

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Ari Meyer

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