Former UConn Star Praised By Grizzlies Coach: 'Lot Of Belief In This Kid'
UConn Huskies fans were happy to see a Dan Hurley guard make his NBA debut on Wednesday night.
After recovering from an ankle injury, former Huskies sharpshooter Cam Spencer got his pro career with the Memphis Grizzlies underway with a nine-minute performance in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Spencer said after the game that he felt comfortable during his debut.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins also spoke on Spencer’s debut after the game, discussing Spencer’s minutes restriction but also the guard’s impressive work ethic.
“This guy works his tail off every single day,” Jenkins said.
“Obviously, stellar collegiate career … but his work ethic is one of the best.”
“We’ve got a lot of belief in this kid. He’s all about winning, he’s all about doing everything that the team asks him to do. When he got his opportunity, he was ready.”
“Obviously, we’re being smart with his minutes because he doesn’t have that ramp-up period like the rest of the group. But coming in, his movements, his pace, his rebounding, his unselfishness to kick the ball ahead … he’s in attack mode.”
“He wants to go out there and make a winning play every single time, and I love that about him.”
While Spencer is on a two-way contract with Memphis, it sounds like his head coach will be giving him plenty of opportunities at the NBA level this season, especially with the Grizzlies dealing with injuries.
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Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org