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Joey Hauser selected as one of 45 G-League Elite Camp invitees

Joey Hauser is one of 45 invitees.

Published

4 weeks ago

May 5, 2023

Zack Theis

Although AJ Hoggard and Jaden Akins didn’t get a G-League Combine invite, Joey Hauser did. He’s one of just 45 invitees.

Joey Hauser is officially moving on Michigan State. While this is not a surprise to anyone, the G-League announced the field of 45 players that will attend their elite camp and Hauser was on that list. This is a well-earned opportunity for Joey and I hope he can take full advantage of this opportunity.

I don’t think people would have given Joey a chance to make this camp even a full year ago before this past Michigan State basketball season but he has earned it. He earned the opportunity through his play on the court and now he will have the opportunity to continue his goal of playing professional basketball.

This camp will take place on May 13-14 where Joey will have the opportunity to play in front of NBA and G-League scouts, coaches, and executives. The top performers from this event will be invited to participate in the NBA combine happening from May 15-21.

For reference, a few current NBA players that were invited to this event that are currently playing are Jose Alvarado, Kenneth Lofton Jr, and Terance Mann. There will be quite a few really big names at this event which means that Hauser will have a chance to thrive against some great talent.

Hauser is the only Michigan State player that was invited to either this event or the NBA Combine. Joey is going to have the opportunity to show off his great shooting ability to everyone that attends. While he is not going to be the most athletic player at the event, he’s going to be one of the best shooters at the event. That will allow Hauser to stand out compared to other players which should hopefully have a few teams interested in him.

When you shoot over 40 percent from three, teams are going to be interested in you and if Hauser can hit his shots those two days, teams will definitely find a role for him.

This is a great opportunity for Joey Hauser and hopefully he can thrive and find a team that has a spot for him. Good luck to Hauser at the G-League elite camp and hopefully this is the start of a long professional basketball career for him.

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Miles Bridges posts interesting Snapchat with Michael Jordan

Miles Bridges is eyeing an NBA return.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 21, 2023

Daily MSU

Miles Bridges has been out of the NBA for a year after getting into a domestic incident but it looks like he may be back soon.

Former Michigan State star Miles Bridges posted a picture on Snapchat of him talking to Michael Jordan on Saturday.

Miles Bridges on Snapchat 👀 pic.twitter.com/mAdSZu9cvx

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 20, 2023

After being out of the NBA for a year, this could be a hint at a return despite the controversy that would follow him.

Off-court issues

Bridges has been in a lot of trouble off the court this past year. That is not something we need to dive into now, but Bridges missed all of last season due to serious legal issues. However, with Miles’ legal battle now complete, he is now able to play in the NBA again. The NBA suspended Bridges for 30 games but has ruled 20 of those games as being served. If an NBA team were to sign Bridges, he would have to sit for just 10 games before he can play again.

NBA career

The picture above may be an indication of which team is looking to sign Bridges. Miles has spent his entire NBA career playing with the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan is the owner of the Hornets, so this picture shows that Bridges may be looking to re-sign with his former team.

Bridges has played four seasons in the NBA. During that time, he is averaging 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. His best season by far was his last. In the 2021-22 season, he averaged 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. He has shown constant improvement during his career, but there is a lot of unknown with where his game is at now.

Relationship with MSU Fans

Michigan State fans do not support Miles like they once did. He was one of the most loved Spartans especially after he made the decision to return for a second season in East Lansing. Spartan fans continued to watch and support him during his NBA career as well. That all changed once his off-court legal issues began last year.

It will be interesting to see how all basketball fans treat Bridges if he makes a return to the NBA.

PRO SPARTANS

Gary Harris back taking Michigan State classes to earn his degree

Gary Harris hasn’t given up on that degree.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 20, 2023

Connor Muldowney

Gary Harris is back taking summer classes at Michigan State so he can earn his degree during the NBA offseason.

Every NBA draft cycle, players leave college early to pursue their dreams of playing professionally and making millions. What often gets overlooked when that happens is that the players who leave early surrender a chance to earn their college degrees on schedule.

Some players who leave early decide to go back and finish their degree which is a really cool move and it shows that they took college seriously.

Others don’t think twice about their degrees and just play pro ball.

Gary Harris is the former group.

According to @dudenamedcald on Twitter, Harris is taking classes at Michigan State currently so he can finish his degree. He posted a screenshot of a discussion post by Harris in one of his friend’s summer classes.

The goat Gary Harris is getting back to hitting the books for MSU. An absolute class act by Gary

Spartan dawg 4L 💯 pic.twitter.com/mzhFYgagPy

— down bad cald🔋 (@dudenamedcald) May 19, 2023

Imagine taking a summer class at Michigan State and then seeing a “discussion post” from a “Gary Harris” and then reading it just to see if it’s the Gary Harris. And then it is.

Harris, currently residing in Indiana over the summer, just wrapped up a season with the Orlando Magic in which he averaged 8.3 points and shot 45 percent from the floor, 43 percent from 3-point range, and 90 percent from the free throw line. His averages have gone down, but his shooting percentages remain elite.

But he’s clearly not content with being just an NBA starter. He wants to earn that MSU degree.

Leaving after the 2013-14 season, Harris was drafted No. 19 overall in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He played two years at Michigan State and then earned a borderline NBA Lottery draft grade but slid to 19. Harris was then traded to Denver where he was one of the league’s brightest young stars for seven years. For the past three years, he’s been Orlando’s “veteran” wing.

And soon, he’ll be a graduate of Michigan State University.

PRO SPARTANS

Brian Lewerke gets another opportunity to play pro football

Brian Lewerke is headed back to Michigan to play pro ball.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2023

Connor Muldowney

Brian Lewerke will be joining former MSU cornerback Josh Butler in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers.

After spending a couple of stints in the NFL with the Patriots and Giants as a practice squad member, Brian Lewerke is getting another shot at professional football.

On Wednesday evening, the USFL’s Michigan Panthers announced the signing of Lewerke.

Free Agent Signing:
QB Brian Lewerke, Michigan State

Transferred Player to Inactive Roster:
QB Brian Lewerke

Released:
LB Santrell Latham

— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) May 18, 2023

Lewerke was signed after Carson Strong, the previous backup quarterback, was placed on injured reserve. He will now get a chance to compete for a prominent role on the roster with Strong injured and Josh Love not exactly setting the world on fire.

Quarterback play has not been a strength for the Panthers.

In four appearances, Strong had 266 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Love, on the other hand, has started five games and has 617 yards and six touchdowns with five picks. Neither quarterback has really stood out and that’s one of the reasons the Panthers are 2-3 and tied for last place.

Lewerke has spent time around the NFL with the Patriots and Giants and he was also in the XFL this past season for a few months, signing with the Seattle Sea Dragons. He was released in January.

Now he’ll look to catch on with the Panthers and potentially enter a more favorable situation. This could be a good spot for him to play professional football, especially since the Panthers need some quarterback help.

Lewerke had a decent career at Michigan State, passing for over 8,000 (fourth in MSU history) yards and 47 touchdowns (fifth in MSU history). He also has two of the top three single-game passing yard performances in Michigan State history and two of the top 10 single-season passing yardages.

Michigan State fans will get another opportunity to watch him live as there are two more home games left in the regular season for Lewerke to play at Ford Field.

The former Spartan quarterback will join Josh Butler who was signed by the Panthers earlier this spring.