Cam Spencer is officially in the NBA.
The 6-foot-3 former Rutgers guard was chosen No. 53 by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the NBA Draft on Thursday.
Spencer averaged 14.3 points while shooting 44% from deep and serving as an extension of coach Dan Hurley on UConn’s second straight NCAA championship team. He joins teammates Steph Castle, who was chosen at No. 4 by the San Antonio Spurs, Donovan Clingan, who went at No. 7 to the Portland Trail Blazers and Tristen Newton, who went No. 49 to the Indiana Pacers.
“It’s a beautiful night and you want to see it culminated with the two guys [Thursday] being drafted into the right spots,” Hurley, the Jersey City native and former Seton Hall guard, said Wednesday night. “You want to see what happens with Cam and Tristen [Newton] because they deserve to be in some great places.”
UConn has now had six players drafted off its two championship teams in the last two years.
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Spencer becomes the first player coached by Steve Pikiell at Rutgers to get selected in an NBA Draft. He is the first former Scarlet Knight to get drafted since Hamady N’Diaye in 2010 (56th by Minnesota).
Spencer, 24, is an older player but showed he fills an immediate need: shooting.
“I think teams love his toughness, his shooting ability, just doing it on a big stage on a winning team can go a long way,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo said this week.
“I think ideally for him he lands on a team where it’s a competitive team that needs a a guy that can step in and give them some minutes and shoot. That’s what his role will hopefully be.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.