NBA Summer League: California Classic

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

SACRAMENTO, California – Tyson Carter, D.J. Stewart Jr. and Robert Woodard II will begin the NBA Summer League season on Tuesday at the California Classic hosted by the Sacramento Kings.

Carter and Stewart Jr. will play for the Miami Heat, while Woodard II will suit up for the home standing Kings. Both franchises are scheduled for a pair of games over the next two days.

Following the California Classic, the NBA Summer League will turn its attention to Las Vegas from August 8-17 where all 30 franchises will compete.

Reggie Perry is anticipated to be named to the Brooklyn Nets, and Aric Holman is expected to be listed on the Boston Celtics summer league rosters released later this week. Lamar Peters also has been chosen to the Philadelphia 76ers summer league roster, while Quinndary Weatherspoon is expected to sign an unrestricted free agent deal later this week.

The ESPN family of networks will televise the action from Las Vegas via ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the WatchESPN app. NBA-TV also is slated to carry games in Las Vegas. Fans can access a full TV schedule, box scores, game recaps and statistics online at www.NBA.com/summer-league/2021.

Carter, the 2020 SEC Sixth-Man of the Year, completed a strong first professional season for Lavrio in Greece where he averaged 13.8 points, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 48.5 percent from the floor, 42.1 percent from three-point territory and 80.0 percent from the foul line. The Starkville native boosted his marks to 16.8 points per game, fueled by three outings of 20-plus points over his last nine games. Carter finished his MSU career with 1,352 career points, which sits 19th in program history. Tyson and his father, Greg Carter, are the SEC's only father-son tandem to score over 1,000 career points apiece.

Stewart Jr. inked a free agent deal with the Miami Heat following last week's NBA Draft. He picked up All-SEC Second-Team and NIT All-Tournament Team honors with the Bulldogs in 2020-21. The Grace, Mississippi, product was one of four Power 5 players to amass over 500-plus points and 100-plus assists last season. Stewart Jr.'s 528 points were the sixth-highest for a sophomore in program history, while his two-year total of 792 points is just outside MSU's top 10 for a player following his sophomore season.

Woodard II appeared in 13 games for the Sacramento Kings during his 2020-21 rookie season. He tallied four points and six rebounds at Golden State (Jan. 4). Woodard II also secured 16.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 12 NBA G-League outings. The Columbus, Mississippi, native registered 539 points, 342 rebounds, 53 steals and 49 blocks over 65 career games at Mississippi State. Woodard II was one of three Power 5 players to average over 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal during the 2019-20 season.

The Mississippi State Athletic Ticket Office is selling 2021-22 season tickets. New season ticket purchasers can call (662) 325-2600, (888) Go Dawgs (888-463-2947) or visit www.HailState.com for more information.

Mississippi State has landed a quartet of impact transfers in Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), D.J. Jeffries (Memphis), Rocket Watts (Michigan State) and Shakeel Moore (North Carolina State), coupled with a solid freshmen class which features ESPN top 100 recruit KeShawn Murphy, Alden Applewhite and Cam Carter.

The Bulldogs also return two of their top three scorers in Iverson Molinar and Tolu Smith from 2020-21. Molinar ranked among the SEC's top 10 in points per game (16.7 – 4th), field goal percentage (47.8 – 5th) and 20-plus point games (8 – T-7th), while Smith was the SEC leader in rebounds per game (8.5) and double-doubles (8) last season.

Mississippi State captured a runner-up finish at the 2021 NIT as the Bulldogs earned a bid in postseason play for the third consecutive time when postseason tournaments have been played. State won seven of its last 10 games, highlighted by a combined five NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories down the stretch.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2021 NBA Summer League
California Classic – Sacramento, California

No. 57 Tyson Carter & No. 60 D.J. Stewart Jr. – Miami Heat
Tuesday, August 3
7 p.m. – Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN2)

Wednesday, August 4
7 p.m. – Miami Heat vs. Golden State Warriors (ESPNU)

No. 13 Robert Woodard II – Sacramento Kings
Tuesday, August 3
10 p.m. – Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors (ESPN2)

Wednesday, August 4
10 p.m. – Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPNU)

NBA Summer League: California Classic

Players Mentioned

Iverson Molinar

Tolu Smith III

D.J. Stewart Jr.

Mississippi State University Athletics