Four Bulldogs At NBA Summer League Starting This Weekend

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Mississippi State men's basketball will have four players participate during the 2024 NBA 2K25 Summer League which begins Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas from July 12-22.

D.J. Jeffries (Memphis Grizzlies) already saw action earlier this week during the Salt Lake City Summer League in Utah.

Garrison Brooks (Chicago Bulls), Tolu Smith III (Detroit Pistons) and Quinndary Weatherspoon (Phoenix Suns) give the Bulldogs four players at the NBA Summer showcase event.

All 76 games of the 11-day competition will air live on ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ and ESPN3) or NBA TV. Every game also will be streamed via the ESPN App. Each of the 30 NBA franchises will play at least five games total which starts with four matchups from July 12-19.

The top four teams will advance to a semifinal doubleheader on Sunday, July 21 starting at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN. The two semifinal winners will meet in the championship game on Monday, July 22 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. The 26 teams that don't advance to the four-team playoff will play their final game on either Saturday, July 20 or Sunday, July 21.

Garrison Brooks | Chicago Bulls
Brooks, the son of State assistant coach George Brooks, played professionally in Lithuania and South Korea during the 2023-24 season. He also has spent time with the NBA G League's Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks) where he posted 13.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in 2022-23. Brooks amassed over 1,600 points and 1,000 rebounds at Mississippi State and North Carolina.

D.J. Jeffries | Memphis Grizzlies
Jeffries dialed up 1,298 points, 772 rebounds, 258 assists and 137 steals over his five seasons between Mississippi State and Memphis. He totaled 64 games in double figures where his teams secured a combined 47-17 record.

Tolu Smith III | Detroit Pistons
Smith III, a two-time All-SEC First-Team selection, piled up 1,554 points (11th) and 865 rebounds (6th) over his four seasons in the Maroon and White. The last State player to earn consensus All-SEC First-Team honors in back-to-back seasons was Jarvis Varnado (2008-09, 2009-10). He was one of seven Power 6 players to average at least 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 55.0 percent from the field in 2023-24.

Quinndary Weatherspoon | Phoenix Suns
Weatherspoon came away with 14.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per contest for the South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers) in the NBA G League last season. He also played internationally in China and Puerto Rico.

Professionally, Weatherspoon was a 2021-22 NBA Champion with the Golden State Warriors and has seen action in 42 games over three NBA seasons which also included a stop with San Antonio (2019-20 & 2020-21).

At Mississippi State, Weatherspoon was an All-SEC selection during all four seasons (2015-16 Freshmen Team, 2016-17 & 2017-18 Second Team and 2018-19 First Team). He is one of three players to amass over 2,000 career points and sits among the program's top 5 in steals (201 – 3rd), field goals made (704 – 4th) and free throws made (413 – 5th). Weatherspoon (2018, 2019) and Jarvis Varnado (2009, 2010) are State's only two-time winners of the Bailey Howell Trophy.

2024 NBA Summer League – Las Vegas, Nevada
Pool Play – July 12-19; Championship Play – July 20-22
All Times Central; All Games Streamed On ESPN App

Friday, July 12
5 p.m. (NBA TV) – Memphis Grizzlies (Jeffries) vs. Sacramento Kings

Saturday, July 13
3:30 p.m. (NBA TV) – Chicago Bulls (Brooks) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
6 p.m. (ESPN2) – Detroit Pistons (Smith III) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
10 p.m. (ESPN2) – Phoenix Suns (Weatherspoon) vs. Golden State Warriors

Sunday, July 14
9 p.m. (ESPN2) – Chicago Bulls (Brooks) vs. Golden State Warriors

Monday, July 15
5:30 p.m. (NBA TV) – Detroit Pistons (Smith III) vs. Houston Rockets
7 p.m. (ESPNU) – Memphis Grizzlies (Jeffries) vs. Dallas Mavericks

Tuesday, July 16
3 p.m. (ESPNU) – Phoenix Suns (Weatherspoon) vs. Indiana Pacers
5:30 p.m. (NBA TV) – Chicago Bulls (Brooks) vs. Detroit Pistons (Smith III)

Wednesday, July 17
6 p.m. (ESPN+) – Memphis Grizzlies (Jeffries) vs. Orlando Magic
7 p.m. (NBA TV) – Phoenix Suns (Weatherspoon) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Thursday, July 18
5 p.m. (NBA TV) – Memphis Grizzlies (Jeffries) vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Friday, July 19
3 p.m. (NBA TV) – Phoenix Suns (Weatherspoon) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
5 p.m. (NBA TV) – Chicago Bulls (Brooks) vs. Atlanta Hawks
6 p.m. (ESPN) – Detroit Pistons (Smith III) vs. New York Knicks

Over his first two seasons, Chris Jans has guided State to a pair of 21-win seasons and consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.

Humphrey Coliseum was one of the nation's most electric environments in 2023-24 featuring seven sellouts – the most on record for a season dating back to 2008-09 highlighted by four in a row.

Mississippi State is now accepting season ticket deposits for the 2024-25 season at www.HailState.com/tickets.

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

Mississippi State University Athletics

Four Bulldogs At NBA Summer League Starting This Weekend

Players Mentioned

D.J. Jeffries

Tolu Smith III

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