Members of Duke's 2010 national championship team have slowly trickled their way into the NBA. Now, it appears it may be Jon Scheyer's turn.
Scheyer, who nearly suffered a career-ending injury in 2010 when he tore the retina and damaged the optic nerve in his right eye, will compete for the Philadelphia 76ers in the Orlando Pro Summer League from July 9-13. The majority of the 13 members of his summer league team were undrafted as well, and will attempt to scrap their way to a training camp invite with Philadelphia or another NBA team. Just two members of the team the 76ers have fielded played for the team last season.
After going undrafted in 2010, Scheyer played for the Miami Heat in the Las Vegas Summer League before injuring his eye. Two months after his eye was surgically repaired, Scheyer was invited to training camp with the Los Angeles Clippers, but was not in top form and failed to make the roster. After taking time away from the game for his eye to heal, Scheyer appeared in 16 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBDL, where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He then spent most of 2011 in Israel competing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, though Scheyer did not see significant minutes and elected to return to the United States to pursue a possible career in the NBA.
Scheyer will report with the rest of 76ers to Orlando July 5 to begin workouts. The team will play a five-game schedule against the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons.
Members of that 2010 national championship team have had varying success reaching the NBA. Nolan Smith was drafted in 2011 and finally made his professional debut after the lockout ended. After being selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft by Pistons, Kyle Singler decided to stay in Spain for the entire year and will make his debut with Detroit next fall. Lance Thomas spent more than a year in the D-League before earning a contract with the New Orleans Hornets.
Other members of the team, such as center Brian Zoubek, who is opening a cream puff shop in New Jersey, are no longer playing basketball professionally.
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