The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Millsap, Delaney To Play In NBA Summer League
7/3/2010 12:00:00β―AM | Men's Basketball
July 3, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Former UAB men's basketball player Elijah Millsap has been invited to play with the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA Summer League, which is set to take place July 9-18 in Las Vegas, Nev.
In addition to Millsap, four former Blazers will also compete in this year's event. Guard Paul Delaney III has been invited to join the Milwaukee Bucks, guard Donell Taylor will play with the Orlando Magic, guard/forward Robert Vaden will compete with Oklahoma CIty Thunder and center Kenneth Cooper will play alongside Millsap with the Pistons.
Millsap, a native of Grambling, La. who graduated this summer with a degree in psychology, is coming off an outstanding 2009-10 season in which he was tabbed as a Conference USA First Team honoree. In doing so, he became the first UAB player since Robert Vaden in 2008 and the fifth UAB player overall to earn first-team All-C-USA honors since the league's inception in 1995.
Millsap, who also earned first-team all-region honors, had an outstanding season a year ago, leading the conference in rebounds per game (9.5), while also ranking fifth in the league with 16.1 points per contest. Millsap, the brother of Utah Jazz star Paul Millsap, also topped the conference and ranked 13th in the nation in double-doubles with 17 - the most in UAB history. The 6-6, 215-pound guard also broke single-season school records for total rebounds (324) and free throws attempted (236).
Delaney, who graduated with a degree in history from UAB in 2009, had an impressive season in Israel's first division with Ironi Nahariya in 2009-10. While there, the Decatur, Ga. native averaged 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per contest in his first season as a professional player. He finished the campaign ranking second on the team in points and assists per game and led his squad in steals and minutes per game (32.9).
Like Delaney, Vaden also had a standout first season playing for Aget Imola in Italy's second division. While there, the Indianapolis, Ind. native averaged 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest. He shot 40.0 percent (90-of-225) from three-point range and reached at least 15 points in 19 of his team's 29 contests a year ago.
Taylor had a standout 2009-10 campaign with the Idaho Stampede and Erie Bayhawks in the NBDL last season. In his 35 games played with the Stampede, the Montgomery, Ala. native collected 21.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 35.8 minutes per contest. He played 13 games with the Bayhawks, averaging 18.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists a contest.
Millsap, Cooper and Delaney will compete at the Las Vegas Summer League will take place on July 9-18, while Taylor and Vaden will play in the Orlando Summer League on July 5-9. All games can be seen live on NBA TV. For the complete game-by-game schedule go the the NBA.com website.
