How former Wisconsin PG Chucky Hepburn performed in final NBA Summer League games
In the Toronto Raptors' 81-69 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, the undrafted rookie went scoreless with five assists and two steals in 16 minutes of action off the bench. That zero-point outing came on 0-of-3 shooting from the field and 0-of-1 from 3-point range.
That performance followed a string of relatively low point totals from the longtime Badger. In the Raptors' first three Summer League games, Hepburn scored two, six and three points, respectively. While the assist and steal numbers are strong enough to headline his stat sheet, the lack of scoring production is a bit of a surprise after he averaged 16.4 points per game in a breakthrough senior season at Louisville.
Related: How Wisconsin star wing John Tonje and center Steven Crowl fared in their final Summer League games
With that trend in mind, Hepburn entered the Raptors' Summer League semifinal matchup against the Sacramento Kings needing to make a statement. He was on his way to doing exactly that through his first nine minutes of action, with eight quick points off 1-of-4 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. A string of fouls sent him to the bench for a significant portion of the fourth quarter, before he picked up his sixth and final foul in the game's closing seconds. Toronto fell 98-88, ending its Summer League session.
Hepburn signed a two-way deal with the Raptors following June's NBA draft. Given that status, the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year should get plenty of opportunities during the Raptors' training camp and preseason schedule. A start in the G League will likely follow, barring an unforeseen breakout.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell comments on Billy Edwards' leadership at Big Ten media days
Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell and several player representatives -- center Jake Renfro, cornerback Ricardo Hallman and quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. -- were on hand at Big Ten media days on Wednesday, officially kickstarting preparation for the fast-approaching 2025 football season. As is often the case, one major storyline surrounding the team is its quarterback situation. Wisconsin welcomed in experienced transfers in Tanner Mordecai and Tyler Van Dyke, respectively, before each of the last two seasons. However, the team never saw those plans through to completion, as both players battled significant injury. They combined for only 13 total starts, a number that drops to 11 when the two games during which they were injured during the first quarter aren't considered. Related: Big Ten football starting quarterback rankings: Where does Billy Edwards slot in? Those injuries and resulting inconsistent play under center were a major reason for Wisconsin's offensive struggles in 2023 and 2024 under now-former coordinator Phil Longo. With the team entering 2025 with a nearly identical plan as it did the last two years, this time with Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. at quarterback and Jeff Grimes at OC, maybe the third time becomes the charm. Edwards completed 65% of his passes for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season, operating behind a Maryland offensive line that was among the worst in the Big Ten. Many are expecting a breakthrough 2025 campaign from the veteran signal-caller. Wisconsin's supporting cast, from the offensive line to the skill positions, is far better suited to help its quarterback succeed. Fickell's tone from media days didn't necessarily focus on the expectations surrounding Edwards' play. Instead, it was on the veteran's leadership -- a quality seen by him representing the Badgers at conference media days after just seven months with the program. "I think first and foremost, he's a guy that has walked in knowing that the whole idea is that we're going to hand over the keys to this new offense, but everything that we do is earned. " Fickell began. "There's a uniqueness to that that you have to be able to handle. He's walked in, humbled himself in a lot of ways, earned and gained the respect of not just the locker room, but everybody within the coaching staff. In order to do that, it takes somebody that's well in-tune to all the things around him. It started there, his voice has to grow from the time he came in in January to where he is now. It started there, his voice has to grow from the time he came in in January to where he is now. And I think he's done it in an unbelievable way." "He's earned and gained the respect of not only the locker room, but everybody within the coaching staff."Luke Fickell on how transfer QB Billy Edwards Jr. has settled in at @BadgerFootball 👇#B1GFootball Wisconsin enters the 2025 season looking to bounce back after a program-worst finish in 2024. While the Badgers face one of the sport's toughest schedules, they are set to do so after an offseason full of notable roster improvements, headlined by Edwards' addition. The veteran quarterback's play will go a long way toward deciding the team's fate in 2025, which will directly affect the program's overall trajectory under Fickell. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Former Vol to play basketball professionally in France
Former Tennessee men's basketball player Zakai Zeigler signed to play professional basketball. Zeigler, a point guard and three-year starter for the Vols, signed to play for Nanterre 92, in the LNB Elite, which competes in the top-tier league in France. Nanterre 92 is located in Nanterre, France. "New recruit," Nanterre 92 announced. "The Vol hoops point guard Zakai Zeigler joins Nanterre 92 and will try to outpace the Betclic_ELITE! After a solid (NBA) Summer League with the Detroit Pistons, Zakai averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 assists per game in his last NCAA season. Let's go ZZ!" Zeigler signed as an undrafted free agent with Detroit following the 2025 NBA draft. He played for the Pistons' NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with his Tennessee teammate Chaz Lanier, a second-round pick by Detroit. Zeigler, a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 assists in four games with Detroit in the NBA Summer League. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Addressing Reed Sheppard concerns, spacing questions and more: Rockets mailbag
Welcome to the dog days of the offseason. If you're reading this, you're probably wondering what the next transition is after an underwhelming free agency and summer league. Luckily for Rockets fans, enough has happened within the organization to keep you intrigued from now until training camp opens. Kevin Durant's arrival, sorting through Houston's depth chart, and figuring out what comes next make for a busy rest of the summer. Advertisement You guys had questions; hopefully, I have some answers. Let's get to it. Could the Rockets have gotten more value for Cam Whitmore? Second round picks seem like a cheap price to pay for a former first-rounder that could average 20 points a game. — Bruno C. Thanks for your submission, Bruno. I think you speak for a substantial portion of the fanbase. When the Whitmore chapter closed in Houston earlier this month— he was sent to Washington in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick from Chicago and a 2029 second from Sacramento — the reality of today's NBA and diminishing player valuation became apparent at the same time. Not too long ago, Whitmore was heavily projected as a top-10 pick; there wasn't a mock draft in the country that had him falling outside of the lottery and certainly not to 20. Recouping external value over time isn't impossible, but the Whitmore/Houston marriage didn't pan out how both sides had hoped. The 21-year-old's potential, the longer he remained with the Rockets, excluded from head coach Ime Udoka's rotation, became a double-edged sword. Team officials were certainly aware of Whitmore's potential in the right setting — several advanced analytics projected him as an impact scorer. The problem for Whitmore, and eventually Houston, became that finding the 'right setting' didn't align with a gradually changing timeline. Toward the end of the season, both sides engaged in discussions to find a mutually beneficial decision, whether that was how to reincorporate him or trade him where he could get playing time. On draft night, the Rockets attempted to move Whitmore for a late first-round selection, team sources said, but teams weren't interested in engaging at that price point. The realization that Houston's valuation of Whitmore was higher than the consensus accelerated the process, augmented by the arrival of Kevin Durant. The Rockets' brass, led by general manager Rafael Stone, worked closely with Whitmore's representation at WME (agents Bill Duffy and Joe Branch) to find the optimal solution for both parties — a good return and a team with interest and minutes available. Advertisement There were several other offers for Whitmore involving second-round picks on the table — and Houston could have easily shuttled him in that direction — but Whitmore's representatives put development before anything else, not wanting a repeat of the past two seasons. The Rockets chose a destination close to home (Whitmore played high school ball in Severn, MD, about 25 miles from D.C.) and a team in a rebuilding phase, aligning with his current goals. It was also the best deal available at the time. Perhaps Houston could have gotten more for Whitmore during the season, but that would have required him forcing his way into Udoka's rotation and given their current depth, that always seemed unlikely. I am a fan of our offseason, but I do have one lingering concern. If Reed (Sheppard) struggles, our guard depth will basically be reduced to two undersized guards in (Fred VanVleet) and (Aaron) Holiday. Has the front office hinted at adding any other pieces to fortify the roster? — Jordan E. For anyone who watched Sheppard in Vegas, hoping for similar success stories such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, young players who performed well at past summer leagues, odds are you were disappointed. I would have liked to see him make amends for his lackluster performance against Detroit, but Sheppard's stint was limited to two games despite acting summer league head coach Garrett Jackson's public appeal. Sheppard still has improvement to make as a point-of-attack defender and poise as a ball handler amid pressure. Given some of his late-season flashes, Sheppard's up-and-down showing this month shouldn't concern Houston's coaching staff that much — it's more fan frustration than anything — but he's still heading into Year 2 with less than 60 games of experience. It's not out of the realm of possibility to suggest Sheppard might run into some struggles at some point, and to question what the Rockets' Plan B is in that case. And with all due respect to recently-signed veteran wing Josh Okogie, I don't think that's the solution. Following Okogie's addition, Houston is so close to the first apron that they can reach out and touch it. However, if we zoom out a bit, I don't think it's that much of an issue, either. It just takes some creativity from the coaching staff to accommodate potential pitfalls. Advertisement One solution is to stagger VanVleet and Amen Thompson to ensure that at least one of the guards remains on the floor at all times (you could also stagger VanVleet and Alperen Şengün for constant creation). Another option is calling on Udoka's old friend Holiday, who can provide some stability in spots. It's not perfect, but Houston's depth is good enough to withstand a lack of production from Sheppard, who will be sufficient anyway. And hey, if all else fails, just give it to Durant, right? Houston currently only has Kevon Harris signed to a two-way contract and is exploring how to get creative with their remaining two slots (the Rockets await N'Faly Dante's decision after tendering a qualifying offer). But if there isn't a real difference-maker out there, Houston could simply wait until Dec. 15 when someone from the Holiday/Jeff Green/Jae'Sean Tate trio would be trade-eligible. How do the Rockets solve the problem of having two key starters (Şengün and Thompson) unable to shoot from outside? It seems like offense will always be difficult because the team will face a clogged lane with extra defenders available to sag off of those two. — Mark C. It starts and ends with Şengün. From all accounts, the Turkish big has been working to expand his range to get more comfortable taking 3s, which should naturally open up more things in the half court. Consequently, Thompson has been seen online getting in several training sessions to fine-tune his jumper. Two negative shooters improving is an obvious fix. But even if that doesn't happen right away (yes, I'm aware of my previous comments re: Tate), there are still other ways to manufacture good offense with non-shooters. The spacing around both is important, yes, but the positioning of both Şengün and Thompson is important as well. Take the possession below with Şengün at the top of the key and Thompson near the dunker spot. This play is only made possible because of Şengün's screening, his gravity and quick decision-making. He's able to find a man in the corner while Brandin Podziemski is occupied with Thompson. In transition, it's again about Şengün's ability to keep up with Thompson pushing the pace, attacking the rim before making a nifty dump-off pass back to his teammate. Expect Şengün, coming off an All-Star year, to have a better impact on Houston's previous spacing issues, especially with Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith on the roster. In your opinion, have the Rockets actually improved their roster this offseason? — Ed C. Short answer is yes. Houston found their biggest weakness (a lack of a go-to scorer who happens to be an all-time floor spacer) and added a tenacious, legitimate 3-and-D big wing to the mix, all while doubling down on their double-big obsession and retaining the majority of their core. They got a lot better, and after winning 52 games last season, 56-60 isn't that lofty of an expectation, health aside. Advertisement What do you know about the Rockets' coaching staff's offseason priorities for Tari (Eason)? — John A. There's an expectation that Eason, an analytical darling, should improve his 3-point efficiency (28th percentile in spot-ups) after slightly regressing while adding more volume to his outside looks. Other than that, continuing to make him productive in transition (57th percentile last season, per Synergy) and making him a star in his role. At his best, Eason is a switchable menace who is relentless on the glass and in passing lanes while showcasing underrated athleticism. His continued growth will come from smoothening out the rough edges of his game, which can be equal parts exciting and erratic at times. With the signing of Clint Capela as a third big man, do you think the team is intending to use double bigs more than the handful of minutes per game that they did at the end of last year? — Ryan S. Oh yeah. Big time. The stellar production Houston unearthed by playing Şengün and Steven Adams together midway through the season sent them off on a tangent. And they're not the only ones suddenly fascinated with playing bigs more. I recently spoke to a Western Conference general manager who said his team paid close attention to what the Rockets did and essentially hope to duplicate it. Adding Capela to the mix allows them to preserve Adams' knees longer until the postseason, when they'll be relied upon heavily. Capela, 31, is around the same age as Adams and played 55 games to Adams' 58. It's clear at this stage of their careers that asking them to be available for an 82-game season is out of the question, but managing their load can hopefully keep them fresh. This league is all about advantages at the margins and the Rockets have found one and intend to maximize it to the fullest. (Photo of Reed Sheppard:)
