WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita State alumni made a strong showing in the 2016 NBA Summer League, which concluded Monday evening, with Toure' Murry (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Tekele Cotton (Detroit Pistons) leading their respective teams to championship game appearances in the Las Vegas and Orlando chapters.
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A record six former Shockers appeared on rosters, and five saw action in either the Orlando or Las Vegas sessions.
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Ron Baker (under contract with the New York Knicks) scored a team-high 70 points in five games with New York Knicks, and
Fred VanVleet earned a contract of his own after an impressive showing with the Toronto Raptors. In addition, Darius Carter competed for the Denver Nuggets, while Cleanthony Early -- scheduled to play for the Knicks alongside Baker -- was sidelined by a hamstring injury.
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RON BAKER:
6-4 | G | Scott City, Kan.
at WSU: 2011-16
2016 Summer League Statistics
Baker scored a team-high 70 points and started all five games for the Knicks, who finished 2-3. He hit his stride late in the session with back-to-back 20-point games to close things out, fueled by an 8-for-15 performance from three-point range. Overall, Baker averaged 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and his 14 steals were the Orlando League's third-highest total.
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FRED VANVLEET
6-0 | G | Rockford, Ill.
at WSU: 2012-16
2016 Summer League Statistics
In an efficient stat line reminiscent of his four seasons at Wichita State, VanVleet hit 55 percent of his three-point attempts (6-of-11), banked eight assists, and tallied twice as many steals (6) as turnovers (3), while helping the Raptors to a 4-1 finish. He averaged 6.2 points in 16.0 minutes but, most importantly, came away with a multi-year, non-guaranteed contract that will reserve him a spot at Toronto's preseason training camp.
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TEKELE COTTON
6-3 | G | Marietta, Ga.
at WSU: 2011-15
2016 Summer League Statistics
Cotton provided steady defense and a handful of highlight reel moments for the Pistons, who finished 4-1 in the Orlando League. His biggest play came in the championship game when his clutch layup with 9.5 seconds to go forced overtime. He started four of the five games and averaged 6.0 points in just over 25 minutes per contest. Cotton – who appeared in the 2015 Summer League with Oklahom City – spent the 2015-16 campaign in Germany.
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TOURE' MURRY
6-5 | G | Houston, Texas
at WSU: 2008-12
2016 Summer League Statistics
Murry played a key role for a Timberwolves squad that dropped all three games during pool play and was seeded dead last heading into the 24-team playoff bracket before ripping off four-straight wins to reach the title game. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 6.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in eight contests, with two starts.
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Now a fifth-year pro – Murry logged NBA time with the Knicks, Jazz and Wizards between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. He won his second D-League championship in 2015-16 as a member of the Sioux Falls SkyForce.
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DARIUS CARTER
6-7 | F | Akron, Ohio
at WSU: 2013-15
2016 Summer League Statistics
Carter also played the Nuggets in the 2015 NBA Summer League before heading overseas to Greece for the 2015-16 season. The second-year pro scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in 10 total minutes off the bench. His best effort came in a July 14 win over Utah, in which he scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting.
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