How Former Notre Dame Players fared in the Summer League

Pat Connaughton was Notre Dame's only representative in the NBA this season, but in the summer league the Irish were represented well by four former Notre Dame stars. Over the last few weeks Zach Auguste, Matt Ryan, John Mooney, and Juwan Durham all made appearances for NBA teams. Here's how they fared

Zach Auguste

Heading into the summer, many thought Auguste was well deserving of a summer league opportunity and that he got. In five games for the Celtics the former Notre Dame big man averaged 6.4 Points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 76.5% from the field. Arguably the most important thing Auguste showed in the summer league though was that he can now extend his game out to the three point line. In his time at Notre Dame Auguste didn't attempt or make a three, but six years later Auguste has evolved into a serviceable shooter. Although the Celtics big man attempted less than five threes in game, he showed off a clean shooting stroke and shot 100% from beyond the arc. Auguste didn't produce groundbreaking stats (outside of an 18 point game) and struggled with foul trouble but overall had a nice few weeks and showed off a new aspect of his game.

Matt Ryan

When Matt Ryan transferred out of Notre Dame a few years ago there weren't many people expecting to see him in the summer league years later, but here he is. The 6'7 forward got his shot with the Cavaliers and took advantage of it. In four games the sharpshooter averaged 11.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on 48.1% shooting from beyond the arc. After this week there's no doubt that Ryan can run off of screens and convert looks from beyond the arc at an NBA level, even with a hand in his face. The former Notre Dame swingman still has room to improve in other areas but his size and shooting ability could continue to get him opportunities based on the way he performed in the summer league.

John Mooney

After a strong year in Australia, Mooney signed with the Milwaukee Bucks to play in the summer league with high hopes but also a backup plan. In his first game with the Bucks Mooney contributed 2 points and 6 rebounds but didn't see the floor in the final two games and reportedly left for Japan on August 16th. In Japan the Notre Dame alum will join Chiba Jets for the 2021-22 season. Mooney showed off his improved footwork and athleticism but couldn't make enough of an impact to stick with an NBA team.

Juwan Durham

Notre Dame's most recent graduate didn't see the floor much for the Hawks throughout the few weeks in Las Vegas. Durham only scored in one game where he had four points but did have six rebounds and a block in that outing. The 6'11 big man will have to get stronger and develop more of an outside game to become a contributor in the summer league but appearing in games and showing off his shot blocking ability on a bigger stage was a nice start to his professional career.