No. 55–Oklahoma City Blue | |
---|---|
Position | Shooting guard |
League | NBA G League |
Personal information | |
Born | June 8, 1999 |
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Dunbar (Dayton, Ohio) |
College | Rutgers (2018–2023) |
NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
Playing career | 2023–present |
Career history | |
2023–present | Oklahoma City Blue |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Caleb McConnell (born June 8, 1999) is an American basketball player for the Oklahoma City Blue ofnthe NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, where he played in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, became the team's steals leader at the first round of the 2023 National Invitation Tournament and won the Reese's College All-Star Game with the West. He ended that year with 221 steals and 972 points.
In the Big Ten Conference, he held the season record for steals twice. He was named their Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and shared the award in 2023 with Chase Audige. Throughout 2023, McConnell won the Lefty Driesell Award and was in the top four with the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. Outside of college, he played with the Oklahoma City Thunder during 2023 in the NBA Summer League. With the Oklahoma City Blue, McConnell was a 2024 G-League Finals winner.
McConnell was born in Dayton, Ohio on June 8, 1999. [1] [2] During his childhood, McConnell lived in Dayton and Jacksonville, Florida with two siblings after the divorce of their parents. He played football before becoming interested in basketball. [3] With Dunbar High School from 2014 to 2017, he had 346 rebounds as part of his 686 points. [4] While with Dunbar at the 2015 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament, his team played in a semifinal for Division II schools. [5] [6] In 2018, he completed his boys basketball career at Spire Academy. [7]
Before McConnell started playing for Rutgers University in 2018, he had surgery to fix a foot injury. [8] The following year, McConnell had surgery for his hip. [9] After hurting his back, McConnell decided to stopped playing for a year during October 2020. [10] By the end of 2020, he had back surgery. [11] In January 2021, McConnell made an early return to the team "after missing ... eight games". [12] [13] That year, his team reached the second round of the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. [14] [15]
In 2022, McConnell decided to not enter the NBA draft and instead remain at Rutgers. [16] Throughout the year, he "[missed] five games with a knee injury". [17] McConnell competed in the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament during the First Four. [18] At the 2023 National Invitation Tournament, he became the steals leader for Rutgers while his team played in the first round. [19] [20] During these two years, McConnell held the season steals record for the Big Ten Conference. [21] He had 606 rebounds, 221 steals and 972 points overall after leaving the team in 2023. [22] Outside of Rutgers, his West team won the 2023 Reese's College All-Star Game. [23]
While competing as a 17U player in the Under Armour Association during 2017, he had 74 rebounds and 18 steals with C2K Elite. [24] [25] His team competed in that year's UAA Finals. [26] Throughout 2023, McConnell participated at the G League Elite Camp and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. [27] [28] During July 2023, he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Summer League. [29] With the Oklahoma City Blue for a year, he had 174 rebounds and 200 points before becoming a 2024 G-League Finals winner. [30] [31]
McConnell was the Defensive Player of the Year for the Big Ten during 2022. He shared this Big Ten award with Chase Audige during 2023. [32] [33] That year, he was an All-Met for the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. [34] He also won the Lefty Driesell Award and was in the top four with the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. [35] [36]
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represents Rutgers University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition and competes in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers made the NCAA Final Four in 1976. Rutgers has appeared in the NCAA tournament eight times, most recently appearing in 2022. Rutgers has produced many NBA players, most notably Roy Hinson, John Battle, and James Bailey.
The Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball defender in NCAA Division I competition. The award was established in 2010 and is named for head coach Lefty Driesell, who is the only head coach to amass 100 wins at four different Division I schools and is best remembered for his success with the Davidson Wildcats and Maryland Terrapins programs.
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