For anyone who follows basketball, it should come as no surprise that Kentucky and Duke are heavily represented on Summer League rosters. Whether it be top draft picks or players trying to solidify themselves on an NBA roster, there is a plethora of former Wildcats and Blue Devils players to be seen throughout.
In the 2024 Summer League, there were 11 Kentucky players throughout the rosters, highlighted by Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick. Duke had eight former Blue Devils who were represented, led by Jared McCain, one of the top rookies of last season.
During this Summer League edition, both schools had even more players throughout. Duke had 11 players participating, and Kentucky had 13 players representing their college programs, with No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg being the highlight of the entire event. Ahead of his sophomore season, Sheppard returned to build on his rookie campaign.
And both did not disappoint. After struggling in his first game against the Lakers, Flagg exploded in his second and final game with 31 points on 21 shots. Sheppard also played two games, scoring 28 points in his first match and following up with 18 points in his second game.
Like Sheppard, Rob Dillingham returned to get more reps in ahead of his second campaign with Minnesota.
In addition to Flagg, Duke was represented by several other standouts from last season’s roster, including Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Sion James, and Tyrese Proctor.
For Kentucky, Koby Brea, Amari Williams, Andrew Carr, Jaxson Robinson, and Lamont Butler all played for the Wildcats during the 2024–25 season.
Trevor Keels, Marques Bolden, DJ Steward, Wendell Moore Jr, Kyle Filipowski, and Jack White round out the rest of the Dukies that are here playing in the Summer League.
Meanwhile, the other blue blood college Kentucky had Justin Edwards, Antonio Reeves, Chris Livingston, Jacob Toppin, Keion Brooks, and Lance Ware trying to solidify themselves.
