PISCATAWAY, N.J.- Caleb McConnell wins wherever he goes.
The former Scarlet Knight men's basketball star who spent five seasons in Piscataway won the NBA G-League Championship on Monday night as a member of the Oklahoma City Blue.
The title was OKC's first NBA G-League championship in team history.
McConnell's squad defeated the Maine Celtics in the final two games of a best-of-three-game series to win the NBA G-League's crown. The Blue defeated the Celtics 117-100 at the Portland Expo Building to secure the title on Monday.
"I am blessed to even get this experience to play beyond college in a top league like this," McConnell said. "I feel like I am just one step closer to achieving my dreams and aspirations. My first year in the NBA G-League was an awesome experience. I feel like this organization is run differently than other teams and I am just blessed to be a part of it. This was a long season and my contributions helped this team win a championship."
McConnell played two minutes in the victory, snagging an offensive rebound, and mainstay contributor and starter on the team all season long. McConnell averaged 6.3 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in his first season of professional basketball for Oklahoma City. McConnell continued to buy into the role he played in college at Rutgers as a lockdown defender and winning role player at the professional level all season long.
"I have just been soaking it all in and just trying to get better every day," McConnell said. "I didn't take any days off. I played almost all of the games, started a bunch of them, and got a good feel for what it's like to play at the professional level."
The former two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year played in 32 games and had 11 starts for the Oklahoma City Blue.
McConnell averaged just under 20 minutes a game and was a key role player leading the Blue to a 21-13 record during the regular season. McConnell went undrafted in the preseason and fulfilled an exhibit-10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder's G-League squad this season.
"Going into the offseason, I just want to get better," McConnell said. "I want to get 100 percent healthy and come back a better human being and player."
McConnell looks forward to continuing to track his Scarlet Knights this offseason and watching the team succeed next year.
"I am so excited for next year, especially with some of the pieces we have coming in," McConnell said. "Pikiell is bringing in all the right pieces. He deserves the best. I am always rooting for him and it's going to be exciting to watch."
