Former Harvard Hoops Standouts Get NBA Chance

Courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications

Two former Harvard standouts will get their chances at their NBA dreams as Brian Cusworth [pic.] has signed to play with the New Orleans Hornets for their NBA Summer League team while Jeremy Lin has signed to play with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team after an impressive showing at their mini-camp.

Cusworth, an All-Ivy League second-team choice in 2005, was one of the Ancient Eight’s top frontcourt players during his career with the Crimson (2002-07). A consistent double-double threat, Cusworth, who also garnered All-Ivy honorable mention in 2006, averaged 17.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during his senior campaign. He ranks first in program history with 147 blocks and 10th with 601 rebounds in 86 games. In addition, he compiled 1,042 points, averaging 12.1 points per contest during the course of his career in Cambridge.

Following graduation, Cusworth played in Europe with Tartu Ulikool/Rock of the Estonian League. He helped the team win the Estonian National Championship in 2008 and was named the Estonian League Finals Most Valuable Player. Most recently, he was a member of the Basquet Manresa of the Liga ACB in Spain. Summer League plays runs July 5-18 with the Orlando Summer League held July 5-9, followed by the Las Vegas Summer League July 9-18.

Lin signed a contract to play for the Dallas Mavericks Summer League team. Lin, who is one of 11 players on the roster, will join the team from July 9-18 at the COX Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV.

Dallas will play Denver Friday, July 9 at 4 p.m., before facing Houston Saturday, July 10 at 10 p.m. A full schedule of the Dallas summer league games is available and all games will be shown live on NBATV.

Lin, a guard from Palo Alto, Calif., was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the nation’s top point guard as well as the John R. Wooden Award for the national player of the year, in 2009-10. A four-time Ivy League Player of the Week honoree, Lin led the Crimson in scoring as a senior with 16.4 points per game. He also led team with 4.6 assists per contest and paced the Ancient Eight with 71 steals, marking the third straight year he topped the Ivy League in steals. Harvard also enjoyed the program's winningest season in 2009-10, as the team recorded 21 victories and qualified for the postseason for the first time since 1946.

A USBWA and NABC all-district team honoree, Lin completed his Harvard career as the only player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points (1,482), 450 rebounds (494), 400 assists (406) and 200 steals (225). Lin helped rewrite the Harvard record books, as he finished his career first in all-time games played (115) and was second in steals and fifth in points and assists.