Andre Jackson Jr. Gains More Minutes, Multiple Huskies Getting Ready for G League Playoffs
Before we get started...
Here are a few photos capturing former national champion Huskies’ reactions to Braylon Mullin’s iconic shot that sent the UConn men’s basketball team to its eighth Final Four in program history.
Still in awe of the shot!
Tristen Newton/James Bouknight/Liam McNeeley
With the G League postseason set to begin this Tuesday, expect Tristen Newton and James Bouknight, and possibly Liam McNeeley, to take part. Both Newton and Bouknight have only appeared in G League games this season so it’s safe to say they will be suiting up for their respective teams, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets’ G League affiliate) and the Mexico City Capitanes (No NBA affilite). Meanwhile, McNeeley has been shuttling between the Charlotte Hornets and the Greensboro Swarm all season, including this past weekend. He was assigned to Greensboro on Friday, scored 16 points for the Swarm on Saturday, then was recalled to Charlotte on Sunday, where he scored 10 points in just 11 minutes in the Hornets 114-99 loss to the Boston Celtics.
It is unclear at this time whether or not McNeeley will suit up for the Swarm’s first round playoff game on Tuesday as the they get ready to host the seven seed, Maine Celtics (Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate) for the franchise’s first ever home playoff game. The game is set to tip off at 6:30pm ET.
Newton, who recorded 17 30 plus-point performances this season—including one on Saturday in the regular season finale—averaged 25.6 points per game, third-best in the league, and helped the Vipers secure the number four seed in the Western Conference. They will welcome the five seeded Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs affiliate) in the first round on Tuesday night at 8:30pm ET.
Bouknight finished the year with 114 made three-pointers, fourth-most in the league, and helped the Capitanes secure the number two seed in the Western Conference. They will host seventh-seeded Rip City Remix (Portland Trail Blazers affiliate), Bouknight’s former team, in the opening round on Wednesday night at 10:00pm ET.
The G League playoffs consist of 16 teams, eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference which will feature three single-elimination rounds, leading to a best-of-three NBA G League Finals.
Below is the schedule for the entire G League playoffs:
- March 31st and April 1st: 1st Round
- April 3rd: Conference Semifinals
- April 5th: Conference Finals
- April 8th: G League Finals - Game 1
- April 10th: G League Finals - Game 2
- April 13th: G League Finals - Game 3 (if necessary)
Former Huskies whose teams did not make the playoffs include: Samson Johnson (Noblesville Boom, Indiana Pacers G League affiliate), Tyler Polley (College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta Hawks G League affiliate), Joey Calcaterra (Memphis Hustle, Memphis Grizzlies G League affiliate).
Joey Calcaterra (G League)
How about Joey Calcaterra back in the G League! While scrolling through the Vipers box score on Thursday, I happened to see a J. Calcaterra in the Memphis Hustle side and to my delight I quickly realized that Joey California was back on a G League roster!
The three-point specialist played the final three games of the season for the Hustle and averaged 4.3 points per game in 15.3 minutes of game action. Calcaterra shot 3-of-9 from behind the arc in those three contests.
It looks like Calcaterra last played a professional game back on March 16th, 2025 with the G League Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings’ G League affiliate) and has never signed with a team overseas. The 2023 National Champion has played in 28 career G League games since the 2023-2024 season, his first professional season.
Stephon Castle
For the fourth time this season, and in his career, Stephon Castle recorded a triple-double on Saturday afternoon. This time it came against Andre Jackson Jr. and the Milwaukee Bucks, as Castle scored 22 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 29 minutes, helping the San Antonio Spurs defeat the Bucks 127–95. It’s Castle’s second triple-double this month, with the Spurs going 2–2 in those games.
Andre Jackson Jr.
Jackson Jr. has seen a significant uptick in playing time over the past week and, as a result, has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his NBA career. In Saturday’s matchup against Castle and the Spurs, he scored a then season-high 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, in 14 minutes.
That performance earned Jackson Jr. his first start of the season the following day against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the 2023 national champion delivered. The third-year guard immediately set another new season high with 13 points, adding six rebounds and two steals in a season-high 33 minutes, though the Bucks fell 127–113.
With the Bucks eliminated from postseason contention and eight games left in their regular season, expect Andre to continue seeing significant minutes down the stretch.
Donovan Clingan
Clingan is in a bit of a scoring drought after recording just six points in each of the Trail Blazers’ last two games, but he continues to contribute in other ways. Against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Clingan grabbed 17 rebounds in a 100–93 loss, then followed that up on Sunday with five blocks in a 123–88 win over the Washington Wizards.
It’s the first time since January 9th–15th that Clingan has been held to single digits in consecutive games, after being held under 10 points for four straight during that stretch.
Cam Spencer
The Memphis Grizzlies may not be winning much this season, they are currently 25–49 and just 3–13 in March, but Cam Spencer continues to produce, posting his sixth double-double of the season and his career on Friday night in a 119–109 loss to the Houston Rockets. The 2024 national champion scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, and added 10 assists with just one turnover, along with three steals and one block in 29 minutes.
Spencer did not play in the Grizzlies’ 125–124 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday due to back soreness.
Jordan Hawkins
Due to several key injuries for the New Orleans Pelicans, Hawkins saw extended minutes for the first time in over two months this past Thursday and Friday. He scored nine points, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in 22 minutes during the Pelicans’ 129–108 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. Then on the very next night, he followed that up on with five points and three assists in 21 minutes in a 119–106 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
The nine points against the Pistons are the most the sharpshooter has scored since putting up 10 on December 2nd, and it also marks the first time he has made at least three three-pointers in a game since hitting four on November 26th. Lastly, it’s the first time all season he has played at least 20 minutes in back-to-back games.
Hawkins checked in for the final five minutes of the Pelicans’ 134–102 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday and scored two points.
Tage Thompson
Thompson scored his 37th goal of the season on Friday night in the Buffalo Sabres’ 5–2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings and followed it up with a shootout goal to help the Sabres to a 3-2 win against the Seattle Kraken.
George Springer
It didn’t take long for our first “Springer Dinger” of the season, as the New Britain, Connecticut native belted his first home run of the year in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5–2 win over the Athletics on Sunday, completing a three-game opening-season sweep.
The solo homer also marked the 64th leadoff home run of Springer’s career, second only to Rickey Henderson (81) on the all-time list.
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