Stony Brook Men’s Basketball alumnus Jameel Warney will be signed to a 10-day contract to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Warney will be the first Stony Brook Basketball player to play in the NBA. The news was first reported out by Mark Stein, NBA reporter for the New York Times.
Warney has been a member of the NBA G-League affiliate to the Mavericks, the Texas Legends, for the past two seasons. In 81 games with the Legends, he averaged about 19 points and nine rebounds per game.
The Mavericks will soon sign Jameel Warney of the @TexasLegends — long overdue for an NBA callup from the @nbagleague — to a 10-day contract, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 7, 2018
Warney was awarded the 2017 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year Award for his efforts in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament this past summer, where he led Team USA to a gold medal and won MVP of the tournament.
He made his return to the island when his team faced the Brooklyn Nets G-League team, the Long Island Nets, back on Dec. 11. Several members of the men’s basketball team were in attendance, including former head coach and current Rutgers Men’s Basketball head coach Steve Pikiell.
“It’s a great feeling to be back and see some familiar faces – and see some Stony Brook fans,” Warney said following the game. “It makes the reason I went to Stony Brook a valid decision. We have a long time friendship that goes beyond basketball. It’s always a good feeling to see people come out and support me.”
Warney is the only Men’s Basketball alum to have his jersey retired. His No. 20 banner hangs just above the student section at Island Federal Credit Union Arena. He led the Seawolves to their first-ever America East championship, where he scored a career-high 43 points in an 80-74 win over Vermont during the 2015-16 season.
The forward could not have been signed at a better time. The Mavericks will go on an East Coast road trip starting on March 13, with a game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. The Mavericks will take on the Toronto Raptors on March 16, then face the Brooklyn Nets the following day.
