Good Morning, Illini Nation: Matthew Mayer earns G League combine invite

May 5—Welcome to "Good Morning, Illini Nation," your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He'll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood's team:

Illinois wing Matthew Mayer has received an invitation to the NBA G League combine May 13-14 in Chicago. The event is a precursor to the NBA draft combine, which runs May 16-18 also in Chicago. Play well enough in the former, and an invitation to the latter might be in the offing.

Featured Local Savings

One more time:

These are the players invited to the NBA G League Combine May 13-14 in Chicago including 2 from @RutgersMBB , 1 from @PrincetonMBB and NCAA star @MrNewYorkCityy of @KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/Q47U3yEaLz

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 4, 2023

Last year, Seton Hall's Jared Rhoden, UConn's Tyrese Martin, Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Lofton and Houston's Marcus Sasser all received the second invite to the NBA draft combine after showing out in the G League combine. While Sasser ultimately returned to Houston for the 2022-23 season and turned out an All-American, Rhoden, Martin and Lofton all turned their combine efforts into a shot at the NBA.

Martin signed a two-year deal with Atlanta and played 16 games for the Hawks. Lofton's two-day deal was converted to a regular contract in April, and he played 24 games for the Memphis Grizzlies. Rhoden eventually wound up with the Detroit Pistons on a two-day deal and played 14 games in the NBA.

Mayer earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors in his lone season at Illinois in 2022-23. The Baylor transfer put up 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Illini in a higher usage role and shot 33 percent from three-point range.

Other notable G League combine invitees include former Illinois recruiting targets like UCLA guard Tyger Campbell, Florida big man Colin Castleton and Cincinnati wing Landers Nolley II. Other Big Ten players invited are Maryland's Hakim Hart (although he's set to transfer to Villanova if he withdraws from the draft), Michigan State's Joey Hauser and Rutgers' Caleb McConnel and Clifford Omoruyi.