Former Duke Forward Takes Over as G-League Scoring Leader

Former Duke Blue Devils standout Matthew Hurt has been putting on a show this season in the NBA G League with the Memphis Hustle (G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies).

The 23-year-old power forward went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft after a solid two-year stint at Duke. After the draft, Hurt landed a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets. However, the Rockets released Hurt and ended up with the Grizzlies and their G League affiliate.

Last season with the Hustle, Hurt averaged 15.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 59.3% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range on 3.8 attempts per game.

However, the former Blue Devil star has taken his game to another level this season as Hurt leads the G-League in scoring (25.5 points per game), which is an impressive feat considering the talent in the NBA’s minor league.

Hurt is shooting an outstanding 57% from the field and 50.6% from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game. The 6-foot-9 forward was a solid three-point shooter at Duke (42.1%), but it’s good to see him get better at it.

The Rochester, New York native is coming off an excellent performance against the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he dropped 35 points and 14 rebounds. The Warriors had no answers for Hurt, who got buckets inside the paint and was dialed in from three-point range.

If Hurt continues to play well with the Hustle, it’s only a matter of time before the former Duke star is given a two-way contract and gets minutes in the NBA.