For the Chicago Bulls, free agency was a top priority this summer. They set their sights on improvement with the goal of making the playoffs next year, and the signings of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig will undoubtedly help with that goal. At the same time, their lack of serious title hopes means they need to continue developing young talent, too.
Summer league will be an important event for the Bulls in that regard. Not only can they begin to develop their young talent, but they also can scout players who could help them right now. One player sticks out in regard to both of those ideas.
Will Yoakum of Nova Southeastern is the player on Chicago’s summer league roster that fans everywhere should keep a close eye on. Not just for his play but also because of his awesome story.
After playing four years at West Liberty University, Yoakum moved to Nova Southeastern for grad school, and he put up dominant numbers during his one season with the Sharks.
Yoakum appeared in 24 games and played 27.5 minutes per contest. He averaged 20.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 57.8% from the field and 53.3% from behind the 3-point line.
However, the most impressive part about his season was that he led the Sharks on the sixth undefeated national championship run in Division II basketball history.
At 24 years old, Yoakum will be one of the older players in the summer league who has not played in the NBA, but his story is super fun.
And if his red-hot 3-point shot can translate to summer league, a training camp contract might not be out of reach. The Bulls desperately need to add shooting to their roster, and the 6-foot-4 guard could provide just that.
He may be a long shot to make the roster, but Bulls fans everywhere should be rooting for Yoakum.
