Utah’s all-time leader in three-pointers is attempting to launch shots from downtown at the next level.
Nick Jacobson, the 10th-leading scorer in school history, has signed on to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ summer league roster.
Jacobson joins the team as a free agent after not being selected in last month’s NBA draft. He joins an assortment of 15 rookies and young veterans aiming for a spot on the team.
In order to eventually suit up next to LeBron James, Jacobson has several trials to overcome.
The summer league team just finished a three-day training camp, preparing for a five-game schedule in both Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas.
Along the way, Jacobson will see some familiar faces.
Britton Johnsen, a former teammate of Jacobson, is playing for Orlando’s summer team. The Cavaliers and Magic will meet July 6.
Another former Ute, Chris Burgess, is playing for the Boston summer league team. The Celtics and Cavaliers play each other July 7.
Competing at the same position on the Cavaliers’ summer team are two former first-round draft picks.
Luke Jackson, a 6-foot, 7-inch guard/forward from Oregon was taken with the 10th pick in June’s draft. With a guaranteed contract, Jackson is trying to win minutes, not a spot on the team.
The other candidate at shooting guard is Dajuan Wagner. A lottery pick in 2002, Wagner has been an enigma due to injuries curtailing his early years in the league.
Even with the stiff competition, Jacobson arrives with credentials of his own.
The 6-foot, 4-inch shooting guard from Fargo, N.D., left the Utes as one of the most dynamic scorers in school history.
Jacobson racked up 1,618 points in his four-year career, with 861 of those points coming from beyond the three-point arc.
His senior season average of 16.5 points per game was good for fourth in the Mountain West Conference.
Jacobson may be best remembered for his game winning three-pointer against UNLV in the MWC Tournament. The shot propelled Utah to the NCAA Tournament, Jacobson’s third trip in four years.