News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Above, Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) and Brook Lopez battle in the paint during the 2008 NCAA Tournament.  Lopez and Foote could end up as teammates this season for the Brooklyn Nets.  Below, some news and notes for Thursday...

• On Wednesday in the NBA Summer League, Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) finished with a stat line of 0 points (0/1 FGs), 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 16 minutes for the Brooklyn Nets.   

• The Ithaca Journal and Emira Star Gazette recapped Foote's performance on Wednesday as follows:

For the second straight game, Jeff Foote failed to make an impact with the Brooklyn Nets in the Orlando Pro Summer League 2012.

Foote, a three-time All-Ivy League center at Cornell University, started and played 16 minutes but was held scoreless on one field goal attempt Wednesday. The 2010 graduate grabbed five rebounds, two of them offensive, had an assist and committed a foul.

The Nets fell to 0-3 in the Summer League, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, 79-71, at the Amway Center. The Sixers are 1-2.

Foote, a 7-footer from Spencer-Van Etten High, scored a point Tuesday, after finishing with 10 points and six rebounds in his first outing of the Summer League on Monday.

Marshon Brooks, who played for the Nets during the 2011-12 regular season, was the Nets' leading scorer with 18 points. Recent University of Pennsylvania graduate Zach Rosen came off the Philadelphia bench to score six points and hand out six assists in nearly 17 minutes on the floor.

Foote, who attended the Nets' free agent camp May 21-23, was called up by the New Orleans Hornets on a 10-day NBA contract in March. He played with the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League and averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds in 39 games with the Nets' affiliate.

The Nets will play the Oklahoma City Thunder at 1 p.m. today.

• The New York Post noted that Nets' coach, Avery Johnson was  pleased with how the entire starting five – Tyshawn Taylor, MarShon Brooks, Tornike Shengelia, Bryant Dunston and Jeff Foote – played during the first quarter on Wednesday, when the Nets jumped out to an early lead over the 76ers.  “I thought just our whole starting team [did well],” he said. “I thought Taylor did a nice job running the team, I thought MarShon did a nice job, Toko, Dunston and Foote. I thought that group did a good job."  Prior to Wednesday's game, the Post noted, "Jeff Foote had a rough game Tuesday [against the Celtics], finishing with one point and two rebounds in 19 minutes. After playing much of last season for the Springfield Armor, the Nets’ D-League affiliate, Foote has a chance to earn a roster spot with a strong week this week, given the Nets’ lack of size on their roster currently and lack of financial flexibility moving forward.  But it would do him well to have a performance closer to Monday’s 10 points and six rebounds against the Celtics than how he played Tuesday.  Can the unheralded big men continue to impress?" 

•  Foote returned to action in the NBA Summer League with the Nets on Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Foote finished with a stat line of 9 points (4/9 FGs), 7 rebounds, 2 assists  and 1 block in 19 minutes.  Summer league games are 40 minutes in length.  Foote plays his final game on Friday against the Indiana Pacers.  See Foote's summer league stats here.  And see videos of Foote's two dunks against the Thunder.

• Below, WENY covered Foote's Wednesday performance against the 76ers: