Photo by Adam Brimer, copyright © 2012 // Buy this photo
Tennessee guard Cameron Tatum (23) drives the ball around MTSU guard Marcos Knight (14) during the first half of the NIT second-round game at Thompson-Boling Arena Monday, March 19, 2012. (ADAM BRIMER/NEWS SENTINEL)
Cameron Tatum has known since Wednesday that he'll don a Memphis Grizzlies jersey in the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The former Tennessee guard had to hold his tongue until the team made the announcement.
Finally, Grizzlies director of scouting Tony Barone Jr. told WHBQ 560-AM in Memphis on Friday afternoon that Tatum would be joining the team in Las Vegas.
"My agent called me Wednesday night and told me I made it," Tatum said by phone Friday afternoon. "I was just waiting until everything was official."
Tatum, who tallied 1,083 points over four years with the Vols, will get his first taste of NBA action on July 14 against the New York Knicks. The Grizzlies will play five games in nine days.
The remainder of the Memphis summer league roster has not been announced. The league is typically comprised of both drafted and undrafted rookies, along with first- and second-year NBA players.
Tatum worked out twice for the Grizzlies, including one workout alongside Tony Wroten Jr. Memphis selected the former Washington guard with the 25th overall pick in Thursday's draft.
"I didn't really know what to expect in the workouts," Tatum said. "(Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin) said to just go out there and play my type of game. I did that. I shot the ball well with a lot of confidence. When they called me back I performed well because I went back with the same attitude."
Tatum graduated from UT in December 2011 with a degree in Africana Studies and is ranked second on the Vols' all-time games played list with 138 appearances. He averaged 8.1 points and 2.6 assists as a senior.
After joining current UT players for weight training and conditioning in early July, Tatum will join the Grizzlies on July 9.
"I can't ask for anything else," Tatum said. "I'm just going to try to take advantage and leave it all out there. It's a blessing. Even if it's a summer league team, it's the NBA."
Brendan F. Quinn covers Tennessee men's basketball. Follow him at http://twitter.com/BFQuin
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Comments » 9
mempuss writes:
Good for him. good luck Cam!
RaineyVol writes:
Im a Huge grizz fan... hope he is a sleeper and can stay with the program
Colliervol writes:
Had one of the better workouts among the guys they brought in. He can certainly shoot better than Tony Wroten.
born2ride writes:
Tatum is a good steady player. The Griz could use him.
eb502us#225637 writes:
Are the Grizzlies that desperate for bodies? I don't follow them but have followed Tatum throughout his career. He has no game.
kyvol98 writes:
Think you can school him on the playground? Thought not.
johnlg00 writes:
I'm sure we all hoped Cam would have had a better senior season than he did. Unlike some, I never thought Cam lacked talent, but he did seem to lack the confidence and/or killer instinct that would have enabled him to get the most out of the talent he had. If he has somehow found that, he could do better than most might think right now.
Slystone writes:
There is always one in the crowd that really knows nothing about the game.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Wow! This is a great opp for Tatum. I hope it works out for him.
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