Former Tennessee guard Scotty Hopson has signed a 10-day contract with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
A 2011 first-team All-SEC performer who scored 1,305 points during his three seasons at Tennessee (2008-11), Hopson previously appeared in two NBA games with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2013-14 season.
Prior to signing with the Mavericks, the 28-year-old Hopson was starring for Turkish club Galatasaray, averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.6 minutes per game. Among his teammates with Galatasaray were former Belmont star Alex Renfroe and former Alabama standout Richard Hendrix.
A native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Hopson came to Tennessee as a McDonald’s All-American and five-star prospect (ranked fifth overall by Rivals in the class of 2008). He helped guide the Vols to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2010.
He appeared in 103 collegiate games, with 98 starts, and averaged 12.7 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting .354 from 3-point range with 151 makes from beyond the arc.
Hopson will wear No. 32 with the Mavs, just like he did at Tennessee.
With Hopson’s signing, Tennessee now has three active players in the NBA. Tobias Harris (18.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Josh Richardson (13.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) are starters for the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat, respectively. Two other VFLs hold front office roles, with Ernie Grunfeldserving as president of the Washington Wizards, and Allan Houston holding the title of assistant general manager of the New York Knicks. Houston also is the GM of the Knicks’ G-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
