Former Michigan State basketball star Kalin Lucas shines with Magic

Former Michigan State basketball great Kalin Lucas had a monster NBA Summer League showing with the Magic on Wednesday.

A name that hasn’t come up much lately when talking about the NBA is Kalin Lucas. The former Michigan State basketball star has made a name for himself in the NBA D-League and now he’s pushing for a spot on an NBA roster during Summer League play.

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On Wednesday, he showed flashes of his former dominance at point guard in East Lansing, leading the Magic to a Summer League victory over the Knicks with a big showing.

With a little college-to-NBA rivalry fun, Lucas replaced rookie Derrick Walton Jr. from Michigan as he started over the young star. He didn’t disappoint, scoring 20 points, dishing nine assists and recording three steals as he was named the player of the game.

Sitting alongside Vince Carter after the game, Lucas talked about how he remained calm and came out with his normal aggressive demeanor in the win. Carter also talked about how he would put in a good word for Lucas as teams continue to look for diamonds in the rough during Summer League play.

It’ll be interesting to see if the former Spartan point guard can catch on somewhere since he’s been such a solid force in the NBA D-League as well as this year’s Summer League, but at the age of 28, his time might be running out to find a spot in the NBA.

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Michigan State fans still beam with joy while thinking of the 2009 Final Four run which ended with a tough loss at Ford Field in Detroit against North Carolina. Lucas had a heck of a run and an injury the following year in the tourney may have hurt his NBA chances as he was never as explosive after. Fans would love to see Lucas in the league, though.