Michigan State basketball's Joey Hauser signs two-way deal with Utah Jazz after NBA draft
Joey Hauser will get a shot to join his brother in the NBA.
The former Michigan State basketball forward signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz shortly after the draft early Friday morning. His agency, Glushion Sports Management, confirmed it is a two-way contract.
That means Hauser also will reunite with Steve Wojciechowski, the former Marquette coach he played in his home state Wisconsin for before transferring to MSU before the 2019-20 season. Wojciechowski was named head coach of the Jazz's G League team, the Salt Lake City Stars, earlier this month.
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Hauser and his older brother, Sam, played for Wojciechowski at Marquette together in the 2018-19 season. Joey enrolled in January 2018 and redshirted after suffering an injury that ended his senior season at Stevens Point High. He made the All-Big East Freshman team before opting to leave for East Lansing.
Sam Hauser also left the Golden Eagles following that year, transferring to Virginia for his final season, and now is with the Boston Celtics. He signed a two-way contract in 2021 as an undrafted free agent, just like Joey did with Utah, and played 80 games in the NBA this season.
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In his final year with the Spartans, Joey Hauser blossomed into a pro prospect after three up-and-down seasons that began with him sitting out his first season due to NCAA transfer rules that changed the following year. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound stretch forward led MSU with 7.0 rebounds and a 46.1% 3-point percentage while finishing second in scoring at 14.4 points a game. He was a plus-122 and added 1.8 assists while tying Tyson Walker for the most minutes played (34.0 per game).
Hauser’s calling card is his catch-and-shoot ability from beyond the arc, but he also showed improved ability to attack off the dribble and create for others with his passing ability. He could have petitioned the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility thanks to the COVID waiver for 2020-21 but opted to turn pro after his fourth playing season and 5½ years in college.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball: Joey Hauser signs 2-way deal with Utah Jazz
