Barnhizer's Defense Shines in Oklahoma City Thunder Summer League Win

The Northwestern alum has been making a name for himself this summer.

Jan 22, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Luke Goode (10) defends Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Although he struggled to put the ball in the net, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Brooks Barnhizer relied on the other parts of his game to lead his team to victory on Thursday. The Thunder defeated the Nets in their NBA 2K26 Summer League opener, 90-81, with a large boost from Barnhizer's defense.

The former Northwestern captain finished with six points, shooting just 2-of-11 overall, 0-of-5 from three and 2-of-6 from the free throw line. However, Barnhizer supplemented his rough scoring night with a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and six steals.

His steal against first-round pick Danny Wolf, who competed against Barnhizer last season while at Michigan, led to a transition basket that got Oklahoma City on the board first. It set the tone for a night in which the Thunder had 17 steals as a team.

The steal + the AND-1 = Tough 😤 pic.twitter.com/CeMW0cpAdB

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 10, 2025

One of Barnhizer's made shots came in his signature fashion — backing down his defender before knocking down a fadeaway jumper.

Buckets by @BrooksBarnhizer 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/JmVgN7HzhB

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 10, 2025

Despite the difficult night shooting, Barnhizer has shown promise so far this summer. Over three games at the Salt Lake City Summer League, the No. 44 overall pick averaged 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and one block per game. Barnhizer also shot the ball well, making 52.9% of his attempts and 42.9% of his three-pointers.

Barnhizer will be back in action on Saturday, July 12, when the Thunder are set to take on the Indiana Pacers. The game will be televised on NBA TV at 4:30 p.m. CT.