How Purdue Connection Helped Nebraska's Juwan Gary Land in NBA Summer League

When Juwan Gary received a call from the Los Angeles Clippers in June, it came from the father of one of Nebraska's Big Ten foes — Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer.

Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) celebrates | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Former Nebraska forward Juwan Gary was probably wondering if he would get his shot when his name wasn't called during the 2025 NBA Draft. A few days after it concluded, his phone rang, and he was offered an opportunity to join the Los Angeles Clippers' Summer League roster. An interesting connection to Purdue helped the former Husker get the chance.

On the other end of the phone was John Loyer, director of pro scouting for the Clippers and the father of Purdue senior guard Fletcher Loyer. After seeing Gary play the Boilermakers a few times over the last three seasons, the elder Loyer thought the former Nebraska standout deserved a shot.

"I actually was at home, chilling with my folks. We were watching the draft and everything, the second day went by — what's crazy is they called me on a Sunday, the Lord's day," Gary said in an interview with Hurrdat Sports. "I was just sitting there and ... one of the players at Purdue, Fletcher Loyer, his dad called me.

"He was like, 'You know my son, we've played y'all like three years since he's been there.' I asked, 'Who's your son?' and he said, 'Fletcher Loyer.' Just the connection of how that works."

Gary earned the opportunity to play in a game with the Clippers during NBA Summer League action, scoring 10 points, grabbing two rebounds, and recording one steal and one assist in the team's finale against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The former Nebraska star will never forget that moment when he received the phone call.

"Getting that call, being around my family, they were excited. My mom cried, auntie cried, everybody bawling tears," Gary said. "Just a kid from Columbia, South Carolina, getting a call from a big team like the L.A. Clippers, that means a lot to me. It was a good feeling the day I got that call."

Gary leads Nebraska to upset win over No. 1 Purdue

One of the highlights of Gary's career in Lincoln came on Jan. 9, 2024. With top-ranked Purdue entering Pinnacle Bank Stadium, the junior forward helped lead Nebraska to a massive upset victory on its home court.

Gary finished that game with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block, leading the Huskers to an 88-72 win over the Boilermakers. After the game, fans inside the arena flooded the court to celebrate.

For what it's worth, Loyer ended that game with 13 points and two assists.

That victory helped Nebraska earn a fourth-place finish in the 2023-24 Big Ten standings and punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Purdue turned out to be just fine after the loss, ending the year with a 34-5 record and reaching the National Championship Game.

In three seasons at Nebraska, Gary averaged 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He ended his career named the King of the Crown after Nebraska won the inaugural College Basketball Crown. He averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the event.

Related stories on Purdue basketball

KINNEY INCLUDES PURDUE IN TOP 12: Purdue currently has just one player, Luke Ertel, committed to its 2026 recruiting class. Could the Boilers soon add the top-ranked point guard of the cycle? CLICK HERE

2,000-POINT CLUB? Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn have all scored 1,000 career points at Purdue. What would each need to do to reach the 2,000-point milestone? CLICK HERE

CLUFF SHOWS OFF RANGE: New Purdue center Oscar Cluff showed off a little bit of range in a shooting drill, which was captured on video by the Boilermakers' social media team. CLICK HERE