Wisconsin Herd (6-2) split two games, James Young scores 41, Munford set to return, GPII starts for Bucks, and more

The Wisconsin Herd (6-2) split two games last week versus the Delaware 87ers (W, 119-111) and Lakeland Magic (L, 109-104) and move to second-place in the Central Division.

Central Division (as of 11/27/17)

TEAM	W	L	GB
Fort Wayne	7	1	--
WISCONSIN	6	2	1
Grand Rapids	4	7	4.5
Windy City	3	6	4.5
Canton	2	5	4.5

The victory over the Sevens was highlighted by a career-high 41-point performance by sharp-shooter James Young. The NBA G League's leading scorer put on an other-worldly shooting display, hitting 12-of-16 shots, including 9-of-11 from downtown.

Forward Cliff Alexander led the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Herd fell to the Lakeland Magic on Saturday night. The loss snapped the team's 4-game winning streak.

Looking ahead, the Herd prepare for their Oshkosh home opener this week. The team will play their final of three games at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Tuesday, November 28, before playing their first game at Menominee Nation Arena on Friday, December 1, versus the Iowa Wolves.

Next up for the Herd: 

• Tuesday, November 28, vs Fort Wayne Mad Ants

• Friday, December 1, vs Iowa Wolves

• Monday, December 4, at Grand Rapids Drive

Herd Player of the Week

James Young 

This honor goes to James Young for the second straight week. Just three days after posting a career-high 40 points, Young went off for a new career-high 41 points last Tuesday against the Delaware 87ers. He got hot right away and never cooled off, hitting 12-of-16 shots (9-of-11 3PT ... I repeat, 9-of-11!!!) and 8-of-11 free throws in 37 minutes. It was an incredible shooting display by the 6'7" guard, as shot after shot went in, with most never even touching the rim -- nothing but net.

Young eventually did cool off in his next game, against the Lakeland Magic, scoring 17 points but shooting just 26.3% from the field (3-of-14 from downtown) in a game that I'm going to file under Just One of Those Games. His shot wasn't falling but he contributed in other ways, dishing out seven assists, and kept the Herd in the game most of the way.

The sweet-shooting Young leads the NBA G League in scoring at 27.5 points per game and has shown he can go for 40 on any given night. With the way he's been playing this season, I maintain that it won't be long before he receives a Gatorade Call-Up to the NBA.


James Young - Herd stats (6 games)

PPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL
27.5	52.5	43.9	76.6	5.5	2.2	1.3

Munford to return this week

Guard Xavier Munford will return to the Herd this week, following a two-week stint with USA Basketball for the opening round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers. In two games with Team USA, Munford averaged 13 points per game on 52.6% shooting (40% 3PT), 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals.

The high-scoring Munford, who was named NBA G League Performer of the Week earlier this month, currently ranks 7th in the NBA G League in scoring at 25.0 points per game.

Xavier Munford - Herd stats (4 games)

PPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL
25.0	50.8	70.8	68.0	5.3	5.5	1.8

GPII starts for Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks Two-Way player Gary Payton II has been spending quality time with the parent club lately, including his first two NBA starts in games last week against the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.

GPII got off to a hot start against the Suns, scoring five points (including a trey) to go along with two boards and three assists before foul trouble and an ankle injury limited him to nine minutes of action.

He also started against the Jazz, but was held scoreless in seven minutes played.

Payton, a 6'3" point guard, has appeared in five games with the Bucks this season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game.

Around the Herd

• Much like fellow Two-Way player Gary Payton II, Joel Bolomboy has been spending the majority of his time lately with the Milwaukee Bucks. Bolomboy, a 6'9" forward who played his college ball at Weber State, played a season-high 20 minutes versus the Phoenix Suns last week, tallying five rebounds and two steals. In three NBA appearances for the Bucks this season, Bolomboy is averaging 1.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game.

• Cliff Alexander has been an absolute force for the Herd. The 6'9" power forward recorded a double-double Saturday versus the Lakeland Magic (18 points and 12 rebounds), and is very nearly averaging a double-double for the season thus far, putting up 15 points and 9.3 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game (3 games played).

• Forward Cameron Oliver, who signed with the Herd last week, has gotten off to a somewhat slow start with his new team, averaging 6.5 points (25% FG) and 5.5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game in his first two games. However, the first-year player out of the University of Nevada had perhaps the dunk of the week, throwing down a thunderous one-hand slam against the Lakeland Magic that literally made me jump out of my seat.

• To make room on the roster for the returning Munford, the Herd waived forward Vitto Brown. Brown, who played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin, averaged 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games played.

• Veteran guard Shannon Brown was ejected in the third-quarter of last week's game against the Delaware 87ers for slapping an opposing player in the head during a brief scuffle. Brown is averaging 4.3 points in 16.9 minutes per game (4 games played) for the Herd this season.

• Jarvis Summers scored a season-high 17 points against the Lakeland Magic on Saturday. Summers, the steady play-making point guard out of Ole Miss, has played in all eight games for the Herd, averaging 9.5 points (50% FG), 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 27.7 minutes per game.

by Nate Spade 

Follow @nate_spade