Maric Opens Orlando Pro Summer League Action

Orlando -- Former Husker center Aleks Maric's attempt to earn a roster spot in the NBA got into full swing Monday, July 7, as he had a strong start in the opening game of the Orlando Pro Summer League.

An undrafted free agent, Maric signed a summer league contract with the Indiana Pacers, one of six NBA teams competing in the league. Maric will be playing against many NBA veterans and some of the top rookies in last month's NBA Draft, including the top two picks in Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Michael Beasley (Miami Heat).

Maric showed the same consistent play Husker fans came to know throughout his career as he came off the bench for more than 18 minutes of action. The 6-11, 270-pound Maric hit 3-of-4 shots from the floor for six points while adding four rebounds, including a pair of offensive boards, as Indiana cruised past Oklahoma City, 95-78, in the first game of the summer league schedule Monday.

The Sydney, Australia, native had one of the most well-rounded efforts of anyone in the contest as he also added three assists, two steals and three blocked shots. He posted a team-high or tied for the squad lead in offensive boards, steals and blocked shots and was second on the squad in assists. Maric was the only Pacer to record a blocked shot, and only one player from Oklahoma City (Jeff Green, 1) had a blocked shot.

Maric and the Pacers return to the court in the third game on Tuesday, July 8. The first game of the day starts at 3 p.m. ET and each of the two subsequent games starts 20 minutes after the end of the previous contest.

The three-game schedule Monday was the first of five straight days of games in the summer league. All games in the Orlando Pro Summer League can be seen live on the Internet on the Orlando Magic's website.

Huskers.com will have another installation of Catching Up with Aleks Maric following his stint in this week's summer league.