After coming up short in his bid for an invitation to the NBA Combine in Chicago this week, former Colgate star Jordan Burns is setting his sights on earning a roster spot in the NBA Summer League.

Burns was one of 40 players invited to compete in the G-League Elite Camp in the Windy City last weekend, and he'd hoped to play well enough to be asked to stick around for the NBA's version this week. But, the 2021 Patriot League Player of the Year didn't perform well enough to reach that goal, and he says there were several reasons why.

"I think the flow of it being in an NBA setting was a little different, and was kind of hard getting used to," said the 23-year old Texan from his home in San Antonio Tuesday night. "I haven't really played a lot of 5-on-5 while I've been training these last few weeks, I think that was a big factor. Also, I just didn't perform the way I wanted to."

What You Need To Know

  • Colgate alum Jordan Burns competed in the NBA's G-League Elite Camp in Chicago last weekend

  • Burns was one of 40 competitors in the camp, but did not earn an invite to the NBA Combine in Chicago this week

  • The Raiders' all-time leading scorer remains confident of his chances of earning a roster spot in the NBA summer league

  • Burns is also planning to schedule individual workouts with NBA teams next month

Despite the setback, Burns says he's still brimming with confidence after competing against some of the more recognizable names in college basketball from some of the bigger programs, like Michigan, Virginia, Kansas, and Ohio State. He also says it's not the first time he's been knocked down during his basketball career, and he's not going to let it keep him down for long.

"Definitely a little disappointed, but on my journey to this point, nothing has come easy," Burns said. "For me, it's just another stepping stone. I'm going to keep confident in myself, and continue to work, and continue to prove people wrong."

Burns says the next step is to schedule workouts with NBA teams after the combine is over, and he's encouraged by his productive meeting with the Dallas Mavericks while he was in Chicago. The Raiders' all-time leading scorer says he felt he belonged with the other bigger-name pro prospects at the Elite Camp, and he's still optimistic about earning a spot on someone's NBA Summer League roster next month.0

"I definitely feel like I belong on the NBA stage," he said. "I just needed a time to come in and get my feet wet, and see how everything runs. The summer league will be the next step of me kind of being on that main stage, on a 5-on-5 setting, to where everybody can see again."