Ben Humrichous is getting a real shot to turn a winding college climb into an NBA foothold.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward has landed on the Brooklyn Nets’ Summer League roster after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’ll spend the next stretch trying to work his way into a training camp opportunity. If that happens, he could also position himself for a two-way deal or a spot with the Long Island Nets.
Humrichous arrives in Brooklyn with a résumé built the hard way. He started at Huntington University, an NAIA program in Indiana, and spent three seasons there growing into one of the Crossroads League’s better forwards. He picked up Second-Team All-Crossroads League honors in both 2022 and 2023 before moving up to Division I.
His first stop at that level came at Evansville, and it turned into the best season of his college career. Even while dealing with a foot injury that cost him time, he put up 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals per game. He shot 48.4 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three, production that earned him MVC All-Newcomer Team honors and put him firmly on the transfer market’s radar.
From there, he headed to Illinois ahead of the 2024-25 season and adjusted to Big Ten play. In his first year in Champaign, he averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game.
He came back for a second season and took on a different role, finishing at 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game while helping the Fighting Illini reach the Final Four. He also earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award during his time there.
What makes Humrichous interesting at the pro level is pretty clear: he can shoot it.
At 6-foot-9, he has the size to rise up over defenders and the confidence to let it fly from deep. He’s comfortable spacing the floor, whether that means spotting up, popping out of screens or attacking a hard closeout. That 41.4 percent three-point mark at Evansville is the number that jumps off the page and explains why NBA teams took notice in the first place.
He’s not just a shooter, either. Humrichous plays with good offensive instincts, moves the ball, and usually makes quick decisions. He has enough handle to attack mismatches or put it on the deck when defenders crowd his jumper, and while he isn’t a lead creator, he does pass willingly and understands how to fit into an offense.
Defense is the part he still has to prove. He doesn’t have elite lateral quickness, which can make life tough against athletic wings, and he’s not built to spend long stretches battling centers. His size, instincts and effort help cover some of that ground, but continuing to sharpen that end of the floor will matter if he wants to stay in the league.
Humrichous will also enter the NBA at 23, but he brings more college mileage than most rookies and a skill set that fits the modern game. He doesn’t need the ball to matter, and that alone gives him a path in Brooklyn.
If the shot keeps falling and the defense holds up, he’ll give himself a chance to stick.
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