Steven Crowl is making a quick case for more run in Detroit.
The former Badger arrived at Summer League on the back end of an unusual path: he went undrafted a season ago, carved out a rotational role with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G-League, and still only landed an NBA Summer League contract with the Pistons. Even then, his first two chances were limited. He didn’t play in game one because he had just signed, then logged just 8:25 in game two.
But the little he showed in that second outing mattered. Crowl posted the best plus-minus of anyone on the bench, and Detroit clearly took notice.
Game three brought a much bigger opportunity. The Pistons bumped him up to 19:08, basically doubling his first appearance, and Crowl delivered again. He finished with five points, six rebounds and two assists, and he also knocked down a three, showing he can stretch the floor.
Detroit lost by 11, but Crowl was one of only three players on the roster who finished with a positive plus-minus. Corey Stephenson and Drake Allen were the others. Everyone else was in the negative, which only sharpened the point: Crowl has not been a liability when he’s on the floor.
That’s a strong early sign for a player trying to push his way back into the NBA picture. It’s nowhere close to enough to say he’s earned a contract, but it does suggest he can be a useful G-League piece and someone a team can trust to give solid minutes.
If that path keeps trending upward, the next step could be a G-League deal and a chance to keep building toward an eventual NBA roster spot. And if it’s not Detroit, that doesn’t necessarily close the door. Summer League is a scouting stage for every team, and Crowl could still catch another organization’s eye.
For now, though, the Pistons seem to be warming up to him fast. He’s already outplaying Summer League starter Ugonna Onyenso, who went -15 with zero points in 11 minutes. If Crowl keeps this up, a spot in the starting lineup might not be far off.
In Other News...
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Wisconsins New AD Just Set The Standard For Year One
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Eichorst also made clear that the modern realities of college athletics are already on his radar, with NIL competitiveness among the issues Wisconsin has to keep pace with. He pointed to the need for clarity around the football programs direction under Luke Fickell, a reminder that his first year will be judged not just by introductions and outreach, but by how quickly he helps set the programs next steps. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces Familiar Pressure As Another Badgers Reset Raises Real Doubts
Wisconsins latest offseason reset has left the Badgers once again trying to piece together a roster that looks different in all the ways that matter. The departures of Nick Boyd, Andrew Rohde, Braeden Carrington, John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas stripped away both production and, in some cases, the kind of fit that made the system work, forcing the staff back into the portal for answers. Eian Elmer and Trey Autry are among the newcomers expected to help on the perimeter and defensively, part of an effort to steady a group that has to rebuild quickly.
The optimism around the additions is real enough, but so are the familiar questions that hang over Wisconsin when the shot goes cold. Analysts see reasons for hope, yet they also point to red flags in the Badgers 2026-27 outlook, especially the possibility that the offense can bog down when the three-point ball is not falling. It is the same kind of concern that has trailed the program before, including during last seasons tournament run, and it leaves Wisconsin facing another test of whether a reset can become a step forward. [Read more 🡒]