Former Clayton State basketball star makes NBA Grizzlies' Summer League roster

 Morrow, GA--July 16, 2002 --- Former Clayton College & State University basketball star Robert Conley is one step away from reaching his dream of making it to the NBA. 

Conley, a 1999 graduate of Clayton State, recently signed to play on the Memphis Grizzlies' Summer Pro League team. A competitive 13-game schedule, the NBA Summer Pro League allows players an opportunity to showcase and refine their skills against other players hoping to make a NBA roster. 

A 6-foot-6 guard, from Decatur, GA, Conley has shined early in league play as he led the team in scoring in its first two games. He led all scorers with 15 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the field against the L.A. Lakers' Summer League team, followed by scoring 23 points against the Phoenix Suns' team, hitting 9-15 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point territory. 

One advantage of the Summer Pro League over other developmental leagues is that players are under the direct instruction of a NBA coaching staff. 

"What a story!" said Clayton State head basketball coach Gordon Gibbons. "Robert was a relative unknown coming out of junior college and has worked his way to the top league in the world next to the NBA. And now, he is producing in it …What a worker. Robert remains close to the Clayton State program by staying in touch with former teammates and stops by when he is in town."

 It has been an unbelievable rise to the top for Conley. A three-year letter winner at Columbia High School in Atlanta, Conley played for coach Phil McCrary and was named the most improved player after his sophomore season. Not heavily recruited, he played two seasons at Macon State College, averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game as a freshman and 17 points and eight rebounds as a sophomore. 

From Macon State, Conley transferred to Clayton State where he really began to blossom as a player. A 1999 Division II All-American, Conley was the nation's third leading scorer in the 1998-99 season after averaging a Clayton State best 24.6 points per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field. 

He owns virtually all of the Laker single season and career scoring records. His 24.6 points per game ranked as a Peach Belt Conference best until USC Aiken's Clint Keown edged him in 2001-02 with a 24.7 average per game. Conley set the Clayton State single game scoring record in his senior season against USCA with 40 points, hitting 15-of-19 from the field. He holds the career CCSU scoring average at 22.2 points per game and is second on the all-time scoring list with 1,219 points in only two seasons. He is also second on the all-time field goal percentage list, shooting 55 percent for his career. 

Along with being named a 1999 All-American, Conley was a two-time All-South Region player and a two-time Peach Belt All-Conference selection. Out of college, Conley began his unassuming pro career without the "fanfare" or "limelight," playing briefly with the United States Basketball League's Atlanta Trojans. From there, he played in 1999-2000 with a team in Lithuania, Alita Savy, where he averaged 13 points and four rebounds per game. 

In 2000-01, Conley attempted to make the Dijon team in France's top league but was cut and later joined France's Brest squad, a Pro B League team, as a replacement player. He excelled with the Brest team, averaging 26 points in 12 games. With his performance in that league, Conley got his first big "break" in February of 2001 as he signed to play on a 1st Division team in Germany, Basket Braunschweig. He averaged 19 points and seven rebounds in 14 games in the league. 

In the summer of 2001, he played on a team in the Dominican Republic, CDP Domingo Paulinho, and was also named the Most Valuable Player in the Kenny Smith League in Atlanta. His solid play led to a tryout in August of 2001 in Italy's A-League, the top professional league in Europe. He signed in September to play for Italy's Mabo Livornoto and played in 34 games last year. 

Described by the league as a "Baby Jordan" type player with an explosive first step, who can step out and hit a 3-pointer or take it to the basket, he averaged 17 points and four rebounds per game to go along with almost two assists and three steals per contest. His play in the Italian league led him to the NBA Summer Pro League, where he is now on the same roster and playing against first and second round draft picks and veteran NBA players. 

A couple of the notable players on the Grizzlies' roster are first round pick Drew Gooden, the fourth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft from Kansas, and second round pick Robert Archibald, the 32nd pick from Illinois. 

Career
1997-1998: Clayton St. (NCAA2): 19.8ppg, 8.3rpg
1998-1999: Clayton St. (NCAA2): 24.6ppg, 6.7rpg
1999: Atlanta Trojans (USBL)
1999-2000: Alita Savy (LTU): 13.2ppg, 4.3rpg
2000: Nike Summer League in Treviso (ITA)
2000-2001: In Sep.'00 tryout with Dijon (FRA), but was not signed, in Dec.'00 replaced JoJo Garcia at Brest (FRA-ProB): 12games: 26ppg, in Feb.'01 joined Basket Braunschweig (GER): 14games: 19.9ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.6apg
2001: In June joined CDP Domingo Paulinho (DOM)
2001: Named MVP of Kenny Smith League in Atlanta
2001-2002: In Aug.'01 was tryout with Mabo Livorno (ITA-LegaA), and signed next month: 34games: 17.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.5apg, 2.5spg
2002: July: Rocky Mountain Revue (Memphis Grizzles' Team)

Awards/Achievements:
1999 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-American
1998-99 Street & Smiths and Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason All-American.
1999 Daktronis All-South Atlantic Region First Team
1999 All-Peach Belt Athletic Conference First Team
1998 Daktronics All South Atlantic Region Second Team
1998 All-Peach Belt Conference Second Team
NCAA2 3rd Team -99
NCAA2 South Atlantic All-Region 1st Team -99
Lithuanian All-Import Team -00