Chicago basketball report: Bulls add another power forward option, while Sky hit a 3-point shooting low

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Power forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. will have a shot at earning a spot with the Chicago Bulls after signing a training camp contract last week.

The Bulls added Lofton on an Exhibit 10 contract, which allows players to participate in camp and offers a bonus if they sign with the team’s G League affiliate. Because the Bulls don’t have an open roster spot, Lofton would have to unseat a current two-way player such as Onuralp Bitim.

Lofton went undrafted in 2022 after forgoing his final two seasons at Louisiana Tech and signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder spent most of the last two seasons in the G League, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 and a spot on the all-league first team both years.

Despite those strong showings, Lofton has struggled to find footing on an NBA team. He had a breakout game in April 2023 for the Grizzlies, tallying 42 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in his first NBA start. But the Grizzlies waived him in December and he had short stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz before those teams also waived him.

Although the name creates understandable confusion, Lofton Jr. is not related to four-time Gold Glove center fielder Kenny Lofton, the East Chicago native who played for the 2002 White Sox and 2003 Cubs.

Sky shoot blanks from long range

The Sky hit a new 3-point shooting low in Sunday’s 86-68 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, going 0-for-14 behind the arc. Rachel Banham went 0-for-4 and Dana Evans 0-for-3. The starters combined for only four 3-point attempts.

Long-range shooting already was a weakness for the Sky, who were last in the league in average attempts (14.5) and makes (4.5) behind the arc before the Olympic break. But the problem might worsen after trading Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun.

The Sky’s 3-point production has plummeted since the hiatus, dropping to 2.7 makes in 14 attempts per game (19% accuracy) over their first three games back.

Highly rated recruit makes her decision

Point guard Aubrey Galvan, the No. 3 Class of 2025 recruit in Illinois according to Prep Girls Hoops, committed to Vanderbilt on Aug. 11 in advance of her senior season at Loyola.

Galvan played at Deerfield her first two years of high school before transferring to Loyola last year and leading the Ramblers to an unbeaten season and the IHSA Class 4A state championship.

Vanderbilt finished sixth in the SEC last season at 9-7 (23-10 overall) and cracked the USA Today coaches poll for the first time in 10 years after a 15-1 start under coach Shea Ralph, who took over the program in 2021.

Northwestern men head overseas

The Northwestern men’s basketball team will depart Tuesday on a 10-day foreign tour of Italy and Greece, playing three games in Venice, Florence and Athens.

This is the first time the Wildcats have headed abroad since 2019. They tied for third in the Big Ten last season at 12-8 — a program record for conference wins — and went 22-12 overall, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

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Sky dates to watch

The Sky (11-16) have a four-day break between games after a back-to-back over the weekend, hitting the road again Friday to face the Connecticut Sun. They return home Sunday to host the Las Vegas Aces and Olympic gold medalists A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will return to Wintrust Arena on Aug. 30 for the teams’ fourth and final meeting. The Sky are 1-2 against the Fever after winning 88-87 on June 23 at Wintrust.

Quotable

“Chicago in the summer — you can’t beat it.” — Kahleah Copper on returning for the first time since being traded to the Phoenix Mercury

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