{{Short description|American basketball player (born 2001)}} {{distinguish|Tommy Brunner}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Tommy Bruner | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|4|22}} | birth_place = Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lbs = 180 | league = NBA G League | team = Memphis Hustle | position = Point guard | number = 23 | high_school = Gray Collegiate Academy<br>(Columbia, South Carolina) | college = * USC Upstate (2019–2021) * Jacksonville (2021–2022) * Denver (2022–2024) | draft_year = 2024 | career_start = 2024 | career_end = | years1 = 2024 | team1 = Santa Cruz Warriors | years2 = 2024–2025 | team2 = Texas Legends | years3 = 2025 | team3 = Oklahoma City Blue | years4 = 2026–present | team4 = Memphis Hustle | highlights = * First-team All-Summit League (2024) * Summit League All-Newcomer Team (2023) * Big South All-Freshman Team (2020) }} '''Tommy Bruner''' (born April 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the USC Upstate Spartans, the Jacksonville Dolphins and the Denver Pioneers.
==High school career== Bruner attended Gray Collegiate Academy in Columbia, South Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-19 |title=Former Gray Collegiate Academy guard leads USC Upstate over S.C. State |url=https://www.wltx.com/article/sports/basketball/101-b56eaff7-6557-4144-83e4-3af943cdeb95 |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=wltx.com |language=en-US}}</ref> He led Gray to back-to-back South Carolina Class AA state championships.<ref name=DUbio>{{cite web |url=https://denverpioneers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tommy-bruner/4917 |title=Tommy Bruner player bio |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2024 |website=DenverPioneers.com |publisher= University of Denver |access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref> As a senior, he averaged 16.2 points per game and was named the Class AA Player of the Year.<ref name=DUbio/>
==College career== ===USC Upstate (2019–2021)=== Bruner committed to play college basketball at the University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Well-traveled Tommy Bruner eyes another title at Gray Collegiate |url=https://www.thestate.com/sports/high-school/prep-basketball/article226869164.html}}</ref> As a freshman in 2019–20 he averaged 14 points per game, good for second-best on the team, and was named a freshman All-American.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shanesy |first=Todd |title=Upstate’s Tommy Bruner named freshman All-American |url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/sports/2020/03/31/upstates-tommy-bruner-named-freshman-all-american/41789729/ |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Spartanburg Herald Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> He was the Big South Conference's player of the week twice and later selected to the Big South All-Freshman Team.<ref name=DUbio/> In 2020–21, Bruner's sophomore season, he led USC Upstate in points per game (13.6) and total assists (85).<ref name=DUbio/> At the end of the season he was named as an honorable mention to the All-Big South Team.<ref name=DUbio/>
===Jacksonville (2021–2022)=== Bruner transferred to Jacksonville prior to the start of his redshirt sophomore season.<ref name=SRstats>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/tommy-bruner-1.html |title=Tommy Bruner college stats |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2024 |website=sports-reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date= March 4, 2024}}</ref> He appeared in just 13 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://judolphins.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tommy-bruner/4556 |title=Tommy Bruner |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2022 |website=JUDolphins.com |publisher=Jacksonville University |access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref> He averaged 8.8 points per game.<ref name=SRstats/>
===Denver (2022–2024)=== After spending just one season at Jacksonville, Bruner looked to transfer. He felt an instant connection with Denver; he said "It was such a family vibe. That’s when I really knew I was in the right place."<ref name=charity>{{cite news |last= Graham| first=Pat |date=January 26, 2024 |title=Denver guard Tommy Bruner, nation's leading scorer, also runs his own charity |url=https://www.9news.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/denver-guard-tommy-bruner-charity/73-52fdbd06-2e0b-434c-afb5-ff34c25032bb |work=9news.com |location=Denver, Colorado |access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref> During his redshirt junior year of 2022–23, Bruner averaged then-career highs of 15.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game.<ref name=AllNewcomer>{{cite news |last= | first=|date=March 2, 2023 |title=Bruner Selected to Summit League All-Newcomer Team |url=https://denverpioneers.com/news/2023/3/2/mens-basketball-bruner-selected-to-summit-league-all-newcomer-team.aspx |work=DenverPioneers.com |location=Denver, Colorado |access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref> He helped the Pioneers start the season with an 8–1 record, which is a program record through the first nine games.<ref name=AllNewcomer/> While the team success was not sustained over the course of the season, Bruner's personal production was, and he was voted to the Summit League's All-Newcomer team.<ref name=AllNewcomer/> He received an honorable mention nod on the All-Summit League Team.<ref name=AllNewcomer/> Bruner also surpassed the career 1,000-point milestone on December 7, 2022 against Sacramento State.<ref name=DUbio/>
In 2023–24, Bruner was named to the All-Summit League First Team on March 7, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://thesummitleague.org/news/2024/3/7/awards-sdsus-mayo-garners-summitmbb-player-of-the-year-award.aspx | title = SDSU's Mayo garners #SummitMBB Player of the Year award | date = March 7, 2024| website = TheSummitLeague.org| publisher = Summit League | access-date = March 7, 2024}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Santa Cruz Warriors (2024)=== After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Bruner joined the Rip City Remix on October 28, 2024,<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Rip City Remix|title=Your official 2024 Remix training camp roster 🫨💿|number=1850928196042346714|user=ripcityremix|date=October 28, 2024|access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref> but was waived on November 5.<ref>{{cite web|title=2024-2025 Rip City Remix Transaction History|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/gleague/teams/Rip-City-Remix/67/Transaction_History/2025|website=RealGM.com|access-date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> Six days later, he signed with the Santa Cruz Warriors<ref name="24-25_SCWarriorsTrans">{{cite web|title=2024-2025 Santa Cruz Warriors Transaction History|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/gleague/teams/Santa-Cruz-Warriors/35/Transaction_History/2025|website=RealGM.com|access-date=November 26, 2024}}</ref> and was later waived on November 25.<ref name="24-25_SCWarriorsTrans" />
===Texas Legends (2024–2025)=== On December 28, 2024, Bruner joined the Texas Legends.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mylles|last=Royals|title=LEGENDS SIGN GUARD TOMMY BRUNER|url=https://texas.gleague.nba.com/news/legends-sign-guard-tommy-bruner|website=NBA.com|date=December 28, 2024|access-date=December 28, 2024}}</ref> However, he was waived on January 6.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mylles|last=Royals|title=LEGENDS ACQUIRE MAX FIEDLER IN THREE-TEAM TRADE|url=https://texas.gleague.nba.com/news/legends-acquire-max-fiedler-in-three-team-trade|website=NBA.com|date=January 7, 2025|access-date=January 7, 2025}}</ref>
On January 31, 2025, joined the Long Island Nets,<ref>{{cite web|title=Long Island Nets Acquire Tommy Bruner|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/long-island-nets-acquire-tommy-bruner/n-6186845|website=OurSportsCentral.com|date=January 31, 2025|access-date=February 1, 2025}}</ref> but was waived on February 3, without playing for the Nets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Long Island Nets Waive Tommy Bruner|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/long-island-nets-waive-tommy-bruner/n-6187761|website=OurSportsCentral.com|date=February 3, 2024|access-date=February 3, 2024}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===College=== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20 | style="text-align:left;"| USC Upstate | 33 || 32 || 29.7 || .413 || .337 || .802 || 2.1 || 2.3 || .9 || .0 || 14.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;"| USC Upstate | 21 || 17 || 32.5 || .405 || .327 || .810 || '''2.8''' || 4.0 || 1.0 || .0 || 13.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22 | style="text-align:left;"| Jacksonville | 13 || 1 || 20.1 || .426 || .340 || '''.867''' || 1.8 || 1.8 || 1.2 || '''.1''' || 8.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23 | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 32 || 32 || '''34.6''' || .402 || .333 || .844 || '''2.8''' || '''4.2''' || 1.1 || .0 || 15.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24 | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | '''34''' || '''34''' || 33.8 || '''.435''' || '''.353''' || .808 || '''2.8''' || '''4.2''' || '''1.3''' || '''.1''' || '''24.0''' |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 133 || 116 || 31.4 || .418 || .341 || .818 || 2.5 || 3.5 || 1.1 || .1 || 16.4 {{S-end}}
==Personal life== Bruner's sister Ashley played basketball at South Carolina and is retired from playing professionally overseas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bezjak |first1=Lou |title=Spring Valley Jordan Bruner picks Yale over Clemson |url=https://www.thestate.com/sports/high-school/prep-basketball/article44755392.html |accessdate=March 4, 2024 |work=The State |date=November 13, 2015}}</ref> His older brother Jordan plays professional basketball.<ref>{{cite web| title=Jordan Bruner basketball profile |url=https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Jordan-Bruner/337664 |accessdate=March 4, 2024 |work=Eurbasket.com |date=2024}}</ref>
Bruner is also the founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization he named "Be Different."<ref name=charity/> The name is an homage to a slogan he once used on t-shirts in high school to encourage kids to stand out.<ref name=charity/> Bruner said that his long-term plan for Be Different will focus on funding preschools to establish an encouraging base for kids.<ref name=charity/>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/tommy-bruner-1.html College stats] @ sports-reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruner, Tommy}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Denver Pioneers men's basketball players Category:Jacksonville Dolphins men's basketball players Category:Oklahoma City Blue players Category:Point guards Category:Santa Cruz Warriors players Category:Texas Legends players Category:USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball players