Former Brandeis basketball standout signs with Timberwolves for NBA Summer League

A Brandeis graduate is one step away from the NBA.

College basketball star Toby Harris spent four years at Brandeis University before playing his final collegiate season at Iona University in New Rochelle, N.Y. Less than a year removed from wearing a Judges uniform at Gosman Center, he’s got a shot at  making an NBA roster.

Harris signed last week to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2026 NBA Summer League team after going undrafted in this year’s college draft. Division III players rarely get a real look at the NBA, making Harris one of the few to bridge that gap, and giving Waltham a rare rooting interest in Las Vegas this month.

At Brandeis, Harris became the 36th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and earned First Team All-UAA and Preseason All-American honors. He transferred to Iona for a final Division I season, where he shot 41.1% from three-point range on 6.8 attempts per game.

“The Timberwolves [offer] came out of nowhere actually,” Harris said. “I had worked out with Cleveland and then my agent called me after and said the Timberwolves called him and were interested. The draft was about four days later, and the day after the draft I got the call.”

“Toby’s an elite shooter at any level,” said Jean Bain, Brandeis head coach, who has worked with Harris since his freshman year. “The NBA values shooting, teams overseas value shooting, and I thought it was something that could help him achieve his goal of trying to make a team.”

Bain pointed to Harris’ shooting numbers as proof of his development: 48% from three as a junior at Brandeis, as high as 56% over an 18-game stretch that same season, and 41% this past year at Iona.

Bain said the improvement came down to hard work, not talent alone. Harris spent six to eight hours a day in the gym while excelling in the classroom, according to Bain, who called him a player who sacrificed a typical college social life to get better at his craft.

Harris arrived at Brandeis a 6-foot-7, 165-pound freshman still finding his footing. By his sophomore year, Bain said, “everything clicked.” Harris got bigger, got stronger and started playing year round.

“Brandeis definitely helped me become the player and person I am today,” Harris said. “Coach Bain and all the assistants I had always instilled belief in me. Coach Bain made sure to push me to my limits, which allowed me to steadily improve. Also, being D3 allows you to really build good habits because oftentimes you have to get in the gym on your own.”

Ore Odutayo, Harris’ teammate at Iona and a Massachusetts basketball product who played his high school ball at Williston Northampton School, said the news hit him personally.

“My initial reaction was that I was really ecstatic for him,” Odutayo said. “I’ve seen the hard work that he puts in, and where he comes from is a testament to the results.”

“He has a lot to his game, but the main thing that obviously sticks out is his shooting,” Odutayo said. “I feel like that will be the main part of his game that’ll translate.”

Undrafted players who sign onto Summer League rosters are typically looking to catch a team’s eye to earn a training camp invite or a two-way contract. For Harris, this month in Las Vegas will be his first extended look against NBA-level competition.

The Timberwolves open Summer League play this week, with upcoming games against the New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers.

For Harris, though, the results on the court this month may not be the only measure of success.

“So for me, a successful summer league is the fact that I am here,” Harris said. “It’s another step in a journey that I want to continue, and one of the first steps was becoming a Brandeis Judge.”