Hendricken’s T.J. Weeks Jr. Drafted in NBA’s G League
Jim Malachowski, Sports Columnist
Hendricken’s T.J. Weeks Jr. Drafted in NBA’s G League
Upon getting the call from the Wisconsin Herd, Weeks said, “I am happy and excited to be drafted by the Herd. I took a chance, hoping to get into the G League instead of going overseas to play. This puts my foot in the door for the NBA.”
Weeks is from Warwick, and after attending Bishop Hendricken High School, he spent a prep year at Woodstock Academy, and played for the University of Massachusetts and then Rider University.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHe will be leaving his job as a teacher’s aide at Ocean State Academy, working with children with autism, and heading out to Wisconsin as soon as he can get on a flight. G League training camps begin Oct 27, with the G League Tip Off Tournament beginning November 7th.
Weeks had a six-year college career
The son of a basketball coach, Weeks is a smart, heady player who shines in the clutch. Weeks played for four years at UMass from 2019 to 2023. He received a medical redshirt (sports hernia) for his freshman year, after appearing in 10 games.
He then played for two years at Rider University (2023-2025).
Weeks has seen it all
His “go with the flow” mindset has served him well as he has navigated his way through the most tumultuous time in college basketball history.
Weeks played through the pandemic, with the abbreviated season, and got the extra “Covid-19 Year” of eligibility the NCAA granted to all who played in 2020/21.
He was an active player when Name Image and Likeness (NIL) payments to players became legal and earned some money.
He was on the UMass roster when restrictions on transferring were eliminated. He was with the Minutemen when the transfer portal was created. Weeks took advantage of the new rules and entered the portal, transferring to Rider University so that he could play with his younger brother Tyriek.
Through it all, Weeks remains unfazed
He has seen it all and remained unfazed, just as he was leading up to the G League draft. During an interview at his school a few days before the draft, Weeks seemed almost indifferent about it, saying, “I am taking it day by day. There is no reason to stress about what could happen when it hasn’t happened. I am staying prepared, staying ready.”
The Weeks' name is well known at UMass
Weeks Jr. was a legacy at UMass. His father, Tyrone, was a star at UMass known for his steady, rugged play underneath. During both his junior and senior years, his scoring average was in double digits with 8.8 rebounds per game. He scored over a thousand points in his career. Tyrone went on to coach with Jim Baron at St. Bonaventure and came with Baron to coach at URI. Poppa Weeks went on to become the Coordinator of Basketball Operations under John Calipari at Memphis and then coached at Marist University.
Weeks’ family, particularly his dad, is thrilled about the selection and this opportunity. T.J. said he is already “Talking smack to my dad, telling him I made it farther than he did.”
The son of a coach
T.J. Weeks Jr. is known for his speed, quickness, and shooting. He is also known for his defense. But most of all, he is known for his basketball IQ. He has a deep understanding of the game and plays smart.
In talking about growing up and playing for his dad, Weeks said, “We worked hard at distinguishing when at the court he was my coach and the rest of the time he was my father.” Weeks continued, “As a coach, he made me earn everything. He never once gave me any spot.”
Reflecting further on being the son of a coach, Weeks talked about watching film with his dad. When he was in high school, he and his dad would always review game films. “My dad would pay a short piece of film, stop the video, and break things down, talking about what happened, what to look for, what to be thinking about, and what could have been done differently. Those sessions not only taught me about basketball, but they also taught me how to break down film, which is a skill I have used throughout my career.”
UMass – Why not URI?
When Weeks committed to UMass, his father and mother, who also went to UMass, were ecstatic. Weeks loved it there from the first moment he saw the campus during a recruiting trip.
Asked if he considered going to URI, Weeks said, “They never recruited me. I never heard from them.” Weeks admitted there was a little more motivation when he played against URI, as evidenced by the February 2022 game where he scored 30 points in a 78-67 victory over the Rams at the Ryan Center. Weeks hit 6 of 9 three pointers that night, playing against URI’s Mitchell twins and Sebastian Thomas (before he transferred to Albany).