The Memphis Grizzlies added a national champion to their roster on Thursday, taking UConn's Cam Spencer with the No. 53 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Memphis traded up from No. 57 to No. 53 to get Spencer, a sharpshooter whose fiery personality helped lead the Huskies to their second-straight national championship. His shooting ability makes him a clear fit for the Grizzlies' roster, which needed shooting off the bench.

Luke Kennard's future is still in flux, and general manager Zach Kleiman decided to address a different need in Wednesday's first round when he took Purdue's Zach Edey. That filled a more obvious need at center but left Kleiman needing to add shooting either in Thursday's second round or in free agency.

He made it a priority in the second round, adding Washington State's Jaylen Wells and then acquiring Spencer.

Here are five things to know about Spencer.

Cam Spencer was a highly productive college player

Spencer played five years of college basketball with stops at Loyola Maryland (three seasons), Rutgers (one season) and UConn (one season). He played only five games during his sophomore season while recovering from a hip injury, but he averaged in double-figures scoring each year of his career.

His best scoring season came in 2021-22 (his last with the Greyhounds), averaging 18.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. His numbers dropped slightly as his role changed at Rutgers and UConn, but he was still highly productive.

Cam Spencer won a national title ... and beat Zach Edey to do it

Spencer and UConn beat Edey's Purdue team in April's national title game, so the new Grizzlies teammates will certainly have plenty to discuss when they see each other again.

The Huskies beat the Boilermakers 75-60. Edey had 37 points and 10 rebounds, while Spencer had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Cam Spencer and Santi Aldama are former teammates

Edey isn't the only Grizzlies player Spencer has some history with. He was a teammate of Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama with Loyola from 2019-21, before Aldama declared for the draft.

"First talked about this when we met 5 years ago … Worked every single day after that to get there. Now you are a NATIONAL CHAMPION!!! Proud of you brother," Aldama wrote on social media after UConn won the national championship.

Cam Spencer is 24, which probably hurt his draft stock

Spencer is 24. For reference, GG Jackson — who is entering his second NBA season — is still only 19.

Older players sometimes drop in the draft, as many speculated was the case with Tennessee's Dalton Knecht on Wednesday, dropping to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17. But Spencer's proven skillset means he could potentially contribute right away.

He's the second Spencer brother in the NBA

While Cam Spencer took a winding path to the NBA, his brother Pat Spencer took an even stranger one. Pat Spencer spent four years as a dynamic lacrosse player at Loyola Maryland and was a four-time All-American before deciding he wanted to pursue basketball.

He transferred to Northwestern and played one season before starting his professional career. He signed with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way deal midway through last season, but was still in attendance to see his brother win the national title in April.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 5 things about Cam Spencer, including his brother plays for Warriors