Former NIU basketball star Rodney Davis has advanced to the second stage of the Chicago Bulls free agent tryouts in California.

The Bulls sent two free agents packing from their Cleveland summer league as Davis and nine other free agents made the cut to compete in the Los Angeles Pro Summer League. The 6-foot-3 guard will go up against other aspiring rookies and some veterans, including the Bulls’ Sam Vincent. The league is sanctioned by the NBA.

“It’s a regular pro league,” said NIU assistant coach Bill Harris. “It’s quality basketball.”

L.A. league play extends through Aug. 10. The Bulls will evaluate the free agents and decide which players will join the NBA team’s draftees and veterans for training camp in Chicago.

The former Huskie still would have to make one more cut before realizing his dream of playing in the NBA, but having advanced this far should improve Davis’ stock.

“It’ll look good on a resume,” said NIU head coach Jim Rosborough.

During his senior year, Davis had talked about trying to make a Continental Basketball Association team or a European pro squad. He had not ruled out the possibility of playing in the NBA, but he said playing in the CBA or in Europe might be more realistic goals.

Should Davis be successful in his bid to make an NBA team, he would be the first Huskie graduate to do so since Paul Dawkins in 1979. Dawkins, a 6-foot-5 forward, was drafted in the 10th round that year by the Utah Jazz.

Davis has already been drafted by the World Basketball League’s Chicago Express. The league is strictly for players 6-foot-5 and under. He has also received an offer from a pro team in Denmark.

Davis led the Huskies in scoring last season, averaging 18.3 points a game. He finished his NIU career as the Huskies’ ninth all-time leading scorer with 1,175 points. Davis also is a two-time Huskie MVP and twice the recipient of Basketball Weekly Honorable Mention honors.

Davis’ 332 career assists were good enough to place him second on the all-time Huskie list in that category. In his senior year, Davis dished off a team-high 126 assists.