SANTA CRUZ >> The Santa Cruz Warriors, the NBA G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, released their opening night roster Thursday, a day ahead of their 2024-25 NBA G League season opener.

Santa Cruz, led by second-year head coach Nicholas Kerr, opens its season against the visiting Valley Suns at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.

“We’ve got a lot intelligent players out there, we’ll be really smart,” said Kerr, during training camp last week. “And we have a lot of shooting. We have a ton of guys on the roster who will be consistent 3-point shooters. We probably won’t be quite as fast and athletic as we were last year, but I still think we’ll be talented in different ways.”

Headlining the roster are three two-way players from Golden State: guard Reece Beekman (6-foot-1, 198 pounds) out of University of Virginia, guard Pat Spencer (6-3, 205) out of Northwestern, and Dutch center Quinten Post (7-0, 250) out of Boston College.

Post is one of two 7-footers on the team. The other is Seth Maxwell (7-0, 240) out of Indiana Wesleyan, who was selected in the 2024-25 G League Draft.

Including Beekman and Spencer, Santa Cruz will carry five guards. The Warriors held the returning rights to three others, Yuri Collins (6-0, 190), out of St. Louis; Marcus Burk (6-3, 205), out of IUPUI; and Joey Calcaterra (6-3, 180) out of UConn.

“We’re kinda the same style of basketball, getting out, playing fast,” Collins said. “That’s kinda one of the big things we’ve been emphasizing: we want to get the ball out, play fast, get some misses and makes in. It’s going to be a fun season, for sure.”

Six forwards are rostered. Santa Cruz held the returning rights to three of them: Javan Johnson (6-6, 198) out of DePaul, Kevin Knox II (6-7, 215) out of Kentucky, and Canadian Jackson Rowe (6-7, 210) out of Cal State Fullerton. Affiliate player Donta Scott (6-8, 230), a forward out of Maryland, also made the team.

“We’ll still have the ability to play small, if we want,” Kerr said. “Jackson Rowe is back, and Donta Scott will be able to as well, if we want to spread the floor. We also can do that with Quinten already.”

The two other forwards include affiliate player Blake Hinson (6-7, 235), out of Pittsburgh; and Devine Eke (6-8, 205), a draft pick out of Radford.

Rowe said that Eke is going to provide plenty of highlights for the fans.

“I think if they liked anything about Donovan Williams’ dunks last season, then they’re going to like Devine this season,” Rowe said. “I think he’s one of those high flyers who will get everybody out of their seats.”

Santa Cruz cut four players from its camp roster: forward Tommy Rutherford (6-8, 240), a G League draft pick out of UC Irvine, and three guards, Jimmy Whitt (6-3, 175), out of Arkansas; Armon Fletcher (6-5, 205), out of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; and Tyrell Roberts (5-11, 175), out of University of San Francisco.