Once undrafted, Van Vleet now one of top 20 free agents

It's going to be a big couple of weeks for Rockford Auburn graduate Fred Van Vleet.

This past weekend, Van Vleet hosted his second annual Fan Fest with the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau followed by a two-day basketball camp at the UW-Madison Sports Factory.

Saturday night, Van Vleet held a block party on the 300 block of East State Street to celebrate the opening of a retail store selling his FVV23 line of clothing and other items.

The big date on his schedule though is July 1 when the free agency period begins for the NBA. Van Vleet famously went undrafted two seasons ago despite a storied college basketball career at Wichita State.

Van Vleet signed with Toronto despite having no clear openings on the roster. He "bet on himself," earned a roster spot and then this year blossomed into one of the bench players in the NBA. He was named one of the three finalists for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, which will be announced along with several other awards on June 25.

Another sign of how much Van Vleet has risen in the league is a CBS Sports ranking of the top 50 free agents in the NBA. Because Van Vleet was undrafted, he is now an unrestricted free agent. Van Vleet came in at No. 20.

Here's CBS' top 20: