Durrell Summers to Return for Senior Season
by Pete Rossman on Apr 16, 2010 11:42 AM CDT
in Michigan State Spartans Basketball
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(HT: Stones1981, CNNSI)
More good basketball news: Durrell Summers has chosen not to enter the NBA Draft and return for his senior season at Michigan State. There was a little bit of doubt about whether he'd enter the draft to get a sense of where he would go and what skills needed work. However, he wasn't predicted by many to be a first-rounder this year, and with the glut of prospects leaving school in the past month, this seems like the best move for Durrell at this point. The thought of going 12-13 deep next season isn't coloring my opinion at all. Not. One. Bit.
Naturally, we can't have one rumor end without another replacing it, so here's what I've heard: Derrick Nix is leaving MSU to become the new companion to Doctor Who. You can say it's not true, but there have been confirmed reports of Derrick with a sonic screwdriver. Who are my sources? I can't tell you because THAT WOULD MAKE ME LESS IMPORTANT AND DESTROY MY MESSAGE BOARD CRED.
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Great News!
Just to get a feel for one of the factors possibly influencing his decision, here is a list of the underclassmen who have declared for the draft up to today:
Cole Aldrich, Kansas, junior, C
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest, sophomore, F
James Anderson, Oklahoma State, junior, G
Talor Battle, Penn State, junior, G
Keith Benson, Oakland, junior, C
Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky, freshman, G
Craig Brackins, Iowa State, junior, F
Avery Bradley, Texas, freshman, G
Derrick Caracter, UTEP, junior, F
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, freshman, C
Jordan Crawford, Xavier, sophomore, G
Ed Davis, North Carolina, sophomore, C
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech, junior, G
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia, sophomore, F
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, junior, C
Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech, freshman, C
Jimmer Fredette, BYU, junior, G
Charles Garcia, Seattle, freshman, C
Paul George, Fresno State, sophomore, G
Manny Harris, Michigan, junior, G
Gordon Hayward, Butler, sophomore, G/F
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, junior, G
Xavier Henry, Kansas, freshman, G
Darington Hobson, New Mexico, junior, F
Adnon Hodzic, Lipscomb, junior, F
Armon Johnson, Nevada, junior, G
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, junior, C
Wes Johnson, Syracuse, junior, F
Dominique Jones, South Florida, junior, G
Mac Kowshal, DePaul, junior, F
Sylvan Landesberg, Virginia, sophomore, G
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech, junior, F
Tommy Mason-Griffin, Oklahoma, freshman, G
Demetri McCamey, Illinois, junior, G
Elijah Millsap, UAB, junior, G
E’Twuan Moore, Purdue, junior, G
AJ Ogilvy, Vanderbilt, junior, C
Daniel Orton, Kentucky, freshman, C
Rico Pickett, Manhattan, junior, G
Herb Pope, Seton Hall, junior, F
Jeff Robinson, Seton Hall, junior, F
Larry Sanders, VCU, junior, C
Xavier Silas, Northern Illinois, junior, G
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, freshman, G
Evan Turner, Ohio State, junior, G/F
Alex Tyus, Florida, junior, F
Ekpe Udoh, Baylor, junior, F
John Wall, Kentucky, freshman, G
Willie Warren, Oklahoma, freshman, G
Terrico White, Ole Miss, sophomore, G
Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, freshman, C
Elliot Williams, Memphis, sophomore, G
Chris Wright, Dayton, junior, F
Jahmar Young, New Mexico, junior, G
(HT: Ballin’ is a Habit)
Right?
Ray will need to put in work somewhere besides the NBA. But hey, if Charlie Bell can do it, why can’t Morgan? Maybe he can use Europe to round out his game and improve on his consistency like he did in the last half of the season.
Izzo Quote
Via The State News:
"I think my guys were good enough to go and could’ve put their names in like everybody else," Izzo told the AP. "Even though I offered to do some checking for them, they had their mind [made] up to come back. I think it’s neat that they made educated, mature decisions."
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Apr 16, 2010 1:10 PM CDT reply actions
Summers on his decision
“I’ve got dreams of playing in the NBA, but I would rather win a national championship and graduate first,” Summers said in a telephone interview. “I want to accomplish all those dreams instead of just one.”
Lucas:
“Durrell could’ve left for sure,” Lucas said. “But we both talked about coming back to win a national championship and to graduate.”In ESPN.com
Izzo also says
Lucas probably would have gone if he hadn’t gotten hurt.
I’d certain prefer a reality where Lucas wasn’t injured, but hopefully next year’s team does something special enough to make it all worthwhile in retrospect for him.
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Apr 16, 2010 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions
More from Izzo
He says Summers, who’s apparently in the gym every day, reminds him of Morris Peterson. Let’s hope Kalin is in the Mateen role on a team that has a chance to be that special. If so, I feel a little bad for the guy cast as Antonio Smith: Raymar Morgan.
Great News
Especially after hearing the quotes from Lucas and Summers.
I see lots of 3 guard line-ups next year and one of the most up tempo teams we’ve seen under Izzo.
This is looking like one of those win-win scenarios
Good for Summers. Good for Michigan State hoops. There are no guarantees, but I believe if everyone stays healthy, a special season lies ahead. I think these guys learned a lot about themselves at the end of the year and what they need to do individually and collectively to be a dominant team. I love the summer, but I’m looking forward to November.
From Rexrode
Delvon Roe had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Friday and is expected to be back on the court in about six weeks, according to MSU.
That would mean working on his game from about June on, which could lead to a big junior season if Roe can keep avoid any more trouble with the knee.
Loaded. Just - loaded.
Loaded with talent, loaded with optimism, loaded with health, loaded with maturity.
These guys are going to be special.
ITH thinks
that we’re the favorites to win the whole thing next year. On one hand, Izzo teams obviously haven’t always responded well to huge amounts of preseason hype. On the other, however, who’s going to be better than us? I can’t think of anyone — though if Johnson and Moore come back for Purdue, the biggest competition may be in our own conference.
PP-TPW.
The Only Colors
It's a fascinating question
because, really, there is a case to be made that MSU is the unquestioned most experienced and talented team in the nation next year. I would argue that we might be the UNC-caliber frontrunner that last season was missing. Will we play like it?
And that is all assuming they can defend as a team
because the pace of most opponents won’t allow them to run the way UNC did in the ACC.
Very deep team, the only knocks will be being short on the 1-2-3 spots without Morgan and maybe defense, and that combination. But ohmygod, this is going to be awesome.
For a player whose game is built on speed and quickness...
there’s not much worse that can happen than a blown Achilles. Hopefully the early reports of quick healing continue.
If no one splits, boy, this team could be a monster. One of the bigs from this year will have to make a leap, but that’s really about the only concern other than health of course.
We’ll see some strange 5 man units. Izzo will have his toughest coaching job in terms of ego-massaging, as there will be 9 to 11 guys who will get major minutes.
Not sure we’re a UNC-level favorite-that team was ludicrously talented, particularly on the baseline. We don’t have that kind of depth. But unless the guys from Purdue come back and/or Singler returns for Duke, we’re #1 to start, and pretty clearly.
I have too much "real" work to do
but I’d be curious to see a breakdown player-by-player, depth-to-depth of how we match up with UNC 2008-2009. Obviously, their clearest advantage (I think) is that Hansborough/Thompson/Davis was more intimidating than what we have upfront. Still, I’m not convinced we’re not close on paper. Take a mature Green, a 100% Roe, and one young big stepping up and we’re competitive.
I’m not real worried about Lucas. Even a return to 80-90% will be a pretty effective weapon. Also, every statement thus far suggests a full recovery. We shall see.
Now, egos – that might be valid.
I may have some spare time this weekend.
The biggest difference with UNC was Ellington-he was a really underrated player. Good as Durrell is, we lose that matchup big with that team.
Most of the time when we’ve had huge preseason hype, we’ve had a couple guys who left that are going to be tough to replace (Suton and Walton last year, Anderson, Hill, and Torbert after ’05). This year, I think we have the depth to deal with losing Morgan and still be a title contender. Obviously, nothing is sure when you get into one-and-done territory, but we should be very strong favorites to make it three Final Fours in a row for the second time.
More talking horses
http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2010/04/spartans_delvon_roe_has_knee_s.html
Short tidbits on certain players’ futures. Izzo says Herzog is looking into the possibility of transferring but he has a scholarship at MSU if he wants it. Izzo heard rumors about Thornton but hasn’t received any impression from AT himself and doesn’t know where the talk is coming from.
The picture is getting a little clearer.
Riding my hobby-horse
Much will depend on our commitment to defense next year: the presence of a Walton-like (or Suton-like) lockdown defender eases my mind like no other facet of a team’s makeup, and it will be interesting to see if Izzo uses this staggering depth to ratchet up the pressure on other teams at the defensive end. Ray had become our best defender, and we’ll miss that sometimes. But we should be an offensive dynamo if Lucas recovers fully, Summers and Allen make the great leap forward, and one or more of the bigs proves capable in the post. That said, we will be in a lot of grinders, and it is good to know you can hold a team scoreless for a five-minute stretch when you absolutely need to. Immensely talented and versatile, but consistency will be the key (and it is easier to ensure consistent performance on defense than on offense).
Not sure I’m ready to put us on the level of UNC 08-09. I agree with someone up thread that Ellington & Green were a much more consistent two guards—at least in my memory— than any of ours, Lawson was so strong his senior year, and Hansbrough—while hardly earning any style points—was a three or four time All American. That was definitively a team that it felt like they could, at any moment, flip a switch and proceed to bludgeon you. But, potentially, we’re more like the Kansas team of the year before: multiple versatile parts, athletic, deep and, if I get my wish, defensive-minded and composed in the clutch.
by RobbingGormanThomas on Apr 17, 2010 8:43 AM CDT reply actions
On the talking horses...
I live in a small western city with a D-II school. This year a kid transferred in from a level 300-310 D-I school (FIU or FAU—they’re the same to me.) He led the local D-II team in everything and they ended up ranked second in their D-II region. If Austin Thornton came here he would be a god by New Year’s Day. He would average 25-28 points a game and 11-13 rebounds. The only downside is that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to play in four consecutive Final Fours and maybe end up with two national championship rings. I also think that Herzog could contribute to a D-II program, but not too many of those schools have good graduate engineering programs. I’ve often wondered if Herzog would be helped by hypnosis to rid himself of his anxieties. Maybe someone should suggest it to Izzo.
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