Summers to Turn Pro
Georgetown announced today that junior forward DaJuan Summers has declared for the NBA draft, intends to hire an agent and will not return for his senior season. Summers has played in 101 games for the Hoyas, scoring 1,129 points.
“We wish DaJuan all the best in his future endeavors, wherever they may take him,” said Head Coach John Thompson III in a press release. “He informed me that he is closing the book on his college career and focusing fully on the opportunity to play professionally. He is in the process of choosing an agent.”
Summers, who led the Hoyas with 13.6 points per game this season, had told reporters in February that he intended to return for his senior season. By signing with an agent, Summers will forgo his amateur status and will not be eligible to return to play collegiate basketball.
Summers’ junior season, Georgetown’s worst since 2003-04, left many wanting more. He scored 21 points in the Hoyas’ victory over Memphis, 18 points in Georgetown’s win at No. 2 Connecticut, 22 against Pittsburgh several days later and 21 against both Syracuse and Duke later in January. But he had just seven points in a Feb. 7 home loss to Cincinnati, four points in the Feb. 23 defeat at the hands of Louisville, and nine points in Georgetown’s March 10 Big East tournament loss to St. John’s.
Of more concern than Summers’ inconsistent scoring, however, was the lack of variety in his game. Though he played the power forward position and was asked to shoulder much of the Hoyas’ interior burden, Summers did little of his offensive damage inside and averaged just 4.1 rebounds per game, failing to ever tally double-digit rebounds as a junior.
What’s more, Summers contributed just 39 assists in 31 games, while turning the ball over 81 times. He led the team with 81 fouls committed — not inherently a bad thing — but often found himself in early-game foul trouble.
Still, the highly-touted recruit out of McDonogh School in Owings Mill, Md., made considerable contributions to the Georgetown program over the past three seasons. Summers started 34 games as a freshman, averaging 9.2 points per game en route to the Final Four. He scored 20 points in the Hoyas' 96-84 win over North Carolina in the 2007 East Regional final.
As a sophomore, Summers averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, and he nailed the game-winning, league-title-clinching three pointer to defeat Louisville on March 8, 2007.
During his career, he won two Big East regular season titles, a league tournament title, and five NCAA tournament games.
Many expected Summers to fill the role vacated by Jeff Green after 2006-07, largely because of Summers’ size and athleticism, but that was never a role Summers was asked to fulfill, or was even capable of doing.
“I think people expected, wanted, DaJuan to do the things that Jeff did, in as much as they are very similar, and I think that a lot of people may have judged his year based on their desire for him to do the things that Jeff did. Maybe that’s natural, but I don’t work like that,” Thompson said before this season began. “If people are still looking for DaJuan to be Jeff Green, that’s not going to happen — and that’s not to say he’s not going to be more effective in other ways than Jeff was — but he’s a different person. He’s a different player and I think he's ready to have a good year.”
As of last Wednesday, DraftExpress.com projected Summers as the second pick of the second round in this year’s draft. ESPN’s Chad Ford has Summers 47th on his list of the top 100 NBA prospects, though NBADraft.net sees Summers as a mid-to-late first rounder.
The Hoya could not immediately reach Thompson or Summers for comment.
Mar 30 2009 at 9:44 p.m.
HAHAHHAHAHA funniest thing I've read in a while....Good luck in the Developmental League you lazy bum
Mar 30 2009 at 9:47 p.m.
How could any GM in their right mind draft Summers. What has he shown that exemplifies an NBA player. I really think this must be an April fools joke.
Mar 30 2009 at 10:16 p.m.
this does not bode well for next year... he knows that he hurt his draft stock this year as compared to last, but would still rather leave now than stick around one more (a la Hibbert) to "improve", because he thinks hoya basketball is going to get even worse. in his mind, even if he personally is better next year, the team will be the same or worse, and as its go-to guy that will tarnish his star even further. so in his mind he has to leave now even though his draft status is precarious. it's the best of two bad options. not good at all
Mar 31 2009 at 12:10 a.m.
You guys are spelling DaJuan like they did on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Mar 31 2009 at 2:10 a.m.
Good luck, DaJuan. Too bad we couldn't keep you for one more season. It's been a good run.
Mar 31 2009 at 1:29 p.m.
This reflects very poorly on JTIII. If he can't even make the tourney with a ton of McDonalds All Americans, can't recruit top-notch talent for next year, can't keep players from transferring, and can't keep mediocre players from declaring for the draft, then he is clearly not the coach we once hoped.
Mar 31 2009 at 1:39 p.m.
cant say it no better than that bob jones. to make it short and simple jt3 is handicapping the talent he has and this is why they are going to keep loosing games. watch what i tell you when its all said and done gtown is going to have the reputation like maryland has far as cant get get recruits or trying to keep the talent in the area. that princeton style and not playing pressure defense has to go asap.
Mar 31 2009 at 2:20 p.m.
We are on a fast track to a worse season next year than we have every seen with Esherick. If Monroe is smart, he will follow Summers. Only difference is Monroe will have a chance of grabbing a top slot.
Could this be next years roster?
Center - No minutes Henry Sims
Power Forward - No shot Nikita
Small Forward - Freeman (Did he play this year?)
Shooting Guard - No handles Jason Clark
Point Guard - The "second coming" Chris Wrights (only decent prospect)
Only good thing will be the season ticket prices should come back down...
Mar 31 2009 at 7:25 p.m.
I don't think Summers has a prayer of playing in the NBA next year. He is small for a forward, not very physical or powerful and wildly inconsistent in his shooting abilities. But at the same time, I can't blame him for leaving the team. With our terrible coaching staff, he will never be able to develop into an NBA-quality player and will probably end up warming the bench like Sapp or standing around with no particular purpose like Hibbert in his senior year. He might as well leave and take his chances wherever. And no wonder players like Macklin and Rivers departed when they could, and why new recruits are choosing other schools over us. At least they will have the opportunity to play under a real coach and learn something about the game. Which is also why Monroe, Freeman and Wright will probably depart much sooner than later also.
So we will have no seniors (and probably no freshmen either) on next year's team. I am sure that Wattad and Mescheriakov will step up and be an offensive force to be reckoned with (OK, even I couldn't type that without cracking up hysterically). Let's face it...next year we can look forward to a No. 16 ranking...in the Big East standings.
Apr 01 2009 at 6:14 p.m.
If I'm Greg, I'm planning to shake David Stern's hand in the EARLY evening of June 25.
Apr 02 2009 at 1:46 p.m.
If I'm Greg, I'm not ready for the NBA.
Apr 02 2009 at 7:24 p.m.
greg monroe would still be a top 10-15 pick if he were to come out. if summers had came out when he was freshman he probably would had been a top 15 pick. right now he a second round or nbdl either or if i was him i would transfer to maryland. the terps to well with swingman because thats what he is. he has a lebron james body but gtown gad him playing like chris whitney and thats a damn shame. if he went to vcu or even pitt next year his whole game could go to another level. summers should have been out sam young(mitchillville,md pitt panthers) but unfortantly the coaching staff is waisting good talent.
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