Durrell Summers Declares that, “I HAVE GOT MY SHOT BACK”

 

If Summers has his shot back, as he says that he does, Izzo time is back in March. Photo courtesy of the author.

 

On Monday morning Durrell Summers went in to see Tom Izzo and told him “Coach, I have got my shot back.”  Summers words brought a smile to Izzo’s face as he needs the senior guard to provide double digit scoring punch for Michigan State to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

In last year’s five NCAA Tournament games Summers averaged 33.2 minutes/game with 18.8 points and 54.5% shooting from the field and 51.5% shooting on threes. In last week’s Big Ten Tournament games in Indianapolis Summers averaged 29.7 minutes/game with 8.7 pts and 36% shooting from the field and 27% shooting on threes.   After returning to East Lansing, Summers returned to the apartment he shares with Kailin Lucas and playing around shooting a mini-ball inside he said “it came to me what I need to do. It is hard to explain, it was my mechanics my elbow and the rhythm of the shot but I got it figured out. Then I went to the gym to make sure and found my shots falling, and went in and told Coach Izzo that I have figured it out and am ready.” 

Summers proclamation brought a smile to Coach Izzo’s face but what made it last is when Izzo saw Summers shoot the ball in practice. Izzo knows to make a run in this year’s NCAA Tournament that he needs more scoring punch from veterans Summers and Draymond Green to go along with leading scorer Kailin Lucas who averages 17.2 points per game. Summers averaged 20 points per NCAA game the first four games of last year’s tournament. Izzo said Monday he has a good feeling about the 6-foot-5 athletic guard from Detroit. "I really think he is going to play well. Who am I? I'm not a prophet. But I think a lot of his is always mental and emotional and I think emotionally he is in the right state right now. "He was averaging 11 last year and he went to 19 (in the tournament), so if he can go from 7 (last five weeks of season) to 16, I'll be just fine with it. I think it's all up to him, I really do. He came up to me today, and he kind of said, 'There's been a lot of pressure on me. The hell with it. Let's go to work.'"

Summers last game over 20 points was back on January 8 at Penn State when he scored 21. Over the last two months of the season Izzo said senior pressure had caused Summers to press and when things didn’t go his way a state of panic set it. Former MSU shooting guard Chris Hill also suffered a similar senior shooting slump back in 2005.  Izzo and his staff have been working with Summers for weeks, they have prepared video cut ups of Summers hitting his shots and showing the big shots he has made in the past.

Durrell Summers said “I know that I have been the major reason that our team did not play as well in the regular season as expected. I had problems with my shot and it affected my confidence and overall play.  The Big Ten season is over now. I’m sorry the way it went and we can never get it back. All I have left is this NCAA Tournament, and that is the only season left for me.  I have figured out my shot and now have a new life.  It is one and done time and we’ve got to embrace the chance to win a championship. It is on me, I am going to hold my end up!”