Summers Says Trending On Twitter Won't Affect Him
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State's Durrell Summers gained some notoriety recently by trending on Twitter.
It wasn't for a good reason.
Summers pulled off the social networking feat after the Spartans lost to Ohio State last week, going scoreless and reacting late on a loose ball that Aaron Craft hustled to get on a three-point play for the Buckeyes.
Summers, who doesn't have a Twitter account, said he heard about the unwanted fame and insisted his critics don't affect him.
"That's why we're wearing the jerseys and they're wearing the Twitter badges or whatever," he said.
Summers played better for the Spartans (15-11, 7-7 Big Ten) on Saturday in a victory at home against Illinois. He scored eight points - his fifth straight game in single digits - and played well on defense at times.
Michigan State Tom Izzo believes Summers will break out of his slump soon and hopes it happens Tuesday night at Minnesota (16-10, 6-9) in a key game for two teams trying to rally to earn an NCAA tournament bid.
Izzo might need Summers to deliver more than ever against the Golden Gophers because Draymond Green has been slowed by a stomach virus.
"Just add that to the list of things that has made this season bizarre," Izzo said.
Izzo has a hunch that Summers is going to close the season strong.
"I really feel like he's going to come out of it," he said. "The team is starting to rally behind him, which is good because we need Durrell.
"Nobody can play well if their best players don't play well."
Summers and Kalin Lucas were expected to lead the Spartans, ranked No. 2 in the preseason, after both chose to put their NBA dreams on hold and return for their senior seasons.
Lucas has recovered from having surgery on his ruptured left Achilles' tendon last year, averaging 22 points in the highest-scoring, seven-game stretch of his career.
Summers, who is averaging 12 1/2 points a game, seems to be crumbling under the weight of expectations the team and NBA scouts have for him and that he has for himself.
"I'm harder on myself than anybody," he said. "I haven't been playing with confidence."
It shows.
Summers is making a career-low 40 percent of his shots overall, a career-low 68 percent at the line and is averaging fewer rebounds, assists and steals than he did last season. His poor play offensively is leading to him struggling more than usual on defense.
"Everybody deals with pressure differently," Izzo said. "Some guys thrive on it, but some guys get eaten alive by it and I think that's what has happened to Durrell. I really think he's going to bounce back and maybe I wouldn't feel that way if he hadn't done it before it."
While Summers insisted his falling NBA stock isn't a factor in his disappointing play, a teammate said that is contributing to his struggles.
"He could've left last year for the NBA, the goal he's had his entire life," Green said. "He came back, but things haven't been going the way he wanted them to, so it has affected him just like it would've any other human being."
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard has shown flashes of what he's capable of throughout his career, most notably when he made six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 26 points against Maryland to help Michigan State get to a second straight Final Four.
But the player with sleepy eyes has failed to focus well enough on the court to avoid becoming a non-factor for a team that is counting on his contributions without dismissed guards Chris Allen and Korie Lucious.
Summers, though, vowed to prove his many doubters wrong as Michigan State tries to earn a 14th straight NCAA tournament bid.
"I'm going to get through it," he said. "And when I do, we're going to see what y'all have to say."
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