Jan Jagla and Rob Summers leave PSU

[Coach]

GOOD RIDDANCE! We are finally getting rid of a bunch of guys that aren't real Big Ten talent. Aaron Johnson is a player and so are Marlon and Luber. The incoming freshmen are exciting as well, especially the high flyer from Connecticut. I believe that we will have 2 JUCO players on the team next year. Ed has work to do, but I really believe it can be done. Especially cleaning house without having to be the bad guy. Lots of spots open to get guys that want to play Big Ten hoops and contribute early on.


Jagla, Summers latest to leave basketball team

By Heather A. Dinich

[email protected]


UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State junior forward Jan Jagla and sophomore forward Rob Summers will not return to the men's basketball team next season, the Centre Daily Times learned Monday.

Jagla, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, will try to play professionally either in the NBA or in Europe.

Summers, who started all 17 Big Ten games this year, requested a transfer.

Five players have now left the struggling program in less than a year. Penn State finished the season 9-19 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten under coach Ed DeChellis, whose first season at the helm of the Nittany Lions ended last Friday with a 57-52 loss to Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

"It was definitely a really hard decision for me," Jagla said. "I know it's going to hurt this program. I felt bad about it, but it was time for me to go and move on. I'm going to be 23 years old this summer. I'm not the youngest guy in the college game anymore. It was time for me to go a different direction."

Summers' father, Robert Summers Sr., said his son has not decided on another school, but wants to remain at "a high level of competition."

Summers, who averaged 3.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, was unavailable for comment Monday night. The Gahanna, Ohio, native saw ample playing time, averaging 24 minutes per game, but shot 39.3 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from the free throw line.

Under NCAA guidelines, Penn State may or may not be able to use Jagla's scholarship because of the 5-8 bylaw, which limits programs from offering more than eight scholarships in two years and no more than five in one year. But if a player decides he's going to turn professional, Penn State can and will petition to use that scholarship.

The Nittany Lions have two scholarships remaining, which would give them five for this year. Penn State has already signed two guards in Mike Walker (Camp Hill) and Danny Morrissey (Cleveland, Ohio) along with 6-foot-5 forward Geary Claxton from New Haven, Conn.

The defection of Jagla and Summers is not expected to alter Penn State's recruiting philosophy.

DeChellis was unavailable for comment Monday.

Because it was reported earlier that Jagla was considering returning to his native Germany to play professionally, he said it didn't come as a surprise to the coaching staff when he informed them of his intentions.

"Obviously the coaches expected it," he said. "(Monday) I told them what the plan was, how it was going to happen. Coach was really supportive and he wants to help me in every way possible."

Jagla averaged 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season but his numbers tailed off in conference play. He said playing for a losing team for three straight years factored into his decision.

"It is tough, especially if you go through it three years, losing and losing," Jagla said. "For everybody on the team and the coaches as well, it's a rough situation to be in. That wasn't the full reason, but it's just one of the things."

Jagla does not yet have an agent and said that will be the first step. He said there is a "slim chance" he can make it to the NBA.

"I don't know where the road is going to take me," he said, "but I'm going to keep playing the style of basketball I play and do what I can."

[knightfan]

right on coach.........jan jagla's playing the last few games reminded me of jarmior jagr's playing for the penguins in his last few games as a penguin.........real laid back and pansy like, i say everyone should stay away from people with the initials j.j.

[BillyWhiteShoesJohnson]

If Jagla makes an NBA team, I am entering the next NFL and MLB drafts.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Jags actually left early because he was tired of Chevy Troutman punking him every December in his matchup against Pitt. I think Jags rear end imprint is still in the 200 level of the Pete after seeing Chevy box him out and shove him off the block and into the next universe for 40 minutes last December.

Jags belongs in a weaker Euro league where the players are SOFT with a capital S.

By the way everyone: ARE YOU READY FOR EDDIE?????

I am still howling at those great billboards around Toona town this past fall. Hope they were taken down!

WT

[Sports999]

I say good riddance to Jagla too. He is crazy if he thinks he will ever even be looked at by an NBA team, and I liked how he calls his chances "slim". Yeah Jan, about as slim as me winning PowerBall.

W~T, easy on Ed, he can't turn a program around in 1 year after his 2 best players transferred(Deforest-Riley and Chambliss) and he had to play 2 freshmen guards an average of 38 mins per game. 7 players left on scholarship, I'd say they didn't do too bad.

[Coach]

Ed's previous team made the NCAA tourney again. That says even more about the guys Ed brought in to ETSU.

[voncap]

Simply put: Addition by subtraction.

[snaphooker22]

Right on Von Cap. This is the best thing that could possibly happen for nit hoops. Hopefully, DeChellis will get clearance from the NCAA to give Jaglas scholarship to someone else if he actually makes a pro team somewhere. Also, I'm sure we could find a walk-on up here that is 2983475 times better than Bobby Summers.

DeChellis is doing good things. We should be a top 25 team in the next 3-4 years.

[AUSTIN_22:22]

dechillis seems to be a proven coach. u need more than a decent coach to win in the ncaa. they need some players. it will be interesting to see if dechillis can attract big-time basketball talent to a non-basketball area/school.