HAMMOND | Dan Voudrie was content heading into the upcoming season. The Purdue Calumet men's basketball second-year coach had 10 incoming freshmen to help the revamp the program.
But on Aug. 25, Voudrie received an e-mail early in the day from 2009 Lake Central grad Eric Summers' father wanting to know if he would have any interest in the former Times All-Area player.
"I actually thought it might have been a prank played by one of my friends," Voudrie said.
Without hesitation, Voudrie got back to the Summers family, and within 28 hours of the first e-mail contact, Summers had come to campus, signed a basketball scholarship agreement and registered for classes.
Summers initially had plans of playing on a baseball scholarship at Purdue's main campus in West Lafayette, but he returned home after the first day of school.
"The main reason was I didn't feel like playing baseball anymore," Summers said. "It's just something that I didn't want to do."
Summers was in West Lafayette a week prior to school and admitted the daily three-hour long meetings became somewhat of a job to him and coming home to his family and girlfriend seemed just what he needed.
"I'm definitely happy with my decision," the 6-foot-8, 230-pound freshman center said. "I love competing, so this was a great opportunity for me to play here."
Voudrie had watched Summers play while recruiting as an assistant coach at Olivet Nazarene before coming to Purdue Calumet and thought he would be a perfect capstone to an already solid recruiting class.
"I knew that we would eventually need to be able to land a flagship recruit from the Region," Voudrie said. "A dominant, well-known player from the area, and he certainly fits every description of that flagship recruit."
Summers has lost 20 pounds from last year's basketball season, when he averaged 14.5 points per game. Besides the 7:30 a.m. weekday practices, all has gone smoothly for the social studies education major.
"He certainly can leave a big mark here," said Voudrie, who has already taken praise of Summers' basketball acumen. "He can leave a footprint in the Region with his stellar athletic career at Lake Central and then to have a four-year college career all in the Region could be unparalleled."
MEN'S BASKETBALL | PURDUE CAL PREVIEW
More inside
Read a scouting report on the Peregrines' men's program. PAGE B3
Chesterton alum Jack Houpt looks to lead South Suburban College. PAGE B3
Scouting the 2009-10 Purdue Calumet men's basketball team
Who's back: Three starters return from a 3-26 season. Guard Antonio McNeil (Gavit), the team's only senior, led the Peregrines in scoring (12.5 ppg). Also back are assist leader Robert Williams (West Side) and leading rebounder Michael Patton (West Side). Patton, an athletic forward spent the offseason in the weight room and added 20 pounds to his 6-foot-6 frame, which should improve his play around the rim.
Who's new: Second-year coach Dan Voudrie might have wanted to pass out name tags at the first practice with 12 new faces making their debut for the Peregrines this season. Freshman point guard Aaron Evans was an honorable mention high school all-stater last season and should help bookend a program along with 6-8 center freshman Eric Summers (Lake Central). Also headlining the newcomers is juco forward Neil Hudson (Hobart).
Outlook: A bright future is on the horizon with the incoming freshman class, although there should still be plenty of hair-pulling nights this season. Finding a way to get easy baskets should be an emphasis with a .409 team shooting percentage posted last season. -- Ryan Metz
No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown
3 Aaron Evans Fr. G 6-2 Indianapolis
4 Joel Gotshall Fr. F 6-4 Logansport
5 Will Schenkel Fr. F. 6-5 Huntington
11 Kedric Williams Fr. G 6-2 Bloomington, Ill.
12 Bo Ray Fr. G 5-9 Fort Wayne
20 Mark Sutter Fr. F 6-4 Elkhart
22 Michael Patton Jr. F 6-6 Gary
23 Jordan Champion Fr. G 6-2 Logansport
25 Neal Hudson Jr. F 6-5 Gary
30 Robert Williams Jr. G 6-0 Gary
31 Antonio McNeal Sr. G 6-1 Hammond
32 Kameron Bright Fr. C 6-6 Fort Wayne
33 Brant Stockamp Fr. F 6-5 Indianapolis
54 Eric Summers C Fr. 6-8 Dyer
Schedule
November
6 vs. Indiana Wesleyan, 7 p.m.
7 vs. IU Northwest, 4 p.m.
13 at IU East, 8 p.m.
14 at IU Southeast, 2 p.m.
17 vs. UM Dearborn, 7 p.m.
24 vs. IU Southbend, 7 p.m.
28 at Taylor, 2 p.m.
December
4 at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m.
5 vs. Trine, 3 p.m.
10 at IU Northwest, 7 p.m.
12 vs. IU East, 3 p.m.
19 at St. Ambrose, 3 p.m.
22 at Lewis, 7:30 p.m.
30 vs. Brescia, 4 p.m.
January
6 vs. Trinity Intl.*, 7 p.m.
9 at Trinity Christian*, 3 p.m.
13 at Judson*, 7:30 p.m.
16 vs. Holy Cross, 3 p.m.
20 vs. Purdue North Central*, 7 p.m.
23 at Cardinal Stritch*, 4 p.m.
27 vs. Calumet St. Joseph*, 7 p.m.
30 at Trinity Intl*, 7:30 p.m.
February
3 vs. Trinity Christian*, 7 p.m.
6 vs. Judson*, 3 p.m.
10 at Holy Cross, 6 p.m.
13 at Purdue North Central*, 2 p.m.
17 vs. Cardinal Stritch*, 7 p.m.
20 at Calumet St. Joseph*, 3 p.m.
* -- Denotes CCAC Game
