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Daniels signs with Chicago Bulls; McCullar to leave URI

01:16 PM EDT on Tuesday, July 1, 2008

By PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer

Will Daniels, in action against UMass last season in Kingston, has signed with the Bulls for summer-league play July 7-11.


The Providence Journal / Ruben W. Perez

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The University of Rhode Island’s men’s basketball team has lost one player from last year’s team, Hakim McCullar, but has three of its new recruits on campus attending summer classes.

Also, its star from last season, Will Daniels, has signed to play with the Chicago Bulls this summer.

Daniels did not have to wait long after the NBA Draft to find a team. He has signed with the Bulls and will be part of a team that will compete in the Orlando (Fla.) Pro Summer League July 7-11.

The event features teams from the Bulls, Magic, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and Seattle Sonics. That means three of the top four picks from last week’s draft are expected to participate — Derrick Rose (Chicago), Michael Beasley (Miami) and Russell Westbrook (Seattle).

Daniels was not selected in last week’s draft despite averaging 18.6 points and 6.5 rebounds for URI last season. He became the first URI player since Tyson Wheeler (1996-97, 1997-98) and just the third URI player ever to earn First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in consecutive seasons.

The games in the Orlando Summer League will begin at 3 p.m. July 7-10 and at 11 a.m. on July 11. A live video Web cast of every game will be available on orlandomagic.com. Box scores, game recaps and cumulative statistics from the event will also be made available by visiting www.orlandomagic.com.

McCullar to transfer

Back in Kingston, Rhody coach Jim Baron reports that McCullar, a little-used 6-foot-7 freshman forward on last season’s team, has decided to transfer. He has visited Delaware and Toledo.

McCullar, who is from Cincinnati, played a total of 38 minutes in 14 games. He scored four points and had eight rebounds. He had been a late addition to last year’s team after prepping at Maine Central Institute.

Next season’s crop

Meanwhile, three of the five players the Rams have signed for next season — 6-9 forward Orion Outerbridge, 5-8 guard Stevie Mejia and 6-4 guard Jamal Wilson — all are on campus, attending summer classes and getting acclimated to the school.

They are the three players expected to be most ready to help the Rams, who also have eight returning players and Ben Eaves, a transfer from Connecticut, ready to play. Still, all three newcomers are expected to contend for playing time immediately.

The two other signees for this year, 6-8 forward Ryan Brooks and 6-4 guard Randy Dezouvre, apparently have not been cleared to play for next season. Their status is uncertain.

Double dribbles

•A school spokesman said next season’s schedule is nearing completion. The school has agreed to play in a Thanksgiving tournament that will include one home game, one road game and two games in Philadelphia. Among others, the school is negotiating to play a game at an Atlantic Coast Conference school. Because nothing is set, no announcement is ready yet on that game or others.

•Also, the period in which a job vacancy must be posted is about to be complete for the open assistant coach’s job. That job opened when Pat Skerry left for Providence College. Interviews for that job will begin as soon as the posting period ends.

pkenyon@projo.com

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