July 22, 2005
Contact: Rick Nixon, 210-458-4551
Former UTSA star LeRoy Hurd receiving major minutes for the Indiana Pacers Summer League Team
SAN ANTONIO - Former UTSA forward LeRoy Hurd, the 2004 Southland Conference (SLC) Most Valuable Player, has received major minutes in the Minnesota Summer League as a member of the Indiana Pacers during the past month.
Looking to earn an invite back to the Indiana fall camp, the 6-7 Hurd played in four games for the Pacers, averaging 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, while playing 18.5 minutes per game. Backing up Ron Artest at the small forward position, Hurd scored a summer league best 13 points in 23 minutes as Indiana scored an 80-65 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He started one game, scoring five points in a 79-72 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since leaving UTSA following the 2004 season, Hurd signed with Chalons-en-Champagne in France, but was waived in November, 2004, after just seven games. After a brief stint with the Portland Reign of the American Basketball Association, he signed with the Columbus Riverdragons in the National Basketball Developmental League. With Columbus, he averaged 10.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.4 apg in 26 games and helped lead the Riverdragons to the NBDL championship game.
Last summer he played for the San Antonio Spurs summer league team at the Midwest Rookie Revue in Salt Lake City, Utah. He led the SLC in scoring in 2004 with a 19.4 points per game average, while also averaging 8.0 rebounds. He helped lead UTSA to the conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as its third NCAA tournament appearance. Hurd ended his UTSA career with 1,029 career points in only two seasons, which ranks him No. 11 all-time in school history. He was the SLC "Newcomer of the Year" in 2003 after transferring to UTSA from the University of Miami.
Hurd, who led the SLC in scoring in both his junior and senior seasons, worked out for Houston, Memphis and Miami in addition to the Spurs, but was not drafted on June 24, 2004. He can look to one of his former teammates for inspiration. Devin Brown also went undrafted out of UTSA but received an invitation to the Spurs' training camp after earning Player of the Year honors in the United States Basketball League. Brown is now a major contributor in San Antonio's NBA championship lineup.