July 15, 2005

LAS VEGAS - Marc Salyers, a standout performer on the Samford University basketball team from 1997-2000, is currently a member of the New Orleans Hornets Summer League team that is participating in the 2005 Reebok Las Vegas Classic.

Salyers, who presently ranks sixth on Samford's all-time scoring list with 1,604 career points, joined the Hornets Summer League squad in late June after spending the previous four seasons playing professionally in Europe. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists while playing in 19 games with Fenerbache in Istanbul.

From 2001-04, Salyers competed for Oyak Renault Bursa in the Turkey D-1 league, Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez in France and Cimberio Novara in Italy. He averaged 25.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in Turkey and averaged 19.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in Italy.

Salyers did not play in the Hornets' opening Summer League game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 7, but logged 16 minutes in the team's slight 86-84 loss versus the Washington Wizards on July 8.

Against the Wizards, he scored three points on 1-of-2 shooting from the field, finished 1-of-1 from the free-throw line, grabbed three rebounds and actually played five more minutes than second-round draft pick Brandon Bass of LSU. Bass, the 2004 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, played 11 minutes and tallied two rebounds.

Against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, Salyers played five minutes, pulled down a rebound and blocked a shot. He did not compete in the Hornets' 84-67 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday.

Salyers finished his career at Samford as the school's sixth all-time leading scorer (1,604) and third all-time leading rebounder (662) and was one of only eight players in school history to score 500 or more points in a season (537 in 1999).

During his senior campaign, Salyers finished ranked in the top 10 in scoring (17.2 ppg, fourth), rebounding (6.2 rpg, 10th), field-goal percentage (.518, fourth) and blocked shots (0.9 bpg, ninth) in the Trans America Athletic Conference to earn First-Team All-TAAC honors.

Salyers majored in business at Samford and attended the same high school (Apollo High in Owensboro, Ky.) as former University of Kentucky-great Rex Chapman.

To follow Salyers' progress in the 2005 Reebok Las Vegas Summer League, please log on to www.vegassummerleague.com.