Cummard to Play in Portsmouth Invitational Tournament

PROVO -- BYU senior Lee Cummard has accepted an invitation to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the nation’s oldest amateur basketball tournament and the only postseason camp for the top seniors in the NCAA that showcases future professional players. The 2009 tournament will be held April 8-11 in Portsmouth, Va.

“I’m excited to start taking the next steps in my basketball career,” Cummard said. “This will be a great chance to get my name out there and show people what I can do.”

Cummard, a 6-7 guard, led the Cougars in scoring (16.8), blocked shots (30), free throw percentage (.871) and three-point percentage (.387) and was second on the team in field goal percentage (.517), assists (3.4) and rebounding (6.2) in 2008-09. He also ranked in the top-10 in eight statistical categories in the Mountain West Conference.

In 2008-09 Cummard led BYU to its third-straight MWC regular season title and a third-straight NCAA tournament appearance. He was named first-team all-MWC and all-district by the NABC and USBWA. BYU finished 25-8 overall and 12-4 in league play.

As a junior Cummard was named the MWC Co-Player of the Year and earned AP Honorable Mention All-America and NABC and USBWA all-district honors. He was also named to the MWC All-Tournament Team. In 2007-08 Cummard led the Cougars in scoring, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and blocked shots. He helped BYU to a second-consecutive conference title and a bid to the NCAA tournament with a 27-8 overall record and 14-2 mark in league play.

As a sophomore Cummard earned All-MWC Third Team honors while helping the Cougars win the MWC regular season title and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. BYU finished 25-9 overall and 13-3 in league play that season.

Cummard concludes his collegiate eligibility ranked ninth in career scoring at BYU with 1,569 points and first in games played and consecutive games played. He is also sixth in career steals, third in made threes and second in free throw percentage.

This marks the 57th year the P.I.T. has invited 64 of the best college basketball seniors to participate in a four-day, 12 game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team and numerous foreign franchises. Over the years the P.I.T. has showcased five of the 50 greatest players in NBA history — Rick Barry, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Dave Cowens, John Stockton and Scottie Pippen — and many others who have gone on to play in the NBA.