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When the Los Angeles Lakers open training camp next month, Greg Somogyi will hold a special distinction on the team's roster.

The 7-foot-3 Somogyi, the first Priory graduate to join an NBA team, will be the tallest player in camp.

That's the good news. The flip side is that Somogyi joins a team that recently added All-Star center Dwight Howard, a mere 6-11.

The Lakers signed Somogyi, a UC Santa Barbara grad, to a non-guaranteed contract last week. He'll arrive in training camp as a practice player.

Somogyi, a native of Hungary, played all four years for the Gauchos and posted career averages of 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 12.2 minutes.

Somogyi averaged a block for nearly every eight minutes played throughout his college career. In one of his most impressive games, Somogyi posted a career high, and UCSB record, with eight blocks against Fresno State in a narrow 64-60 victory during his sophomore campaign in 2009-10. Overall, Somogyi finished his UCSB career in second place on the all-time blocks school record with 181.

Somogyi most recently played for the 2012 Lakers' Summer League team where he averaged 1.2 points, 1.6 rebounds in 7.2 minutes.

He joins the Lakers' 19-man preseason roster that includes fellow centers like 7-footer Robert Sacre, 6-10 Jordan Hill, 6-11 forward-center Troy Murphy and the aforementioned Howard.

The Lakers will open their preseason schedule against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 7 in Fresno.

At Priory, Somogyi led the Panthers to the CCS Division V finals in 2007 and 2008, losing both times. Priory advanced to the NorCal semifinals both seasons before losing, finishing 26-5 in '07 and 25-6 in '08.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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