Julius Hodge made headlines for four years at NC State for his versatile style of play: He wasn't all-world in any one particular category but he was great in many ways, leading the Pack in scoring, rebounding and assists this past season for example.

That same versatile Hodge was on display during his first outings as a professional player at the Reebok Vegas Summer League. Playing for the Denver Nuggets — the team that drafted him in the first round June 28 — Hodge finished among the team leaders in points, rebounds and assists.

The Nuggets played six games, winning three from July 7-15. Hodge was third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game behind fellow guard Luis Flores (15.3) and forward Linas Kleiza (15.2). He finished second in rebounds, pulling down 5.8 boards per contest behind Kleiza's 6.2. Hodge led Denver in assists — and was fifth best in the league — with 3.8 per game. The next closest player in a Denver uniform was guard Tyus Edney, who averaged 1.5 assists per outing.

Hodge also had five steals, three blocks and 15 turnovers. He was 28 of 64 from the field (43.8 percent), 2 of 11 from three-point range (18.2 percent) and 22 of 35 from the free throw line (62.9 percent). Of his 35 total rebounds, 10 came on the offensive end.

Overall, Hodge left a favorable impression in his first stint with his new team.

"We like his ability to make things happen," summer league coach Scott Brooks told the Rocky Mountain News. "He can do things on both ends of the court. He's still learning. One of the big things is he's going to put a lot of time into shooting and he's willing to do that."

Here's a game-by-game breakdown of his stats:

July 7 — Nuggets 89, Nets 65: Hodge played 23 minutes and scored 13 points in his professional debut on 5 of 8 shooting. He swished both of his free throws and made 1 of 2 from three-point range. He also had four rebounds, two assists and four turnovers

July 9 — Nuggets 92, Nets 77: Hodge, who played a team-high 32 minutes, and guard Luis Flores tied for the team lead with 16 points apiece. Hodge was 5 of 10 from the field, with three of his misses coming from three-point range. He made 6 of 8 from the charity stripe. In addition to a team-high seven rebounds, Hodge had two assists, two steals and a block.

July 10 — Cavaliers 78, Nuggets 55: Denver struggled across the board, and Hodge wasn't immune during his 35 minutes on the floor (11 minutes more than anyone else on the team). He was just 3 of 13 from the field and finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists. He made just 1 of 4 attempts from the foul line.

July 12 — Bulls 84, Nuggets 79: Playing on NBA TV for the first time, Hodge displayed his versatile nature with this stat line over 33 minutes: 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists and one steal against three turnovers. He worked for five offensive boards.

July 14 — Nuggets 87, Suns 79: Denver ended its losing skid with Hodge getting to play 37 minutes. Hodge had another solid stat-stuffing performance: 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and two turnovers. He shot 5 of 11 from the field, 0 of 3 from three-point range and 4 of 7 from the free throw line.

July 15 — Clippers 94, Nuggets 78: Hodge spent 38 minutes on the floor in this one and led Denver in scoring. He finished with 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting and showed a bit of improvement from the foul line (5 of 7). He had a week-long high of seven assists in this game to go with six rebounds, a block and three turnovers. FYI: Duke's Daniel Ewing, playing for the Clippers, was given a technical foul during the game.

In addition to playing in the Vegas Summer League, Hodge also participated in the 20th annual Midsummer Night's Magic all-star game in Los Angeles this past weekend. Hodge's childhood idol, Magic Johnson, had this to say after watching Julius tally six assists, four points and three rebounds in the NBA Rookies' 129-116 win over a team of NBA veterans at the Staples Center:

"I've enjoyed Julius because of the fact that he's a guy who can get his own shot with his dribbling ability," Johnson said. "He can create space in front of the defender. As he gets to know the league and gets stronger and a little bigger, I think he's going to be a very effective player."

Hodge created two assists during his first minute on the floor late in the first quarter. He also had a steal-and-dunk in the first half and then a layup late in the third quarter to give the Rookies their 100th point. Hodge played alongside fellow ACC veterans Chris Paul (Wake Forest) and Daniel Ewing (Duke) as well as former Syracuse star Hakim Warrick.

Former NC State forward Josh Powell suited up for the Dallas Mavericks in Vegas. CBS Sports Line called Powell "Vegas' most pleasant surprise" after he led the league in rebounding (9.8 rebounds per game).

Powell left NC State following his sophomore season to go pro but wasn't drafted. He ended up in the CBA and is battling now to make an NBA roster for 2005-06. Powell averaged 11.2 points per game for the Mavs.