ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Danielius Jurgutis, a standout athlete from Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois, has announced that he intends on enrolling this fall at Augustana, where he plans on being a member of coach Grey Giovanine's CCIW-champion Viking basketball program.

Jurgutis, a 6' 0", 185-pound point guard, was named a team captain in his first year in coach Jay Baum's Downers Grove South program. He started all 29 games for the Mustangs, who went 25-4 and won the West Suburban Conference Gold championship 2010-11. Downers Grove South also captured the championship at Elmhurst York's Jack Tosh Holiday Classic and a regional title in the IHSA Class 4A state tournament.

Jurgutis was a Suburban Life all-area selection and earned All-West Suburban Gold and Daily Herald all-area honorable mention. He was also an all-tournament pick at St. Charles East's Ron Johnson Thanksgiving Tournament after scoring 22 points in a season-opening win over East Aurora and University of Connecticut-bound Ryan Boatright.

Coach Baum was effusive in his praise of the newest Viking, who averaged 10 points per game and had an assist-toturnover ratio of better than 2-to-1 this year. "Dan was an outstanding team player. He did whatever we needed him to do in order to win. He can score, play defense, get the ball to the right guy and always has the right disposition on the court. He was a leader from the beginning. There's no way we win 25 games without Dan at point guard. He will excel at Augustana!"

Danielius is the son of Erika and Audronius Jurgutis of Darien, Illinois. He lettered as a junior at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois before moving on to Downers Grove South.

Jurgutis joins a Viking program coming off one of the finest seasons school history. Augustana finished 27-4 in 2010-11 and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III tournament. The Vikings won their fifth College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin title in the last nine years and the CCIW tournament championship for the third time in five years. They've enjoyed tremendous success under Giovanine—who'll be in his 13th season at Augustana in 2011-12—going 199-70 (.740) over the last decade, including 101-39 (.721) in CCIW play.