PENN STATE - 2015-16 Blue Ribbon's Preview

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT    C 

FRONTCOURT  B- 

BENCH/DEPTH C 

INTANGIBLES  C

LOCATION   State College, PA 

CONFERENCE   Big Ten (since 1992-93)

LAST SEASON    18-16 (.471) 

CONFERENCE RECORD   4-14 (13th) 

STARTERS RETURNING/LOST   3/2 

NICKNAME   Nittany Lions 

COLORS   Blue & White 

HOME COURT   Bryce Jordan Center (15,261) 

COACH   Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia Univ. ’94) - 2018-19

RECORD AT SCHOOL  56-75 (4 years)  

CAREER RECORD   98-103 (6 years) 

ASSISTANTS:

Keith Urgo (Fairfield ’02)

Dwayne Anderson (Villanova ’09)

Ross Condon (Villanova ’07) 

WINS (LAST 5 YRS.)   19-12-10-16-18

RPI (LAST 5 YRS.)    48-160-183-115-109 

2014-15 FINISH   Lost in Big Ten quarter finals.

Thanks to stability and little roster turnover, Penn State enjoyed its first winning season under Chambers and the program’s first since Ed Dechellis went 19-15 in 2010-11, his final season. The Nittany Lions have won 18 or more three times in the last decade, and just 8 times since joining the Big Ten in 1992-93. 

Chambers has shown plenty of savvy as a recruiter and continues to mine the talent-rich Philadelphia area for players — one of the toughest things for coaches who have watched their careers ounder and fizzle in State College. It was enough for the administration to give him a contract extension through the 2018-19 season, just days after last season ended and despite not getting a bid to the NIT.

“I thought it was big,” Chambers said. “I think 18 wins definitely put us in position to be considered for the NIT. Obviously, it’s been a process. We’re trying to do things the right way. We’re not taking the short cuts, we’re taking the long road. We’re getting closer and closer. We took over four years ago, and I feel like we’ve gotten better each year. And that’s what we have to continue to do.” 

Three starters return of a team that defeated Nebraska and Iowa to reach the Big Ten tournament semifinals, then nearly upset Purdue. Penn State won 3 of its last 4 after a month-plus stretch in which it lost 8 of 9. 

Like a year ago, the Nittany Lions lost one player to transfer. Only this time, it was potential returning starter Geno Thorpe (8.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg), who surprised the staff after the season and left for USF. But the bigger losses came via the traditional route. And for the second straight year, Penn State loses a high-scoring, all-time program great. 

After losing Tim Frazier to graduation, D.J. Newbill again assumed the full o ensive burden he had as a sophomore with Frazier out. Newbill started all 34 games and played both point and two guard. e Southern Miss transfer’s 704 points made him just the second PSU player all-time to get 700-plus in a season, and he nished fourth in school history with 1,812 points over just three seasons (2,105 for his career). His 20.7 points and 37.1 minutes per game led the Big Ten, and he also nished 11th in assists (3.1) and steals (1.3) per game. In earning All-Big Ten tournament honors, Newbill averaged 21.0 points per game, with 10 rebounds, seven assists, six steals and four blocks in PSU’s three contests. 

Starting forward Ross Travis graduated after averaging 5.5 points and 6.3 rebounds--12th in the league—while starting 27 games. He’s attempting to make it to the NFL as a tight end. 

“Those two guys have left an amazing legacy,” Chambers said. “When you say it’s tough to ll those shoes, I think we have guys ready to ll those shoes. And in years past, I don’t know if I could say that.” 

Reserve guard John Johnson also departed. e one-time Pitt transfer averaged 7.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16 games before getting suspended in January; he did not return. 

That leaves a young but jelling nucleus for Chambers, which is anchored by a young guard and a veteran forward. 

Sophomore Shep Garner (9.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg) is a former Philly prep star in a similar mold of Frazier and Newbill. Coming o a strong debut season in which he started all but one of PSU’s games, Garner enters this season as one of Chambers’ top leaders. Chambers is tasking his 6-1, 185-pound combo guard with getting more consistent with his energy and improving his shot (.364 FG, .337 3PT) heading into his second season. He averaged 28.8 minutes per game, second only to Newbill. 

“Leadership’s gonna be really key for Shep headed into this year. He’s already working on that, already stepping up, already being more vocal,” Chambers said. “He started every game last year. at’s pretty impressive. And he’s only a sophomore—he’s got so much room for growth, but he’s got a lot of experience already under his belt to go through a Big Ten season and Big Ten tournament and learn from a guy like D.J. Newbill.” 

Two-year starter Brandon Taylor (9.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is one of four returning seniors on the roster. e 6-6, 225-pound small forward can be a stretch four if needed, but his 3-point shooting and slashing ability make him ideally suited for the wing. He started 25 games and slightly improved his 3-point shot (.335, 54 of 161) and boosted his rebounding numbers as well from a year earlier. e Tabernacle, N.J., product still struggled to get to the line, though, with just 30 total free-throw attempt. Becoming more of a face-up o ensive threat and drawing contact by getting to the rim o the dribble is vital with the loss of Newbill. 

Down the stretch, especially, Chambers thought Taylor began to turn a corner and started providing energy and production at both the o ensive and defensive ends to help the Nittany Lions spark their surge. 

“Brandon Taylor is ready to take o this season. He has prepared himself in the spring and summer to tackle this season and do whatever it takes to have a successful senior year,” Chambers said. “He’s pretty much started for three years now. With that experience and the way we nished the season o , he’s more con dent. His leadership is going to be really important as well. He and Shep have to really command this team.” 

Part of why Taylor stayed more at the three last season is the strength of Chambers’ two returning senior big men — Donovon Jack (3.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Jordan Dickerson (2.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg)—who got some starting experience last season. e lengthy pair give Penn State the luxury of post depth that not many teams in the Big Ten have coming back, as well as a strong interior defensive presence that can bother opponents in the paint. ey combined with Taylor last season for 104 blocked shots. 

“That’s gonna be exciting for us, as far as protecting the rim,” Chambers said. “With those two guys playing major minutes, our defense should be pretty stable.” 

Jack, a 6-9 forward from Reading, Pa., improved his strength on his still-lithe 210-pound frame in the o season and continued to work on his midrange shot while enhancing an already strong interior passing ability. He went just 3 of 18 from 3-point range last season, but Jack has continued to enhance his defense-stretching shot production. With his aggressive defensive presence, he’s still prone to foul trouble— though he did drop his disquali cation total from six games as a sophomore to four last season. 

The 7-1, 245-pound Dickerson also has a 7-1 wingspan, and provides a true shot-blocking presence in his second season after transferring from SMU. Chambers thinks the new rules allowing arm bars will bene t the defensive-minded role that Dickerson has embraced and demanded. Getting more low-post o ense and putbacks will be a boost, but Dickerson’s energy and enthusiasm in the paint are more of what Chambers wants most. 

Julian Moore (1.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg), yet another Philadelphia product, could join Jack and Dickerson as a major part of the Nittany Lions’ vertical, rim- protecting defense. e long-armed 6-10 redshirt sophomore blocked 12 shots while averaging 7.6 minutes in 33 games, including one start, as a freshman. Better lateral quickness in traditional post defense is essential, but Moore tweaked his jump shot in the summer and appears primed to blossom o ensively going into his third season. He can create with two or three dribbles and can nish at the rim. Chambers compared him to former Iowa star Aaron White as a “do-everything-type of player” and thinks he’ll ght for a starting spot. 

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on Julian,” Chambers said. “But if he continues doing what he’s doing, he could have a really major impact—one of those guys people on the outside didn’t know would be ready to make an impact and only we knew he was ready to take that next step. ... He’s put that much work into getting better and wanting to be that type of player.” 

Devin Foster (2.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg), a 6-2 senior, earned more minutes during the Big Ten season than he played in non-conference games. Over Penn State’s nal eight-game push, he averaged 10.0 minutes. Foster will ght for a starting job thanks to his passing ability and steady experience in directing the o ense. 

Payton Banks (1.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg) enters his third season in the program. e 6-6 redshirt sophomore swingman from Orange, Calif., added muscle to his 220-pound frame and can shoot from distance. He will have plenty of competition to get more than the 8.7 minutes per game he averaged last season. 

That’s because Chambers brought in three players who will be competing for time at those spots. at group includes 6-4 four-star freshman shooting guard Josh Reaves, who arrives from basketball factory Oak Hill (Va.) Academy with a high IQ for the game. “He’s really making his mark,” Chambers said after Reaves spent both summer sessions. Chambers thinks Reaves will continue for significant PT.

Reaves is joined in the true freshman class by 6-6 Lithuanian sharpshooting wingman Deividas Zemgulis and 6-8 forward Mike Watkins, another physical Philly prep product, in the paint. Both were three-star recruits.

“We’re gonna be really big this year,” Chambers said. “Our wing players, there’s no such thing as playing small.”

Isaiah Washington was hurt and took a redshirt as a freshman last season. e 6-3 guard from Williamsport, Pa., brings shooting and athleticism on the perimeter.

Sitting out this year will be transfer Terrence Samuel, a 6-4 guard from Brooklyn who arrives with two years of eligibility left after averaging 3.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season as a sophomore at Connecticut.

The Nittany Lions struggled early in the ultra-competitive Big Ten, nishing next-to-last in an expansion season before their strong push in the nal weeks and into the conference tournament. But they didn’t get to the postseason after making their rst berth in ve seasons and advancing to the CBI quartter nals in 2014.

“I think the perception is slowly but surely changing,” Chambers said. “ at takes time — you have to win more games and get to the postseason. I think people thought, ‘Man, there’s some energy and optimism.’”

The Nittany Lions’ non-conference schedule should allow Chambers to bring along some of his younger players slowly and build some victories toward that postseason portfolio. Penn State plays games in Pittsburgh against Duquesne at Consol Energy Center and in Philadelphia against Drexel at e Palestra, then wraps up with a trip to the Las Vegas Classic. Also on the docket is a visit to Boston College for the Big Ten/ ACC Challenge and seven home games.

Then the gauntlet begins, with visits to Maryland and Michigan opening the Big Ten season and meetings with Minnesota, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin among the rst seven league games. Even with that tough stretch between January and March, Chambers saw glimpses last season that his players are ready to take that next step toward joining the league’s elite powers.

“Because of the depth, because of the consistency and because of the way we’re built now,” Chambers said, “I think we might surprise a lot of people.”

Chris Solari

PENN STATE LIONS STARTERS
33 Shep Garner G SO 6-1 185 Chester, Pa. Roman Catholic
23 Josh Reaves G FR 6-4 190 Fairfax, Va. Oak Hill Academy (Va.)
0 Payton Banks F SO 6-6 220 Orange, Calif. Lutheran
10 Brandon Taylor F SR 6-6 225 Tabernacle, N.J. Trenton Catholic
32 Jordan Dickerson C SR 7-1 245 Brooklyn, N.Y. IMG Academy/Abraham Lincoln

BENCH/STARTERS
32 Jordan Dickerson C SR 7-1 245 Brooklyn, N.Y. IMG Academy/Abraham Lincoln
44 Julian Moore C SO 6-10 235 Philadelphia, Pa. Germantown Academy

BENCH
1 Deividas Zemgulis F FR 6-6 220 Kaunas, Lithuania St. Mary Ryken (Md.)
3 Devin Foster G SR 6-2 205 Dayton, Ohio Jefferson Township
5 Donovon Jack F SR 6-9 210 Reading, Pa. Berks Catholic
21 Isaiah Washington G RS FR 6-3 160 Williamsport, Pa. Williamsport

OTHERS
11 Sam Halle G JR 6-0 185 Springfield, Va. West Springfield
13 Terrence Samuel G JR 6-4 205 Brooklyn, N.Y. Victory Collegiate
24 Mike Watkins F FR 6-8 245 Philadelphia, Pa. Phelps School

COACHES
Patrick Chambers - Head Coach

Keith Urgo - Associate Head Coach
Dwayne Anderson - Assistant Coach
Ross Condon - Assistant Coach

David Caporaletti - Director of Operations
Ryan Devlin - Director of Player Development
Jon Salazer - Assoc. Dir. of Athletic Training Services
Brandon Spayd - Strength Coach