This offseason and summer is an important one for Penn State men’s basketball program and it might not be resolved until the season is nearly here.
The reasoning? It looks like it’s going to be a while before some of the Nittany Lions’ top targets make their final decisions.
According to an interview with Lions247, Top 100 prospect Lamar Stevens isn’t planning on any official visits until September or later. Friend, teammate and equally talented guard Tony Carr isn’t in any hurry either.
The kicker in all of this is Stevens and Carr’s desire to play at the next level together if at all possible. On top of that, recent commit Nazeer Bostick is a teammate of both between high school and the AAU circuit. Things are looking very blue and white, but looking and being are two very different words on the recruiting trail.
The good news for fans is that Stevens and Carr are seriously considering Penn State as an option. It’s entirely possible that the long wait could result in yet another historic recruiting haul for the Nittany Lions. In many ways the drama and stress that comes with high profile players can result in huge payoffs. Recruits that are easy to sign off the bat are likely recruits who are not particularly in demand in the first place.
Penn State has room and options if Carr and Stevens go elsewhere but there is little doubt it’s a full court press to land these two. Bringing this pair to State College would do wonders for Pat Chambers, his staff and the program’s cause.
In the more immediate future, Penn State will host UConn transfer Terrence Samuel this week. CBSSports’ Jon Rothstein first reported the news which was later confirmed by other sources.
Samuel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Brooklyn, New York, will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the upcoming season. He averaged 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds during his time at UConn, coming largely off the bench despite eight starts. Samuel was a freshman during the Huskies’ national title run in 2014. Wherever Samuel ends up he’ll have to sit out the upcoming season per NCAA transfer rules.
Whatever happens, the wheels are in motion.
It’s just that the direction the bus is traveling remains to be seen.
