Blue White Illustrated

A t his April news conference wrapping up the 2018-19 basketball season, Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers had little choice but to speak in hypo- theticals. Proud of his team's 7-3 finish to the conference season following an 0-10 start, Chambers praised its resiliency, leadership, heart and guts in securing an- other first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament. The future, though, could only be discussed in less-certain terms. In a separate news con- ference held immedi- ately after Chambers finished addressing the media, first-team All- Big Ten forward Lamar Stevens announced that he was declar- ing for the NBA Draft. In addition, rising fifth-year senior Mike Watkins was planning to look into his options for a professional future. And also unknown at the time, but ac- knowledged nonetheless, was the po- tential for underclassmen to put their names into the newly created NCAA transfer portal. The result for Chambers and the Nit- tany Lions was a sense of optimistic un- certainty heading into the off-season. "I feel as good as I've ever felt in April," he said. "This is probably the worst month for any head coach." The NCAA's evolved rules, which allow players to hire agents and explore their NBA options while still retaining colle- giate eligibility, created a state of limbo. And transfers, Chambers added, were be- coming "a little bit rampant," requiring that the coaching staff maintain relation- ships on the recruiting trail for possible late signings. "So right now, I feel very good about my team," Chambers said. "I feel very good about that locker room. But we're going to continue to recruit and build relation- ships." As the calendar flipped from April to May, two of those hypotheticals were re- solved, while a third hypothetical, ar- guably the team's most consequential, remained an unknown. In the realm of transfers, Chambers' program was dealt a blow when rising sophomore point guard Rasir Bolton en- tered the transfer portal April 26. Following a debut season with the Nit- tany Lions in which he started nine games and played in all 32, averaging 11.6 points in 26.9 minutes per game, Bolton sought a transfer for unspecified reasons. His fa- ther, Ray, told David Jones of PennLive.com only that "it's a nonbas- ketball-related issue." "Right now, we're just trying to get through the process clean and move on to the next destination," he said. Three days later, the pendulum swung back in the Nittany Lions' favor, as Watkins announced his return for a fifth and final season. The decision followed a tumultuous 14 months that began with a severe knee injury that ended his redshirt sophomore season prematurely. As he worked to recover, Watkins was ensnared in two separate legal issues and revealed an ongoing battle with clinical depression and bipolar disorder. After serving a five-game suspension to open the 2018-19 season, Watkins went on to average 7.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game, starting 14 times. He finished 11th in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and sixth in blocked shots (1.7 bpg) while compiling the league's third-best field goal percentage (57.7). Chambers said he was "ecstatic" about Watkins' return, noting that he had made progress throughout the year. "I believe Mike really finished strong," Chambers said. "I think he's starting to feel healthy, starting to feel better. So as long as he's in that frame of mind, we'll see where it takes him." Expected to be a critical part of Penn State's plans next season, Watkins gave the team a lift with his decision to come back. But the biggest factor in the Lions' outlook – Stevens' availability – remains unresolved. At his postseason news conference, Stevens explained that playing in the NBA has been a lifelong dream and that he was excited to see what opportunities might present themselves through the process, including individual workouts for teams and a possible NBA Draft Com- bine invitation. And, if those opportuni- ties ultimately aren't to his liking, Stevens noted that a return to the Nit- tany Lions would provide meaningful opportunities, too. "I think really, honestly, for me, it's a win-win," Stevens said. "One way, I go to play professionally. [The other], I come back to a great school and really get to end my legacy how I really envisioned. And I really believe if I do come back, we'll take this team to places it's never been, and I think that's exciting either way. I don't feel any pressure, either way, to stay or leave, because both options are great for me." Calling Stevens a preseason Player of the Year candidate should he return, Chambers said he was optimistic about the team's potential moving forward. And, should Stevens not return, the coach noted that contingency plans are in place for a team that is getting older, wiser and more experienced. "We are building a foundation of sus- tainable success, and we have to build on the shared experiences that we've had over the last couple of years," Chambers said. "We believe those experiences are going to be future successes, and we just need to stay the course and keep devel- oping and keep getting these guys bet- ter." ■ Nittany Lions' o-season brings uncertainty | M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L STEVENS

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