Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
Tsimbila joins Nittany Lions for upcoming season | M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L I n April 2019, Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers convened a year-end press conference to recap the Nittany Lions' recently con- cluded season. That season had been a struggle at times, as the Lions finished 14-18. But Chambers sounded hopeful, insisting that success was within the program's grasp with improvement from the players already on campus and, maybe just as important, a talent infu- sion that included transfer Izaiah Brock- ington and a three-man recruiting class. The Class of 2019 was led by Seth Lundy, but it also featured Patrick Kelly and Abdou Tsimbila, and its potential had Chambers feeling optimistic for the im- mediate future. "We're really excited about Abdou," he said. "Abdou is 6-9, athletic, very bouncy, quick second jump, shot blocker who runs the floor like a gazelle. Things are really starting to move in the right di- rection for us, again, if it all works out." It didn't. Unable to join Lundy and Kelly in the summer due to enrollment issues with the university, Tsimbila was left with no choice but to spend the 2019-20 aca- demic year at Harcum College. Those is- sues eventually were alleviated, clearing the way for a July 13 press release an- nouncing his addition to Penn State's ros- ter – officially, this time. The news was doubly important for the Nittany Lions given its timing. Senior forwards Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens exhausted their collegiate eligibility following the 2019-20 season, and in late June BWI learned that junior college transfer Valdir Manuel would not be enrolling at Penn State. Manuel's sud- den removal from the projected 2020-21 roster was described by sources as a mu- tual parting of ways, and it created a hole in the frontcourt. While 6-foot-9 John Harrar returns for his senior year with the Nittany Lions, the team's only other power forward heading TSIMBILA DREAD DETAILS PRECAUTIONS In the absence of organized basketball this summer, Patrick Chambers tried on a new professional hat in June, spending three weeks appearing as a virtual talk show host. Dubbed "Behind the Climb," the 45- minute weekly program saw Chambers respond to fan questions and welcome a variety of notable guests relevant to the program. Among the invitees were new Denver Nuggets general manager and former Nittany Lion center Calvin Booth, six-year NBA journeyman point guard Tim Frazier, bestselling author and organizational leader Jon Gordon, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, and current Penn State junior shooting guard Myles Dread. All spoke with Chambers at length for the three- episode show. Of particular note, Dread detailed the new normal, day-in-the-life routine of basketball players this summer as the coronavirus pandemic continues to re- shape even basic daily tasks. "First and foremost, you had better be wearing that mask everywhere you go. You've always got to have your gaiter on," Dread said. "It's just really impor- tant for not only yourself but the people who you're going to be somewhat around. You always want to be socially distant, but you're always going to be around people in some way, shape, or form. So to protect yourself and to pro- tect other people and prevent the spread of the virus, you always want to have your mask on." Also noting that one-time individual QR codes are required on players' mobile phones to enter the practice facility, Dread relayed that basic questions must be answered to ensure no one has symp- toms, followed by a forehead tempera- ture scan. Anything above 100.3, he said, requires further testing, but no one had yet failed those protocols. "Once you get your temperature, you're allowed to go in and work out. Everything is very socially distant," he said. "When you're lifting, you're always at least six feet apart from everyone. When you're shooting, there are only two people to a basket, and it's your roommate, the person who you're spending the most time with. And they have everything packed up for you. You're in and you're out. You handle your business and you go back home and you continue to be socially distant." Determined to maintain at least the possibility of a season at this early stage in the process, players have been adapt- ing and adhering to the changes as best they can. "You've got to follow the rules if you want to have a season, and I'm pretty sure everybody in that locker room wants to have a season," he said. "So we've been doing a great job of that, and I'm looking forward to the future." FLORIDA SCHEDULED Penn State an- nounced in June that it plans to play Florida on Dec. 13 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as part of the Basket- ball Hall of Fame Invitational. If the game between the Nittany Lions and Gators is able to be played, it will be part of a quadruple-header. The other games will pit Purdue vs. West Virginia, Stan- N O T E B O O K