Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD D A V I D E C K E R T | D A V I D E C K E R T 9 8 @ G M A I L . C O M icah Shrewsberry had just been introduced as Penn State's next men's basketball coach, and the optimistic outlook and positive sensa- tions that typically accompany such an event hadn't yet subsided when the an- nouncement came later that evening: Jamari Wheeler, one of the Nittany Lions' most important players last sea- son and undoubtedly someone Shrews- berry would have liked to have back come November, was transferring to Ohio State for his final season of eligi- bility. The news was hardly a surprise, al- though Wheeler's destination certainly soured the mood of some Penn State fans. He had been among the most out- spoken Nittany Lions when it came to the circumstances of former head coach Patrick Chambers' resignation. "We haven't gotten any answers," Wheeler said at Penn State's virtual media day last fall. Wheeler, who is about to get his de- gree from Penn State, would have en- countered little trouble earning a waiver to play for the Buckeyes right away as a graduate transfer. Still, the timing of his announcement highlighted one of the most intriguing points surrounding Shrewsberry's hire and the rebuilding job he has in front of him: It's going to take place amidst something approxi- mating what free agency is to profes- sional sports, thanks to a transfer waiver that will allow players to be im- mediately eligible when they arrive at their new schools. As of this writing, there were six Penn State players in the transfer portal. Two of them – Wheeler and Myreon Jones – have made it clear that they will not re- turn. Four others – John Harrar, Seth Lundy, Patrick Kelly and Trent Buttrick – have given no public hints on their fu- ture. Izaiah Brockington had also en- tered his name in the portal but announced he would return to the Nit- tany Lions for another season while also testing the professional waters by en- tering the NBA Draft process. At Shrewsberry's introduction, Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said she wasn't surprised by the mass entry into the transfer portal. "You've got the national context, and then you have the Penn State context," she said. "With where we are in college athletics, I'm not surprised at all. I told many... who were close to the program that regardless of what our situation was, there was going to be lots of stu- dent-athlete movement across college men's basketball. I certainly talked to Micah about it in the process." Added Shrewsberry, "This is a unique time in college basketball. There are more transfers in the portal today than there were last year the entire time. It's a unique time to come in as a head coach." The circumstances that Shrewsberry inherited at Penn State – with much of the roster unhappy with the athletic de- partment's treatment of Chambers and the explanations they were given for his departure – will make for a very in- triguing case study in college basketball roster construction when paired with the new transfer legislation. "I've talked to every single one of the guys who have entered [the transfer portal], and we are actively trying to get them back," Shrewsberry said. "Talking about them, talking to them, having conversations face-to-face, over Zoom, on FaceTime." Even while Shrewsberry was still at Purdue ahead of its first-round NCAA tournament game against North Texas, he was trying to re-recruit Penn State's roster. It's possible that the remaining players in the portal like what Shrews- berry has to say and will return to finish out their careers in blue and white. It's also very possible that they don't, and he'll need to reconstruct his squad on the fly. "We are actively recruiting as well," Shrewsberry said. "My goal is to have a great team in place when it's time to tip- off next season, and that's what we're going to do." The list of names available is just about endless. No matter where on the court Penn State's needs lie, there's a long list of good players up for grabs. Shrewsberry has said more than once that he isn't trying to recruit only the most talented players; they have to be the right fit. It will be an interesting measuring stick to see how many quality players in the transfer portal give the Nittany Lions serious consideration. Despite the general optimism surrounding the Shrewsberry hire and the modest reju- venation the program has experienced over the past few years, Penn State still hasn't played in an NCAA tournament game in more than a decade. The questions about the Nittany Lions' roster next season are, at this point, nu- merous. Will Shrewsberry get some of Penn State's key contributors back? If not, can he sign enough players from the portal to make the Nittany Lions com- petitive in the Big Ten? Will he instead prioritize younger talent and take the early hit for a payoff down the road? After the season Penn State had, and in this college basketball economy, nothing is certain. But then again, what's Penn State bas- ketball without a pinch of chaos? ■ Comings and goings M

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