Penn State Sports Magazine
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4 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M N ew Penn State basketball commit Demetrius Lilley remembers be- ing laughed at for a choice he made this past summer. Having played through a portion of the AAU basketball season with Philly Pride, Lilley chose to take a break from the circuit. The 6-foot-9 center out of Lower Merion High in Ardmore, Pa., wasn't in peak physical condition, and he decided it wasn't in his best interest to showcase his ability in front of college coaches while that remained the case. Rivals.com listed Lilley at 265 pounds before he made the call. So Lilley bet on himself. He devoted his days to working on his body and honing his craft. He fixed his diet. On Sept. 24, Lilley's gamble paid off. That's the day he joined Penn State's class of 2022, becoming the fifth mem- ber of coach Micah Shrewsberry's first recruiting class in Happy Valley. "A lot of people thought it was a stu- pid and dumb idea," Lilley told Blue White Illustrated. "That just gave me more motivation to do that. So I stopped playing AAU and just strictly, every day, worked on my body and ate right. My full day consisted of basketball and weightlifting. That was my whole sum- mer. I was just proud of how much I lost. I think I lost 30 to 35 pounds, and then I gained a lot of muscle. I still have a lot of fat, but mostly muscle." Already a paint presence capable of physically overmatching any opponent he encounters at the high school level, Lilley said Shrewsberry's plan for him involves adding more to that game. In short, Shrewsberry wants Lilley to be versatile. As Lilley explained it, the Nittany Lions' first-year coach envi- sions him "being able to do everything on the floor — being able to pass, being able to shoot, being able to just do ev- erything, bring the ball up, push the ball and make plays and everything." A three-star prospect who also earned offers from Texas A&M, La Salle, East Carolina and Bryant, Lilley is rated the No. 31 center in the class of 2022, according to Rivals. Lilley said Shrewsberry was direct with him about where he fits in Penn State's plans, and that's something he appreciated. "When I went on a visit, he was just straight-up with me," Lilley said. "He was like, when you come here, you're going to have to earn minutes, do this, do that. I was like, let's go. A lot of coaches would have told me that you're going to come here, you're go- ing to start, you're going to be our main player — lie to me. I like that he was straightforward with me. That's how Coach Shrewsberry is." Lilley said Shrewsberry extended his scholarship offer face-to-face in his of- fice during an unofficial visit this past summer. Throughout his recruitment, he found the new Penn State head coach to be a relatable voice. "He's a Black coach," Lilley said. "You don't really get that a lot right now, so definitely him being African American was great, him being able to feel where I come from and everything." Lilley closes out a Penn State recruit- ing class that ranked 20th nationally according to Rivals as of Oct. 18. After missing out on Otega Oweh, the Nittany Lions have turned their attention to the 2023 class. Lilley cited the general campus atmo- sphere, along with his interactions with the coaching staff and the students, as two of the main factors in his decision to play for the Nittany Lions. For him, the chance to build a founda- tion for a program starting something new was a major attraction as well. "When we go through, it's going to be his second year coaching [at Penn State]," Lilley said. "It's a bunch of new guys, a bunch of guys that I know. I know Jameel Brown, I know a couple of guys who committed. Just start- ing something new, that gives me a lot of motivation, because it puts a lot of pressure on us to come in and do what we have to do. That's the main reason I chose Penn State, because we're going to build a new legacy." ■ Demetrius Lilley made a strong impres- sion on Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw in May at the Big Shots Philly Pride event at the Philadelphia Expo Center. Lilley "plays with such energy and enthusi- asm," Shaw noted. "His production catches your eye immediately." Lilley was coming off a junior season in which he averaged 20.6 points and 12.2 re- bounds per game, helping lead Lower Merion High to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals. Shaw called it "a big season for the skilled 6-foot-9 junior," and he said that Lilley's progress was evident at Philly Pride. "Lilly played this weekend with a great mo- tor," Shaw said, "which paired well with his ability to attack off the bounce and make shots from each level." P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N In-State Center Expected To Solidify Frontcourt DAV I D E C K E R T | D AV I D E C K E R T 9 8 @ G M A I L . C O M COMMITMENT PROFILE DEMETRIUS LILLEY A t h ree -sta r p ros p ect f ro m Lowe r M e r i o n H i g h i n Ardmore, Pa., Lilley is rated as the No. 31 center in the class of 2022 by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM