Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1464375
M A Y 2 0 2 2 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M L ogan Imes is the newest member of Penn State's class of 2023. A 6-foot-4 point guard out of Zi- onsville, Ind., Imes chose the Nittany Lions on March 29 over Wake Forest, Creighton, Virginia Tech and Butler, among others. Imes said that head coach Micah Shrewsberry and assistant Adam Fisher "made me feel like family." "They've been reaching out to me all the time," he added. "They recruited me harder than anybody else and got to know my family super well. It's the people that make the place, and I just connected with them on a ton of dif- ferent levels. It feels like a place I can definitely call home." Imes, who isn't yet rated by On3, be- comes the second prospect to announce for Penn State in the 2023 cycle, joining his friend Braeden Shrewsberry, Micah's son and a November commitment to the Nittany Lions. That duo has played to- gether with the Indiana Elite during the past two years. T h e ea rly co n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e Shrewsberry family helped Imes forge his path to Penn State. "Braeden being there is a huge part of me coming," he said. "Coach Shrews, too. The drive from where I live to Penn State is like eight hours. It's not close. So, I wanted to make sure if I'm going far away like that it's not like I'm just around a bunch of strangers. I know people there. I can connect with people." The Nittany Lion coaching staff first offered Imes a scholarship back in early October when he took an unofficial visit to campus. He returned for an official visit begin- ning on March 16, with the knowledge that, if things went well, his decision could follow soon after. "Leading up to my visit, I was talk- ing with my family, and it definitely was like, 'I'm really intrigued by this place. I like it a lot. If the visit goes well, it could be a quick decision afterward,'" Imes said. "The visit was everything I hoped it would be and more. I didn't want to make a decision right away. When I got back to my house I took a week and talked to my family again. Then, there was no reason to wait. This is where I want to be." Penn State has recruited Imes hard from the very beginning. The staff re- portedly likes his size and his court awareness. He was recently selected as one of the six core players for the In- diana Junior All Stars that will face the Kentucky All-Star team and the Indiana Senior All Stars this June. Imes feels he's a good fit for the of- fense Shrewsberry is putting together in Happy Valley. "They run a lot of pick-and-rolls," he said. "The guards have a big creative role. They've got to drive, they've got to be able to handle the ball. "When I was talking to Coach Shrews, he was saying that he wants three guys out there that can all handle the ball and go off picks and get downhill and create something for themselves. "That's me. I see myself as a creator — I know that my greatest attribute is that I can make stuff happen breaking down defenses, reading defenses, using my IQ, finding open guys. I think that's what he wants to do, so I feel like this is definitely a role that I could succeed in." Imes is set to arrive in Shrewsberry's third season on the job. While it's uncer- tain where Penn State's program will be by that point, Imes isn't afraid of build- ing a new project. "They've got a great recruiting class coming in before me," he said. "Coach Shrews is a great coach. He knows what he's talking about, he's been at all levels. Same with the other coaches. "They came to Penn State to build a winning culture. I know they're going to do what it takes to do that. I'm believing in them, and I believe in my abilities to help them do that." ■ Logan Imes (left) chose the Nittany Lions over Wake Forest, Creighton, Virginia Tech and Butler in late March. He is shown here with his AAU teammate and fellow PSU commit Braeden Shrewsberry and head coach Micah Shrewsberry. PHOTO COURTESY THE IMES FAMILY Indiana Point Guard Joins Lions' 2023 Class 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 Amani Hansberry Enjoys Penn State Visit Class of 2023 forward Amani Hansberry says he hears from Penn State more than any other pro- gram. A 6-foot-8, 225-pound prospect out of Mount Saint Joseph High in Maryland, Hansberry recently took an official visit to PSU, arriving on campus on March 24. He said the visit went well. "I had a lot of fun. The coaches were great. We had a lot of good energy together. They fed me a lot, so I felt like I gained some pounds there," Hansberry joked. "Nothing I can't work off, but I had a great time." Hansberry is unrated by On3 but holds three-star ratings from Rivals and 247. He said Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry impressed him. Hansberry identified with Shrewsberry's family-oriented mindset and felt a similar vibe when he met seniors Myles Dread and Seth Lundy. "If I'm going to come to Penn State, it's going to be a family atmosphere," he said. "And I definitely felt that not just from [Shrewsberry] but a lot of the other coaches." — David Eckert BASKETBALL COMMITMENT LOGAN IMES