Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 41 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry put his players through the wringer this past summer. Strength and conditioning coach Greg Miskinis was tasked with inflicting a grueling regimen on the Nittany Lions, the idea be- ing to challenge players physically and mentally. With eight newcomers joining the team this year — three graduate transfers and five freshmen — Shrewsberry wanted to speed the transition by giving them an opportunity to push themselves to the limit alongside the returning players. The first of the newcomers to enroll, transfer guards Camren Wynter and Andrew Funk, arrived in mid-June and immediately grabbed Shrewsberry's attention. "We had this group of guys that have done this stuff before, and you would look out there in the summer and Cam Wynter and Andrew Funk looked like they had been a part of our group for their entire [college ca- reers]," Shrewsberry said. " Those two guys fit in seamlessly from Day 1, and that aided in their tran- sition. "They very quickly earned the respect of the other guys that had been here." Last year's team featured a stout defense but lacked offensive firepower. Penn State brought in Wynter and Funk to provide an instant injection of scoring skill. During his time at Drexel, Wynter earned three All-Colonial Athletic As- sociation nods, including 2019 CAA Rookie of the Year honors. He averaged 11.3, 15.7, 16.3 and 15.8 points in his four seasons, totaling 1,657 points, 577 assists and 493 rebounds. Now, the 6-foot-2 point guard is set to pair with super senior guard Jalen Pickett in Penn State's backcourt. Funk, meanwhile, brings a lengthy résumé of his own to Penn State. An All-Patriot League guard at Bucknell as a senior, the 6-5 shooter averaged 17.6 points while knocking down 43.2 percent of his attempts from the floor and 36.3 percent from 3-point range. Together, Wynter and Funk figure to make Penn State a much more ver- satile team than it was a year ago. "They just have a different way about them," Shrewsberry said. "Both of these guys have been go-to guys on their team for years. They've been at the top of the scouting report, but they don't carry themselves that way. They play well with others. "You don't always know how they're going to adjust to not getting the most shots and not having the ball the entire time. In terms of what they do, how they fit, they've helped us." Their quick acclimation has allowed Shrewsberry to add to his offense, and he's eager to see the impact that Wynter and Funk will make in the months ahead. "They just keep the ball popping," he said. "It's been a drastic difference in how quickly the ball has been moving in practice from one guy to the next. Then when they get their opportunity to attack, they pounce on it." — Nate Bauer Transfer Guards Enhance Penn State's Versatility And Camaraderie Camren Wynter was a three-time all-conference selection in his four seasons at Drexel. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS Andrew Funk shot 43.2 percent from the floor and averaged 17.6 points per game in his final season at Bucknell. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS