Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509432
4 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M H ead coach Mike Rhoades and his Penn State men's bas- ketball staff welcomed their first traditional recruit of the 2024 recruiting cycle when Jahvin Carter, a 6-foot-3 combo guard out of Alcoa, Tenn., announced in late June that he had decided to play for the Nittany Lions. On Sept. 22, Rhoades and his staff added another prospect. Dominick Stewart, a 6-5 combo guard out of SoCal Academy in Northridge, Calif., announced his commitment to Penn State via social media. Stewart is rated the No. 171 overall prospect and No. 34 shoot- ing guard in the 2024 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He an- nounced his decision following an official visit to Penn State the weekend of Sept. 2, during which the Nittany Lion football team hosted West Virginia in its nationally televised season opener. The big-game environment made an impression. "It was great," Stewart told BWI via text. "I loved it." Following his trip to State College, Stewart took an official visit to Butler. He shut down his recruitment shortly afterward. Stewart first appeared on Penn State's radar screen last sum- mer thanks to his offseason work. The Nittany Lions extended an offer on July 24, and they had plenty of competition at the time. By the end of July, Stewart had received offers from California, George Mason, James Madison, Butler, Creighton and Missis- sippi State. The surge in interest followed a strong performance with Team Durant on the Nike EYBL AAU circuit. One outlet named Stewart to its All-Breakout team after he averaged 9.5 points, 3.5 re- bounds, and 2.5 assists per game during the third session in the spring. He continued his rise in July at the Peach Jam tournament in North Augusta, S.C., averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Following his summer breakout, Stewart headed west. The Baltimore native had spent his junior year at Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland, but he decided to transfer to SoCal Academy, and he also reclassified back to the 2024 class after spending some time tabbed as a 2025 prospect. Stewart's breakout summer offered a glimpse of his outstand- ing potential at the college level. Skilled as a shooter, passer and scorer, he understands the game and puts that high IQ on display on both ends of the floor. He's a big guard at 6-foot-5, fitting the mold of combo guards at the next level. Putting it all together, with high potential for development, he's a good fit at PSU, with his best basketball ahead of him. Stewart's commitment came about three months after Carter announced his decision to join Penn State. The Tennessee native had picked up an offer from the Lions on June 16, and Rhoades paid a visit to his home state that month to watch him play. Among Carter's highlights at Alcoa High are a school-record 62-point game, and 1,805 career points, making him the Tor- nadoes' all-time leading scorer. Additionally, Carter was named Tennessee all-state in Class 2A for the 2022-23 season, as well as the Class 2A Region 1 Player of the Year. The honors followed a ju- nior year in which he averaged 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Carter's only other offer reported to his social media was from Middle Tennessee State. He was also hosted on visits to Auburn and Virginia Tech. While the Nittany Lions have gotten off to a good start with the addition of Stewart and Carter, they are not yet done on the re- cruiting trail. Among the prospects they are pursuing is Stewart's SoCal Academy teammate Miles Goodman, a power forward. The Nittany Lions have, at minimum, three scholarships to fill ahead of the 2024-25 season. Forwards Qudus Wahab and Leo O'Boyle and guard RayQuawndis Mitchell are all using their bo- nus season of eligibility and will be moving on after the upcoming season. In addition, guards Ace Baldwin and Puff Johnson are fourth-year performers. While they both have an extra year of eligibility available to them, there is no guarantee they will opt to use it. ■ Dominick Stewart Joins Nittany Lions' 2024 Recruiting Class N AT E B A U E R | N A T E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M BASKETBALL RECRUITING Stewart was a strong performer on the Nike EYBL circuit last summer. At the Peach Jam tournament in South Carolina, he averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals in five games. PHOTO COURTESY DOMINICK STEWART