Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1512721
4 2 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State's first full recruiting class under coach Mike Rhoades was made official on Nov. 8 when a trio of players joined the Nittany Lions on the first day of the early signing period. The Lions welcomed four-star center Miles Goodman of Seattle, three-star point guard Jahvin Carter of Alcoa, Tenn., and three-star shooting guard Domi- nick Stewart of Ocean Springs, Miss. Goodman and Stewart are teammates at Southern California Academy in subur- ban Los Angeles. In Carter, who verbally committed dur- ing Rhoades' team-building whirlwind last summer, the Nittany Lions landed a player with the potential to lead the way for the program moving forward. "He very quickly built a relationship with me and the rest of our staff, and that turned into him being so excited about what we're trying to do here," Rhoades told GoPSUSports.com. "When he told us he wanted to come, I said, 'We're recruit- ing the right type of kids.' He was excited about Penn State and the opportunity to play on the biggest stage. He wanted to be with us. That creates some great relation- ships." The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Carter is rated by On3 as the No. 36 point guard nationally and No. 2 prospect in Ten- nessee. He entered his senior season at Alcoa having already established himself as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,102 points. As a junior, he led the team to its first state championship in 56 years. "Jahvin is so excited to be here," Rhoades said. "He wants to be coached, and coached hard. He's a winner, and he's doing it with the guys he grew up with his whole life and his high school. He has great pride in where he's from, and I love that." Following Carter's commitment, the Nittany Lions showed patience through- out the remainder of the summer. Rhoades and his staff used their oppor- tunities to play host to prospects during football weekends, shoring up the class with two additional commitments. Stewart, who pledged to the Lions in late September, is the No. 41 shooting guard in the On3 rankings, as well as the No. 23 prospect in California. Listed at 6-5, 180 pounds, he parlayed a hot sum- mer on the AAU circuit into "all-break- out" territory and earned offers from a handful of schools late in the process. Penn State was among those schools, believing he has outstanding potential at the college level. Skilled as a shooter, passer and scorer, Stewart understands the game and puts that high IQ on display on both ends of the floor. Physically, he fits the mold of a combo guard at the next level. Putting it all together, with high po- tential for development, he appears to be a good match for PSU and is a player whose best basketball is ahead of him. About six weeks after Stewart's an- nouncement, Penn State received a commitment from one of his high school teammates, Goodman. The 6-10, 220-pound center picked the Nittany Li- ons over Washington. Goodman received a three-star grade from On3, but he is a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, which pools the grades from the four major recruit- ing websites. The Industry Ranking also has him as the No. 106 overall prospect nationally, No. 15 center and No. 13 player in California. Penn State likes his versatility and po- tential for growth, a view that is shared by On3 national analyst Jamie Shaw. "When you watch Miles Goodman play, what you clearly see is the upside. Good- man is a lengthy, 6-foot-10 player, but it is the fluidity with which he moves that is really interesting," Shaw wrote. "Good- man has loose hips, and he is able to move his body both laterally and vertically. You see the upside that he has on defense, both being able to play in the passing lanes, switch and move his feet, and act as a rim protector. "You also clearly see the upside his Nittany Lions Sign Three-Player Class For 2024 N AT E B A U E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M PENN STATE'S CLASS OF 2024 Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Rating* Home School Jahvin Carter PG 6-3 175 HHH Alcoa, Tenn. Alcoa Miles Goodman C 6-10 220 HHH Seattle, Wash. Southern California Academy Dominick Stewart SG 6-5 180 HHH Ocean Springs, Miss. Southern California Academy * On3 player ratings as of Dec. 5 Shooting guard Dominick Stewart saw his recruitment take off following a strong showing last summer on the AAU circuit. PHOTO COURTESY DOMINICK STEWART