Blue White Illustrated

T H E M O N T H I N . . . Though he might not be the guy to solve Penn State's 3-point shooting woes, new signee Josh Reaves is a 2-guard who can hope to replicate the style, sub- stance and impact of current rising senior D.J. Newbill. And that ain't bad at all. DAVID JONES PENNLIVE.COM James Franklin gets an A – with one incomplete – for working with his ADs over the past half-decade. There certainly have been a lot of them. Whoever Penn State hires as its new athletic director will be Franklin's fifth AD in a little more than four years. And for the most part, the previous athletic directors have loved this guy. MIKE POORMAN STATECOLLEGE.COM The claim that Rutgers and Maryland water down the Big Ten Conference in foot- ball is preposterous if you even take one gander at the Big Ten West division. The entire conference isn't currently comprised of twelve Ohio States. Purdue is just as much of a member as Wisconsin, which is why the warped perception of the Big Ten supposedly being strong (or at minimum, stronger than the old Louisville/West Virginia Big East) is so divorced completely from reality. They're all one big cargo cult worshiping the god of small sample sizes. ON THE BANKS SBNATION I didn't expect to stay on, and that probably worked out the best for everybody. DAVE JOYNER DISCUSSING HIS IMPENDING RETIREMENT WITH PENNLIVE.COM Iron sharpens Iron! Can't wait to get back out on the field and in meetings with our guys! JAMES FRANKLIN @Coachjfranklin Got a HUGE chip on my shoulder and I'm coming for the top player's spot. Tired of being slept on. BILL BELTON @W3BII T W E E T S O P I N I O N S Q U O T E S M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L Reaves announces for Nittany Lions Penn State scored a major recruiting coup in early July when it received a ver- bal commitment from Rivals150 shoot- ing guard Josh Reaves. The Nittany Lions beat out Villanova and Temple for the 6-foot-4, 185- pounder from Fairfax, Va. Ranked 119th nationally by Rivals, he had originally intended to announce his choice in late July or August, but he moved up the timetable, announcing for the Nittany Lions on July 1. "It just felt right," Reaves said. "Penn State has always been there for me. The coaches have always been really good to me, and they just treat me like I'm fami- ly. They treat me like they want me there. Not all colleges treat you and talk to you like that. So I built a really good relationship with the coaches, and I feel like I can tell them anything. I didn't re- ally want to wait any longer. It felt right." Reaves previously attended Paul VI Catholic High, a school in the highly competitive Washington Catholic Ath- letic Conference. As a senior, he will at- tend Oak Hill Academy. Reaves became the third player to commit to Penn State's 2015 recruiting class, joining center Mike Watkins of Philadelphia and small forward Deividas Zemgulis of Loveville, Md. All three have received three stars from Rivals. Those prospects will be able to sign with Penn State in November during the early signing period. Reaves is eager to get started. "I got 300 more followers on Twitter just because of how supposedly big my name is in this area," he said. "I know it's going to be hard, but I think everything will be worth it. I know it was kind of a surprise that I decided to go to Penn State, but it's not really the name of the school, it's where you fit in the most. And at this place, I feel right at home." ■ Beat the heat for these 814.865.8580 www.pennstatehotels.com summer treats

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