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.J. Newbill hadn't played on a level like this before. That didn't mean he couldn't have fun, though. Invited to participate in the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas earlier this summer, Newbill found himself among the elite 30 players in all of men's college basketball. Not that he didn't belong. Coming off a junior sea- son at Penn State in which he averaged 17.8 points per game, finishing second in the Big Ten in scoring while earning second-team All- League honors, Newbill had already established his playing cre- dentials. Still, playing point guard for the camp's first two days before spending time as a two guard in the second half, he was able to do much more than simply measure himself against his competi- tion. "When you're playing in those settings, you've got five guys who are 'the man' for their schools and for their programs," Newbill said. "So now you're kind of bring- ing them all together, putting them on one court and you're telling them to go out and play together. "So for me, what I was trying to focus on was just talking to the guys, getting them on the same page – learning all their names was one of [the ways] – and just keeping us in a team aspect, not just a one-on-one, individual kind of thing." Newbill's experience was not unlike what he's facing now that he's back at Penn State. No longer surrounded by the kind of talent that one finds at a national invi- tation-only summer camp, and with All- Conference point guard Tim Frazier having graduated, the Philadelphia native is now, unquestionably, "the man." The team that Newbill is getting set to lead is simultaneously experienced and youthful. Last season, he and Frazier shared the leadership responsibilities, but lately he's had to handle those duties on his own. With teammates falling in line behind that new reality, Newbill said the transition has been different, yet smooth. "There's more pressure," he said. "But I think the group of guys that we have has so far been making my job easier, just because guys listen and respect me. I guess they appreciate the way that I'm coming at them. It's to see them do good, not to just try to put my authority on them." This season, Newbill is expected to split time as a point guard and two guard in coach Patrick Chambers' mix-and-match offense. Having played the point all sum- mer, Newbill said the distinction is irrel- evant. "The way our offense is – it's ball screens, isos – it really doesn't make a difference," he said. Penn State is getting set to welcome juco transfer point guard Devin Foster to the mix this season. While John John- son and Geno Thorpe will also share some of the ball-handling responsibili- ties, Newbill said he has big expectations for Foster, a second-team juco All-Amer- ican last season at Vincennes Universi- ty. "He's ready physically, mentally. He's not a young buck. He's not new. He's been around and has a little bit of experience, and that's one of the things that we can use, a guy with experience on the ball, who can make plays for himself and who plays with toughness," Newbill said. "He's got a chip on his shoulder. I definitely ap- preciate him coming in." The talent influx has brightened Penn State's outlook this season, but Newbill remains the Nittany Lions' centerpiece. He has continued to refine his game, and the opportunity to take part in the LeBron James Skills Academy has only enhanced his development. "The basketball experience was great," Newbill said. "Just to get up and go against the top guys in the country, for me as a competitor, that's what I want – to measure myself, and also to get a chance to go at guys who I know are high-ranked or highly talented." ■ NEWBILL Skills camp helps Newbill refine game Montminy receives scholarship Calling him "everything this pro- gram is all about," Patrick Chambers recently put walk-on guard Kevin Montminy on scholarship for his senior season. Montminy, a Centre Hall, Pa., resi- dent, played in 40 games during his first three seasons, totaling 24 points and 10 rebounds. He is one of the university's most accomplished scholar-athletes, having earned a 4.0 GPA each of the past five semes- ters. Montminy received word of the scholarship shortly after suffering a broken nose in practice. He had been diving for a loose ball and collided with a teammate's leg. Chambers' announcement "was awesome and definitely unexpected, especially while I was feeling pretty bloody and broken," Montminy said. "The best part of it all is knowing the coaches and the rest of the team think I deserve it." Montminy is a Big Ten Distin- guished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten honoree and the team's Academic Award recipient. He is a part of the Schreyer Honors College and the Smeal College of Business' MAAC program. N A T E B A U E R | D M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L

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