Blue White Illustrated

.J. Newbill's career as a Nittany Lion isn't 6nished. Although a handful of Big Ten games and the conference tourna- ment remain, along with a likely appear- ance in a postseason tourney, there has already been considerable re7ection on his time in the program. Newbill has cemented his place as the fourth-leading scorer in Penn State history, and he has become only the second Nittany Lion to score 500 points in three seasons, joining Talor Battle on that exclusive list. His prowess on the hardwood is undeni- able, and he has the All-Big Ten, All-Dis- trict and conference Player of the Week honors to prove it. And now he's been named one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, which goes to a senior Division I stu- dent-athlete with "notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition." The nomination helps illustrate the true scope of Newbill's impact on the Penn State community. "This kid has done everything for us," head coach Patrick Chambers said. "It's huge for him, it's huge for this program and everything he means to us and every- thing he's done over his last four years here. Even when he sat out, his leadership and his work ethic have meant so much to us. He conducts himself the way a leader needs to conduct himself. He's an incredible ambas- sador for this univer- sity, for this program. D.J. Newbill is on a very select list and we're very proud of that." Currently among the top scorers in NCAA basketball, Newbill was selected by na- tional media members as much for his life away from the hard- wood as for his per- formance on it. New- bill has made signifi- cant academic strides and taken advantage of Penn State's opportunities while over- coming a background rife with adversity. Despite a challenging inner-city upbring- ing, a last-minute pulled scholarship at Marquette, and the death of his mother from cancer, Newbill has managed to thrive. "Everybody is going to say, What legacy did he leave? They're going to say that he was the fourth-leading scorer in the history of Penn State, scored over 500 points… we already know those numbers," Cham- bers said. "But the lasting impression is [bigger]." Described by Chambers as having "Philly swag" upon his arrival in Happy Valley as a transfer four years ago – an instant and apt catchphrase – the northeast Philadel- phia native has turned in a succession of | SCORING LEADER Newbill brings the ball up in a game against Michigan in January. The senior guard scored a game-high 20 points in the Nit- tany Lions' 73-64 loss to the visiting Wolverines. As of mid-February, he was eighth in the nation with a 20.7- point scoring aver- age. Photo by Bill Zimmerman M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L Award nomination underscores D.J. Newbill's impact on Penn State CLASS ACT D

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