Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/523134
R E C R U I T I N G B I O S B Y N A T E B A U E R JOSH REAVES RIVALS ★★★ POS SG HT 6-4 WT 185 HOME Fairfax, Va. SCHOOL Oak Hill Academy WHAT HE DID A8er transferring from Paul IV, where he helped clinch the Washington (D.C.) Catholic Athletic Conference championship during his junior year, Reaves one-upped himself at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. In a much more competitive environment, Reaves battled for a starting role through the course of the season and was an integral part of Oak Hill's run to the 5nal of the DICK'S Sporting Goods High School Nationals. WHAT HE WON Reaves 5nished in the 5nal Rivals150 as the No. 143-ranked overall player in the country for the Class of 2015. WHERE HE VISITED Reaves checked out Georgetown, George Mason and Maryland, among others, before ulti- mately deciding on Penn State. QUOTABLE Reaves: "It just felt right, honestly. Penn State, they've always been there for me. The coaches have always been really good to me, and they just treat me like I'm family. They treat me like they want me there. Not all col- leges 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 really want to wait any longer. It felt right." ■ MIKE WATKINS RIVALS ★★★ POS C HT 6-6 WT 220 HOME Philadelphia, Pa. SCHOOL Phelps School WHAT HE DID A8er transferring from Math, Civics & Sciences for his senior year, Watkins helped lead Phelps School to a Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association champi- onship. In the title game, a 50-46 vic- tory over Westtown, he 5nished with 12 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. WHAT HE WON Watkins finished as Penn State's top-rated recruit in the Class of 2015, topping out at No. 126 in the final Rivals150. He was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, but various other re- cruiting services put him among the nation's top 100 with a four-star rating. WHERE HE VISITED Watkins was a very early commitment for the Nit- tany Lions, landing during the sum- mer leading into his junior year. As a result, Penn State was his only record- ed visit. QUOTABLE Patrick Chambers: "Mike is an elite athlete who will provide us with another rim protector. He excels at running the 6oor in transition and is a phenomenal 5nisher. It's great to have another Philly product in our program." ■ DEIVIDAS ZEMGULIS RIVALS ★★★ POS F HT 6-6 WT 220 HOME Kaunas, Lithuania SCHOOL St. Mary Ryken WHAT HE DID Zemgulis played for the Lithuanian Under 16 national team before making the move to the United States. He later became the second prospect to give the Nittany Lions a verbal commitment for the Class of 2015, announcing his deci- sion in May 2014. A sharpshooting forward, Zemgulis plays both inside and out and can defend. At St. Mary Ryken, he averaged 13 points per game. WHAT HE WON Zemgulis received a three-star ranking from Rivals.com and was given similar rankings by the other recruiting services. WHERE HE VISITED The Nittany Li- ons got involved with Zemgulis before anyone else, and their early o7er prompted him to visit campus to check out the school. The Lions made a positive 5rst impression, and that was enough to land his commitment. QUOTABLE Zemgulis, in an interview with the blog City of Basketball Love: "I really liked the facility, the coaching sta7 is awesome, I could hang out with the players, I loved the campus. I want to help the team win, because I like being the underdog and just play- ing hard, playing tough." ■

