Blue White Illustrated

P otential is a powerful idea. For Penn State, it's the foundation upon which Patrick Chambers and his coaching sta5 are trying to build. Chambers inherited a bare cupboard when he arrived in 2011, a program not just devoid of current talent but future talent as well. He has spent his 4rst four years simply working to get back to square one. But on Aug. 3, things felt a little di5er- ent. When the Nittany Lions received a verbal commitment from point guard Tony Carr – widely considered the top player in Philadelphia – the pieces they need in order to build upward appeared 4nally to be coming together. In previous years, those building blocks always seemed to collapse. The program's lone star, Tim Frazier, was be- ginning to break out following the Nit- tany Lions' NCAA tournament appear- ance in 2011, but the complementary piece, D.J. Newbill, had to sit out a year in accordance with transfer rules. When Newbill became eligible, seemingly giv- ing the Lions a potent one-two punch in the backcourt, Frazier blew out his Achilles tendon and sat out most of the 2012-13 season. The Lions won 16 games upon Frazier's return but were forced to settle for an invitation to the CBI. And in Newbill's 4nal season, they missed out on the na- tional tournaments altogether, unable to capitalize on a fantastic start in noncon- ference play. And yet, in recognition of the chal- lenges Chambers has faced as he has worked to rebuild the program, Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour gave him a two-year contract extension earlier this year, a deeply appreciated vote of con4dence. "The fact that she extended me shows her investment in what we're doing in this basketball program. I think that was huge," Chambers said in March. "She didn't have to do it, [but] she came out and did it anyway. That was a very pow- erful [indication] to me of the support that she wants to give us. Frankly, we haven't had that type of support, so it's nice. "It's almost like a new beginning for me, which is great. That's what I needed. You need that type of support." With his new contract extending through the next four years, Chambers has been given a chance to build on the recruiting successes he enjoyed in land- ing Rivals150 members Mike Watkins and Josh Reaves in the Class of 2015. And in recent months, the news has been positive. Nazeer Bostick made a com- mitment in April, and Joe Hampton re- committed in May. Then came the big, big leap in August when Carr made his announcement. Although Penn State fans have been disappointed by the team's on-court re- sults the past four years, the progress that's been made on the back end in re- cruiting has been steady and undeniable. Chambers has built a foundation that is solid enough to withstand Geno Thor- pe's transfer and Newbill's graduation. Those signs of progress helped con- vince Carr that he belonged at Penn State. "I just wanted to start something," he told Philly radio host Mike Missanelli. "I feel like I can go up there and just change the whole basketball culture, and with players like Nazeer Bostick and Shep Garner already being there, I feel like we can make our mark just like we did at Roman Catholic." None of this is to say the Lions are poised for a quantum leap this coming season. Although they have a number of senior leaders returning in Brandon Taylor, Donovon Jack, Jordan Dickerson and Devin Foster, they will rely heavily on underclassmen, such as Garner, Julian Moore and even some of their true freshmen. It's not an ideal situation, but the Lions will be- come more competitive as their talent pool improves in the future – a future that is getting closer and closer. ■ PSU plans more Rec Hall games Highlighted by two games in Rec Hall, Penn State will play a 13-game nonconference schedule to begin the 2015-16 season. The Nittany Lions will take on Canisius and Louisiana-Mon- roe Dec. 10 and 12, respectively, as part of the second Return to Rec. The first Return to Rec game didn't go so well, as Penn State squandered a double-digit second-half lead and fell in overtime to Princeton in December 2013. But the game drew a capacity crowd of 6,188, and coach Patrick Chambers said he was eager to head back to the Nittany Lions' former home. "We are grateful for the opportunity to take our program and fans back to Rec Hall for two games this season," he said. "It's such a storied venue and holds the opportunity to create an incredible at- mosphere. I need to thank the adminis- tration and my fellow coaches who call Rec Hall home for making this second Return to Rec possible." The Lions have won their past 10 nonconference games. Pieces starting to come together for Nittany Lions

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