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progressed through a layup line. Occa- sionally, Watkins would slam home a dunk with ease as the 4-foot-tall partic- ipants watched in awe. On the other court, 7-foot-0 Virginia Tech transfer Satchel Pierce collected rebounds as a line of girls heaved jump shots toward the rim. Even true fresh- man forward Joe Hampton was on site, teaching perfect passing technique to two lines of kids shuffling up the court in their best attempts at synchronicity. Of those players, only Reaves has seen even a minute of game action for the Nittany Lions, averaging 6.4 points in 26 games last season. But in every sense, the new names and faces represent a fu- ture that has been long awaited and now appears to be arriving. Gone are graduated seniors Brandon Taylor, Donovon Jack, Devin Foster and Jordan Dickerson. By the final week in June, three more players from the in- coming Class of 2016 will arrive, all from Philadelphia Roman Catholic's two-time Class AAAA state champi- onship team: Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens and Nazeer Bostick. With the return of veterans Shep Garner, Payton Banks, Julian Moore and Isaiah Washington following a six-week hiatus, plus the addition of Connecticut transfer guard Terrence Samuel, the program's drasti- cally different identity will soon be complete. In all, the Nittany Lions will bring to preseason camp an incredible seven scholarship players who have not a recorded game statistic at Penn State. And Chambers, well, he just can't wait to get started. "We have great momentum from the way we ended last season. We feel very confident right now," he said. "The kids are working hard. We have some kids here now, and everybody is here for Summer Session II. Everybody is taking care of their business." Having created a challenging noncon- ference schedule that includes games against NCAA tournament programs Duke and Pitt, plus formidable matchups with Rhode Island, Georgia Washington and Georgia Tech, Cham- bers intends to test his new group early and often as it melds. "It's going to be one of the hardest schedules that Penn State has ever, ever seen," he said enthu- siastically. The Nittany Lions will be pushing themselves in other ways, too. Ever since he arrived at Penn State, Chambers has longed to use an up-tempo pace, but he didn't have the personnel to execute it in previous years. Now he does, and the eight weeks of individual instruction and preseason practice will be a critical part of developing this capacity. With a talent-filled roster at his disposal, min- utes will be earned, and athleticism will combine with skill to create exciting possibilities – enough, perhaps, to counteract a lack of game experience. "We're going to be really deep. We're going to have great depth, so we've got to go," Chambers said. "With the way Shep can play, the way Terrence can play, the way Tony likes to push, Lamar on a wing, Payton Banks. You've got guys who can run, who are athletic, and Mike and Julian. You have bigs rim to rim who are just as fast as the guards. "We've got to put pressure on teams to say, 'Try to stop us. Do the best you can to try to stop us.' So it's going to be such a great off-season because the competi- tion is going to be like I've never seen it before in practice and in these work- outs." For the moment, though, there's more pressing business at hand on the out- skirts of State College at Circleville Park. By coaching these little tykes into full- fledged basketball players and fans, the Nittany Lions are helping keep the entire Penn State hoops community moving forward. "Hopefully they get a little bit better," Chambers said. "We talk to them about attitude and we help them out and they have fun, they get to play basketball and play with their friends. Then in the fall or winter, hopefully they come out and watch us play." In all likelihood, what they see will be unlike anything they – or their parents – have ever witnessed from the Penn State men's basketball program. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

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