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Freshman class has exceeded Chambers' expectations P enn State welcomed four true schol- arship freshmen to the fold this past summer, and the newest Nittany Lions are now in the midst of their second semester on campus. Having already participated in weight room workouts, conditioning drills and on-court instruction, the new players – Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens, Nazeer Bostick and Joe Hampton – have been laying the groundwork for their playing careers at Penn State. And, as Nittany Lion head coach Patrick Chambers said recently, he's been more than happy with what he's seen from the group. "So far, they've exceeded my expecta- tions. They're very mature, mature be- yond their years. And that's off the court, in the classroom, the way they conduct themselves in the locker room," Chambers said. "I feel very good going into the fall preseason here [when there will be an opportunity to] get my arms around them a little bit. You only get two hours in the summer, but the talent is definitely there, the fight's definitely there, they love to compete, and right now I love their willingness to be coached." Comprising the highest-rated recruit- ing class in the program's history, the four scholarship prospects all received three or more stars from Rivals.com. Carr and Stevens are both four-star players, having finished No. 46 and No. 96, respectively, in the national rankings. But despite those lofty rankings, the players have taken an egoless approach, Chambers said. "When you get a highly ranked or highly touted class like this, sometimes kids think they know everything," he said. "That's not the way these kids are at all. They want to be coached, they want to be pushed, they want to be driven, and they want what's best for Penn State, which is terrific. "They're very good listeners. They're asking how they can get better and what M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L | CLASS ACT Carr and his fellow freshmen are "mature beyond their years," Chambers said. Photo by Mark Selders/ Penn State Athletics

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