Blue White Illustrated

M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L A high-profile commitment helps Patrick Chambers reshape perceptions of PSU in its home state PHILADELPHIA STORY BY NATE BAUER nbauer@bluewhiteonline.com years. But new head coach Patrick Chambers is in the process of raising the Nittany Lions' profile in southeast- ern Pennsylvania. Though some of the nation's best col- T lege basketball prospects play in or near the City of Brotherly Love, the Nittany Lions' current roster boasts only one – D.J. Newbill, a former Penn- sylvania Player of the Year from Strawberry Mansion High School. Newbill transferred from Southern Miss in the off-season to play for Chambers; his eligibility begins next season. As Chambers explained, dipping into the deep talent pool of the Philadel- phia region is extremely important for the Nittany Lions' future. "It's the coaching, the high schools, the rivalries," he said. "Think about how many Philadelphia-born-and- bred college coaches there are across the country... and officials. It's crazy. It's nuts. "Everybody wants to say New York, New Jersey... Philadelphia is the hotbed for talent. There's a lot of tal- ent in the Philadelphia area, and it will always be that way for whatever rea- son. Philadelphia is not only a pro town, it's a sports town, and it goes all the way down to high school. High school is equally as important as col- lege, and college is [just as] important as the pros. So it's a good place to grab some kids." On Feb. 7, Chambers grabbed his third, as 6-foot-6 guard Brandon Austin from Imhotep Charter verbal- ly committed to the Nittany Lions. A junior this season, Austin is rated a four-star prospect by most recruiting services, and more important, is slated to join Newbill and the rest of the Nittany Lions for the 2013-14 sea- son. 6 M A R C H 2 , 2 0 1 2 he fertile recruiting grounds of Philadelphia have not provided Penn State much sustenance over the Verbally committing to a program that has struggled to gain a foothold in Philadelphia, Austin (along with Newbill and 6-foot-7 power forward Brandon Taylor from Trenton Catholic Academy) gives the Nittany Lions in- stant credibility in the region. Chambers is prohibited by NCAA rules from talking about verbally committed recruits, but he did express satisfaction at making inroads in an area where Penn State hasn't had much success – and perhaps chang- ing the program's image in the process. "It's the perception of Penn State bas- Health concerns prompt Oliver to end career On the same afternoon that it put an end to a five-game losing streak, thrashing Nebraska at the Bryce Jor- dan Center, 67-51, Feb. 11, the Penn State men's basketball team still man- aged to suffer another significant loss. Billy Oliver, a redshirt junior forward and one of the team's three co-cap- tains, made an unexpected announce- ment following the game. Seated next to Tim Frazier and Cammeron Wood- yard, Oliver stated that he'd decided to conclude his career on the hard- wood. Sidelined for the most of the pre- vious month due to concussionlike symptoms and migraine headaches, Oliver said it was time to conclude his playing career. "It is by no means a light decision. It took a lot of thought," Oliver said. "A couple weeks now, I've just been thinking, but it's the right decision. I'm happy that I made it. There is a sense of relief that a decision has been made, and now it's just time to move on from here and accept it." W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ketball. It's everywhere. I read it, I see it, I'm not blind to it. You see little com- ments made after some tweets and you see comments made after some blogs and you see articles with comments," he said. "You know, the perception out there is what it is regarding Penn State basketball. So you're dealing with challenges every single day. "It's great to be able to go into those areas and get a win, regardless of what the perception may be. That's why you give certain kids a lot of credit." The win, in this instance, came against opponents Penn State has rarely, if ever, competed with on the Oliver's history with concussions proved to be simply too much to over- come, even though he started the first 19 games of the current season. The reappearance of the symptoms just days before Penn State's matchup with Illinois on Jan. 19, forced him out of action for all but brief stints against Iowa and Michigan State. Oliver explained that while he won't suit up again for the Nittany Lions, he plans to remain with the program in a role similar to that of a graduate as- sistant. "I'm still going to stay with the pro- gram, be at practice and games and the like," he said. "Next year, I'm go- ing to be hanging around with a med- court. Villanova, Syracuse, Miami, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Ten- nessee all extended offers to Austin, but it was the Nittany Lions who emerged with his commitment. Austin said he chose Penn State for a number of reasons. "Its academics, the school, the program, the coaches. There's also the conference and the ex- posure it gets," he told The Patriot- News of Harrisburg, Pa. "And I like the team a lot. "I think Penn State is a good situa- tion for me. The players they have com- ing back – they need a player like me to become successful." ical scholarship, more of an office job. [My teammates] support me, and my parents talked to Coach countless times and it seems right, more impor- tantly for the team. "It's selfish for me to go out there if I'm not going to be able to give 100 per- cent with my history with my head and worrying about problems with that. I know [my teammates] give 100 percent for me. I am not continuing basketball, but I will be around." Oliver is on pace to receive his sec- ond degree following Penn State's spring semester, giving him degrees in finance and economics. He plans to pursue a master's degree next year. – N.B.

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