Blue White Illustrated

N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E atrick Chambers' postseason predicament was a matter of per- spective. Following the departure of Payton Banks, Terrence Samuel and Isaiah Washington, all of whom left Penn State this spring before exhausting their eligi- bility, Chambers had vacancies to fill. And although Joe Hampton's exit last summer allowed the Nittany Lions to fill his open scholarship with a commitment from combo forward Trent Buttrick in February, the team's roster moves this spring would have to happen under a truncated timeline. Acknowledging the opportunity that can come from a fresh start, both for the players who left and for the program it- self, Chambers studied his choices. Boasting a Big Ten All-Freshman selec- tion in point guard Tony Carr and a group of evolving starters in Shep Garner, Josh Reaves, Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens, Penn State's roster did not need a major overhaul. Instead, with more than 80 percent of the team's scoring and 88 per- cent of its rebounding set to return next season, Chambers and his staff looked at the weaknesses that needed to be ad- dressed in hope of putting themselves over the top next season. "Rebounding was obviously a major de- ficiency this year," Chambers said. "I wanted to bring in guys that fit what we have here and what the locker room has here. I wasn't just going to bring in any- body just to fill a spot or bring a body in. I wasn't doing that. I was [asking], what do we need and how can we fill these defi- ciencies?" Hoping to fix those trouble spots, the Nittany Lions first brought in a feisty Ri- vals.com three-star point guard in Jamari Wheeler, then followed up by adding three-star power forward John Harrar. Coming on the heels of Buttrick's signing on April 15, the pair faxed in their own let- ters of intent to Penn State on May 3, most likely bringing an end to the pro- gram's recruiting cycle, with one vacant scholarship to be saved for the Class of 2018. In combination with the players the Nittany Lions already have on their roster, the additions offer unique attributes Chambers is eagerly looking forward to bringing into the mix. Given the back stories attached to the most recent group of newcomers, Cham- bers' anticipation appears to be well- founded. Wheeler, who stands 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, initially committed to Duquesne but requested his release after the firing of coach Jim Ferry. He was granted that release on March 30 and spent the ensu- ing weeks weighing his options, which included Seton Hall, Auburn, Virginia Commonwealth, James Madison and South Florida. Visiting Penn State on April 21, he came away impressed with the potential he saw in the Nittany Lions. "I love the basketball program, I love the coaching staff and the players, and all the academics and the alumni they have," Wheeler said. "It's a great setup for me as a basketball player and as a student." With the departure of Samuel, who had seen his playing time diminish in the sea- son's final weeks, the Nittany Lions were poised to enter the off-season without a third point guard behind Carr and Garner. Years earlier, when Tim Frazier went down with a season-ending injury in a nonconference game, Chambers saw firsthand the necessity of having two backups at the point, so he zeroed in on Wheeler, who attends The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla. "When we saw Jamari become avail- able, we had seen him prior and really loved his speed and his level of competi- tion and how he made everybody around him so much better," Chambers said. "I don't want to put that pressure on him, but he has that Tim Frazier-type speed and athleticism, but I think he's a better shooter at this point. He's going to make everybody around him better. That's the type of kid you want to go to battle with, so obviously we're looking forward to him getting up here." Harrar also took a circuitous route to Penn State. And like Wheeler, the 6-9, 240-pound bruiser from Wallingford, Pa., has the coaching staff excited. A two-sport athlete at Strath Haven High, Harrar excelled as a defensive end and tight end on the football team. He was recruited to play at the college level and ended up verbally committing to Army. But after playing his senior basketball season, he began having second thoughts. Harrar reopened his recruitment in bas- ketball, and with some help from his head | MIND THE GAPS Penn State fills a few holes in its game with a pair of late additions MEN'S BASKETBALL P WHEELER HARRAR

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