Blue White Illustrated

New signees to bolster Nittany Lions' backcourt O n the first day of college basketball's early signing period, Penn State wel- comed two new players into the program. Shooting guard Myles Dread and point guard Rasir Bolton, both Rivals.com three-star prospects, signed and faxed in their national letters of intent on the morning of Nov. 8. "We are elated to welcome Myles and Rasir to the Penn State family," coach Patrick Chambers said via news release. "Our staff's primary focus was on re- cruiting individuals who align with our vision for the Penn State basketball pro- gram. In both Myles and Rasir, we believe we have found two young men who have distinguished themselves with their aca- demic and athletic accomplishments and we are thrilled about the future." The Nittany Lions are also excited for the talent and intangibles both Dread and Bolton bring to the hardwood. Describing both players as highly com- petitive winners, Chambers said their combination of loyalty, work ethic and commitment will pay dividends when they arrive next summer, then begin their careers as freshmen in the fall. "Myles can play one through four. He's that tough," Chambers said. "When we first started recruiting him, he was play- ing small forward. He lost some weight, got in shape, changed his body. He was always a very good shooter. That was absolutely the case. He really has a high IQ , he's a winner, he takes charges, he rebounds the basketball, he makes plays off of ball screens, he can set the ball screen. He does a lot of winning things for your team, and he's a leader. He's not afraid to get in his teammates' faces. He's not afraid to put himself out there, and that's the thing that you love about him." The first Class of 2018 prospect to com- mit to Penn State, Dread made his pledge in June 2016 and held firm to it through- out his recruitment. Listed at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Dread explained his initial decision to attend Penn State as one in which the program not only wanted his abilities but needed them in order to reach the next level. He said he envisions himself fitting well into Chambers' system, and he also envisions that system bringing success to the pro- gram. "I have confidence in my own game. I think that's probably one of the reasons why I was so happy about coming here. I didn't want to go to a school where, say we won a national championship or a league championship, I was just another one of those guys on that team 10 years ago," Dread said this past summer. "At Penn State, they haven't really had that yet, so I wanted to be somewhere where I could make a name for myself. "My goal is to just come in and make as much noise as possible. With the guys that they've brought in and the guys that I'm trying to recruit coming into the fu- ture with me, I feel like we can develop enough power to make that move." As a junior, Dread helped lead Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., to a Washington Catholic Athletic Con- ference title. Averaging 10.4 points and 4.9 assists per game, he earned fourth- team Washington Post All-Met honors. Bolton, meanwhile, was one of the play- ers who was convinced by Dread to join the fold this past summer. Playing for Team Loaded, an AAU squad whose alumni include Penn State junior guard Josh Reaves, Bolton contributed 11.6 points per game and helped the team earn an Adidas Uprising championship in July. He verbally committed to the Nit- tany Lions on July 23. Ranked No. 141 overall by Rivals.com in the Class of 2018, the 6-2, 170-pound Bolton is also an All-State and All-Con- ference selection as he enters his senior year at Massanutten Military Academy in Richmond, Va. "Rasir was huge for us, because now you've got a point guard who can play one and two. He can play both positions," Chambers said. "He's another very, very good shooter. He's really good off the ball screen. High IQ , competitive level off the charts. He played for a really good AAU program in Team Loaded, and he's play- ing down at Massanutten right now and they're competing at a high level. It's a different stage, and he's got to go against the best. "The one thing I asked him to do is to really work on being more vocal and lead- ing, and he's done that. He's been the loudest guy in the gym, positive or nega- tive. We are excited that he and his family are officially Nittany Lions." The feeling is mutual. Bolton chose the Nittany Lions over of- fers from Pitt, Virginia Tech, VCU, and Mississippi, among others. "I felt Penn State was the best fit for me," he said. "Academically, they have tons of options for me to choose from. The coaching staff made me their No. 1 priority, and me and Coach Chambers have built a great relationship and have become really close. The opportunity to come in and play in a Power Five confer- ence was always a dream of mine." As of this writing, Penn State was ex- pected to add one other player to its Class of 2018. Tolu Jacobs, a 7-footer who is originally from Nigeria, committed to the Nittany Lions on Nov. 3. ■ | BOLTON DREAD

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