Blue White Illustrated

Roman Catholic teammate Nazeer Bo- stick's pledge to Penn State, committing in spite of those circumstances. Soon after those commitments, the Lions landed their teammate, Stevens. As the Roman Catholic trio were wrap- ping up their high school careers, the Lions were finishing 10th in the Big Ten in 2015-16. It was an improvement, and it added to the sense of anticipation that greeted Carr, Stevens and Bostick. Those heightened expectations were short-lived. Joining a mix of veterans and transfers, the newcomers attempted to immedi- ately jump-start the program. But the combination didn't really jell, as was ev- ident when the Lions dropped their opener to Albany. The schedule only got tougher from that point on, and Penn State finished 15-18 overall and 6-12 in conference play. It was a dispiriting blow to a group that had arrived with hopes of finding early success. Determined to redeem themselves the following year, the Lions took a more rig- orous approach to their off-season work- outs. Carr put on 25 pounds of muscle, and he also worked extensively to improve his shot after hitting 37.7 percent of his attempts from the floor and 32.0 percent from 3-point range as a freshman. From the jump, those off-season efforts Flanked by his parents, with head coach Patrick Chambers seated along- side them, Tony Carr made his an- nouncement April 3 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The sophomore point guard, having thought "very, very, very long and hard" about his future, said he had decided to pursue a pro- fessional career. "We just came to the conclusion that the best thing for me moving forward is to make that move to the NBA," Carr said. "And I definitely have the intent of signing with an agent." The announcement concluded a decorated two-year career for Carr with the Nittany Lions. A first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore this past season, he produced 19.6 points and 5.0 assists per game, lead- ing the league in scoring for the regu- lar season. He also became the first Penn State sophomore to reach 1,000 career points, finishing with 1,161. The most pressing question involv- ing Carr had been whether he would hire an agent, a move that would de- finitively end his college career. He opted to do that, thus forgoing any opportunity to change his mind and return to Penn State. "I definitely gave it a little bit of thought not to sign with an agent and test the waters, but I felt like my dream is to get drafted into the NBA," Carr said. "I feel like I have the oppor- tunity to chase that dream, so that's what I'm going to do moving forward." The decision to hire an agent in- volves a bit more than following dreams, of course. Two things become immediately available to Carr. First, he and his fam- ily can receive cash from the agent. That will help him receive training in advance of the NBA Draft Combine and also cover living expenses. Maybe more important, Carr will have at his disposal the knowledge and guidance an experienced agent can pro- vide to help navigate the upcoming days, weeks and months. Whether that's putting Carr in front of NBA franchises for workouts, or helping him evaluate opportunities to play overseas, an agent's experience can be invaluable. Carr said that the initial feedback he had received indicated that he could expect to be drafted somewhere be- tween the middle of the first round and the middle of the second. That was enough for him to make the choice to come out. Head coach Patrick Chambers was hearing much the same thing, and he encouraged Carr to follow his heart. "How can I prevent a kid from living his dream? How can I prevent some- body who has a great opportunity to help his family?" Chambers said. "You can't do that." Carr demonstrated his readiness for the pros by putting on 25 pounds of muscle in the 2017 off-season, and then by parlaying his physical matura- tion into much-improved shooting performances. As a freshman, he shot 37.7 percent from the floor and 32.0 from 3-point range. This past season, he boosted those numbers to 40.8 and 43.3 percent, respectively. Said Carr, "I felt like my game just took the next step this year, so I feel like it's time for me to take the next step with my life and with my basket- ball career." While Carr is stepping away from Penn State, Mike Watkins is return- ing. The redshirt sophomore forward announced after the NIT final against Utah that he will be back with the Nittany Lions next season. Watkins averaged 12.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 28 appear- ances this season – a season that ended Feb. 21 when his right knee was injured in Penn State's 72-63 loss to Michigan. Watkins said his disappointment at having his season cut short was his primary reason for returning. "I want to come back next year just to make a big impact," he said, "just so when we make it to the NCAA [tournament] and we win next year, I can say I gave my all this year and did not miss a game with my team- mates." –N.B. Carr leaves to launch NBA career; Watkins set to return

• Cover