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consistent, that's going to be built to last. I don't want to have one good year, one bad year, one good year. We can't have that. Penn Staters don't want that. I don't want that." Bolton doesn't want it either, and he's determined to prevent it from happening. He spent the past year at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va., taking college courses after committing to Penn State in July 2017. Originally a Ri- vals150 prospect with three-star status before his reclassification, Bolton accli- mated to the 40-minute college game while competing against older, tougher, stronger, faster and better players at Mas- sanutten, he said. The year between high school and col- lege was time well spent for the No. 39 point guard in the country, as he was able to add size in the weight room while as- suming ball-handling responsibilities for the Colonels. And now, given Carr's de- parture for the NBA Draft, those abilities are expected to be put to the test early by Chambers and the Nittany Lions, as Bolton competes with Wheeler for the starting job at the point. His shooting range may be the key factor in that battle, as Penn State has bid farewell to Garner and Carr, who combined to hit 208 3s last season. Fellow early signee Dread, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington, D.C., and a first-team Washington Post All- Met selection following his senior season at Gonzaga High, is also expected to be a critical part of the Lions' beyond-the-arc equation. Listed at 6-4, 205 pounds, the Rivals.com three-star shooting guard and No. 142 overall prospect in the Class of 2018 helped the Eagles reach the Wash- ington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game by averaging 13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and hitting more than 42 percent of his 3s. The 6-7, 185-pound Kasatkin, who was a 40 percent 3-point shooter at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va., and the 6- 3, 170-pound Jones, a prolific scoring guard at Lincoln Academy in Suwanee, Ga., last season, will give the Nittany Lions a potent group that will be able to help meet needs, Chambers said. "Now you're talking about guys who can pass, dribble and shoot. I think that challenges opponents and coaches to be able to stop us and guard us," he said. "And if you have that many guys on the floor who can make plays, I think it can only help us and our future." Kasatkin is originally from Ivanovo, Russia. Before heading to the United States for his last two years of high school, he was on the Russian U-16 and U-18 national teams, displaying potential both as a distributor and sharpshooter. Averaging 14.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season, Kasatkin showed off a skill set that Chambers coveted. He committed in November before eventu- ally signing with Penn State in April. Jones, meanwhile, rescinded his verbal commitment to Memphis after Tubby Smith was fired in March. That decision opened the door for a late switch to Penn State. As a senior, he posted 19 points per game and helped lift Lincoln Academy to a 25-9 overall record. It was fortuitous that the Nittany Lions were in position to sign Kasatkin and Jones in the late signing period this spring, plus add former Pennsylvania first-team All-State pick Brockington, a 6-4, 180-pounder from Archbishop Ryan in Philadelphia who will have three years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2018-19 season to comply with NCAA transfer rules. But it was not merely a stroke of good luck. Chambers and his staff had been prepared for Carr's deci- sion, and also for the possibility of trans- fers. They had maintained their recruiting S P E C I A L S E C T I O N NEW NITTANY LION Dread was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Washing- ton, D.C., follow- ing his senior season at Gon- zaga High. Photo by Mark Selders/ Penn State Ath- letics

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