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Patrick Chambers' contract has been extended through the 2021-22 season, the university announced earlier this month. Approved by the Penn State board of trustees' compensation committee, the four-year deal comes on the heels of a 26-13 season in which the team won its second National Invitation Tournament championship. The 26 wins were the second-most in Penn State men's basketball history, and the team's strong performance prompted athletic director Sandy Barbour to re- structure Chambers' deal. "Coach Chambers has demon- strated tremendous vision and deter- mination in building a strong foundation for our men's basketball program," said Barbour via news re- lease. "The success the team enjoyed this season was a result of the efforts and passion of Patrick and his staff in creating a culture that has raised the standards and expectations of the program. Because of his leadership, our loyal and dedicated fans and everyone who supports Penn State men's basketball are excited about continuing to build on the successes of the program and the development of our student-athletes." Chambers, too, said he's been en- couraged by the strides the Nittany Lions have made during his seven- year tenure in University Park. "Building a championship basketball program at Penn State has been our mission since day one, and we have made significant progress toward reaching that goal," Chambers said. "I want to thank my former and current players who have committed to our staff and the culture of the program. And I especially want to thank their parents and families who have bought relationships in case they needed to fill some roster spots. When that scenario came to pass, the Nittany Lions were pre- pared. "As a staff, we were ready to go," Cham- bers said. "We thought Tony might go, we thought some other guys might leave, we thought even Lamar might go. So we were really prepared for every sce- nario, and we kind of planned it all out and mapped it all out." Earning late-spring com- mitments from Brockington on April 28 and Jones on May 2, Chambers was thrilled with the results. "We were fortunate to get Izaiah Brockington and we were fortunate to get Myreon Jones. They're really good basketball players," he said. "Izaiah is a lot like Josh. I don't want to call him a clone of Josh, but he's very close to Josh – lefty, freak athlete. And Myreon is a heck of a scorer and can really shoot the basketball – high IQ. So I think they are really some good additions to our roster, and that's really going to help us." With Penn State returning an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in Stevens and two All-Defensive Team selections in Reaves and Watkins, "help" is Chambers' operative word when referring to his in- coming class. The newcomers are not being counted upon to carry the load themselves right away. That realization has already eased Bolton's transition, as any freshman nervousness he might have been feeling has turned to excitement and anticipa- tion at the opportunity to lift the per- formances of his new teammates. Wanting simply to distribute the ball evenly and free up shots for the returning veterans, he is eager to get going. "They're coming back as NIT champs, so they're coming back hungry to get bet- ter," he said. "All I've got to do is get them the ball so they get it when they need it, and then let them do what they do. And when I can, I'll do what I do." ■ PSU trustees approve extension for Chambers B A S K E T B A L L N O T E B O O K B Y N A T E B A U E R N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E HUDDLE UP Chambers' sev- enth season was his best at Penn State, as the Lions went 26-13 and won the NIT. Photo by Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

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