Today’s transfer portal has its disadvantages and frustrations for teams, fans and coaches who prefer to keep and develop their own talent and recruits.
But there are big time advantages as well.
Similar to free agency in pro sports, college coaches and general managers, if the price is right, can go out and find a plug-and-play, top-tier player to come play for their team and to fill a much needed position or weakness on their roster.
Penn State basketball is no different.
Here are the top positions of need PSU currently has, along with some possible players to pursue in the transfer portal to fill those needs.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.- Power Forward – Behind Ivan Juric on the interior depth chart are Tibor Mirtic, Sasa Ciani and Justin Houser. When Juric went out of the game due to foul trouble or rest, the team’s performance offensively and defensively noticeably declined. Mirtic only played in 15 games this year due to injury, Ciani needs a mean streak and Houser is improving but still raw. Penn State needs a true power forward that’s a veteran brute inside and grabs every rebound that comes near him. This type of player would help take the interior pressure off of Juric.
- A Consistent, 2-Guard Sharpshooter – Today’s college game lives and dies by the 3-pointer. It’s a relatively easy shot for big, strong, talented players. Penn State’s 3-point field goal percentage was only 32%. That’s not good enough. There were flashes of consistency from players such as Freddie Dilione V., but the team was still too streaky, especially in Big Ten play.
- A Lockdown Defender – Penn State way too many times allowed opposing players to “go off” on them. For example, when Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson dropped a career-high 44 points, or when Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli tied his career-high of 34 points, Diggy Coit’s career-high 43 points for Maryland and Nimari Burnett’s career-high of 31 points for Michigan. Inexcusable. Penn State shouldn’t just bring in someone who is just good defensively, but a player who is known for his defensive prowess and has a reputation of shutting down or at least containing other team’s best players. Penn State also allowed 799 3-point attempts this season for a 3-point shooting percentage of 39%. That needs to tighten up.
- Another True Center – Houser is the only true center on the team, and he’s still developing. After the departure of Yanic Konan Niederhauser to the NBA, PSU was missing that true, shot-blocking rim-protector. Juric fills these shoes pretty well, but Batman needs a Robin.
So who do we know, at this time, will be available when the transfer portal, officially, opens the day after the national championship game?
Here are players from each above needed position the Nittany Lions should go after.
- Kwame Evans & DeSean Goode – Power Forwards – Evans is a 6′-10″ junior from Oregon averaging 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Goode is a 6′-8″ sophomore from Robert Morris and was the Horizon League Player of the Year who averaged 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
- Adam Olsen & Rodney Brown, Jr. – 2/3 Guard – Sharpshooters – Olsen is a 6′-8″ junior from South Alabama who averaged 16.7 ppg. and made 102 three pointers with a three-point shooting percentage of nearly 40%. Brown is a 6′-6″ junior from Loyola Marymount who averaged 14.0 ppg. and led the West Coast Conference in made threes with 87.
- Gavin Doty – Lockdown Defender/Guard – A 6′-5″ sophomore from Siena who is known for his versatility on both offense and defense. Averaged 18.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
- Ben Defty – Center – 7′-0″ sophomore from Boston. Averaged 1.7 blocks per game with a total of 57 swats during the season. Also averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with a field goal shooting percentage of 69.4%.
Stay with Nittany Sports Now for all of your Penn State men’s basketball coverage.
