With yesterday's announcement that 4 current roster players for the Nittany Lions will not return to next year's Men's Basketball team, one has to wonder if this a move in the right direction or the beginning of the end for the current coaching regime.
Departures include 1) Chris Babb (shooting guard) - 2008, 3-star commitment from Texas and starter most of 2010 (avg. 9.3 ppg), 2) Andrew Ott (center), 2009 transfer from Villanova and part-time starter in 2009 (avg. 3.1 ppg), 3) Bill Edwards (shooting guard) - 2009 2-star commitment from Ohio and a role player in 2009 (4.2 ppg), and 4) Adam Highberger (guard) - 2006 former walk-on who played sparingly in 2010.
Move in the right direction? There is no doubt the Nittany Lions under achieved this year and a 'shake up' is necessary. And with the return of Battle and Frazier at the guard position, and with incoming 3-star PG commitment Taran Buie on the way, losing Babbs and Edwards from the back-court is probably not a big deal. And Ott never really shined at Penn State, playing sparingly and rarely scored (he was an offensive liability to be honest).
This will open up 3 scholarships for DeChellis to fill this off-season and there is no doubt we need more than just Buie coming to happy valley for the 2011 campaign. We desperately need a big man who can dominate the paint, ala Jamelle Cornley from 2006-2009.
Beginning of the end? Both Babbs and Edwards are reporting a desire to be 'closer to home' and thus asked & received permission to transfer. Ott and Highberger are both graduating and likely just want to move onto a life outside of basketball. So the real question is if the story of 'being closer to home' is just an excuse to no longer be part of this consistently under achieving program.
We saw the same sort of 'transfers' under the previous Jerry Dunn regime and eventually he had trouble holding onto any players year to year. It eventually was this type of consistent team defection which lead to Dunn being fired and DeChellis being hired. So is this the beginning of a similar situation for coach DeChellis?
It will be interesting to see what DeChellis is able to do with the three open scholarships. In my mind who in their right mind would choose this Penn State program over any other respectable program, we have not made the tourney in a decade and never send players to the NBA. If he can somehow pull a rabbit out of hat and get a solid recruit or two, my hat is off to him.
So to really judge if this defection is good or bad one will just have to wait. And as a Nittany Lion fan we should be use to waiting, it seems 'time' and 'patience' is the only message we get when we ask those in charge of this program when we will ever be good on a consistent basis (and 'good' means finishing in the top 5 of the Big Ten Conference and playing real post season basketball).
We are Penn State.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
How does anyone know if Buie is really that good?
Frazier is a dud. “Timmy the Turnover” was benched countless times for being a terrible ball handler.
Losing Babb hurt because he was by far the best 3 baller on the team.
Edwards is a loss because he was supposed to be the next wing/forward groomed to be a starter in 2 years.
Ott was a flat out wasted scholarship. Another of DUHchellis’ “great” moves. Nova reject. Did nothing at PSU.
Highberger was a joke but Eddi gave him a schollie last season. Yeah. Effin crazy.
This program is in collapse. FIRE DUHchelis ASAP.