Youngsters dominate Penn State roster
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- At least he's got a full complement of players this year.
Penn State coach Ed DeChellis has 14 players on the roster to try and implement his brand of up-tempo basketball, after sometimes using coaches on the floor to just to get through practice last season.
But with seven freshmen and three healthy sophomores on his roster, the head Nittany Lion isn't quite sure yet what he'll get from some of his youngsters as the season opener approaches, on Saturday against Cornell.
"We are trying to get our personnel straight and trying to get guys in terms of where they are going to be to help us," DeChellis said earlier this week.
The answers will go a long way toward determining whether Penn State can climb out of the Big Ten cellar. DeChellis is 16-42 in his first two years back at his alma mater and 4-28 in the Big Ten, including a 1-15 conference record last season.
Gone from last year is forward Aaron Johnson, who left Penn State after averaging 11.8 points and a Big Ten-leading 9.9 rebounds. He transferred to New Mexico but has been suspended by the Lobos for now, following an off-court incident.
Guard Marlon Smith also transferred after playing 13 games last year before being sidelined with a partial blockage of an artery in his brain, a condition that wasn't considered life-threatening.
Luckily for DeChellis, 6-foot-5 sophomore swingman Geary Claxton is back after leading the team in scoring last year with 12.5 points.