Penn State basketball adds transfer guard Camren Wynter

Penn State Nittany Lions basketball secured an important transfer on Thursday, as Drexel guard Camren Wynter gave Micah Shrewsberry and company his verbal commitment.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Wynter has one season of eligibility remaining after playing four years with the Dragons. He’d received interest from the likes of Maryland, Seton Hall, Ohio State, Michigan and Arkansas, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

“I just felt like it was a perfect fit for me in terms of what they needed for next season and my game and what I provide,” Wynter told BWI. “I also really enjoyed the coaches. We have a real tight relationship, knowing [Mike Farrelly] for a little while just helped me feel comfortable and familiar. I really like what they’re doing. Coach Shrews is building something and I wanna be part of it.”

Wynter’s 577 career assists place him third on Drexel’s all-time list. He’s also a prolific scorer, averaging double-digit points in each of his four seasons there. He’s posted at least 15 points per game in his last three seasons.

Wynter shot 43 percent from the field last season, averaging 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

In previous seasons, he’s been an effective three-point shooter for the Dragons. In 2020-21 — when Drexel made the NCAA Tournament — Wynter shot 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. That mark slipped to 27.8 last season.

Wynter’s four-year career at Drexel left him with plenty of individual honors. The future Penn State guard was a member of the All-Colonial teams three years running, cracking the first team in the last two seasons. Wynter claimed the CAA Tournament MVP award in 2021. He was the Colonial Rookie of the Year in 2018-19 as a freshman.

“I just want to fit that role of someone who can be able to create their own shot, but also predicates their game on trying to get others involved and make plays for other people,” Wynter said.

A native of Hempstead, New York, he played his high school basketball at Holy Trinity High School before spending a post-grad season at DME Academy in Florida.

His addition gives the Nittany Lions some much-needed scoring punch following the departure of guard Sam Sessoms, who entered the transfer portal last month.

Despite owning the best scoring defense in the Big Ten last season, Penn State’s offensive difficulties held it back. The Nittany Lions scored 64.6 points per game — 2.4 points fewer than any other Big Ten team.

Wynter fits what Penn State was looking for

Speaking after the conclusion of the Nittany Lions’ season in march, Shrewsberry referred to recruiting prospects in the transfer portal as “speed dating.”

“You may get a guy and you don’t know everything about him,” Shrewsberry said. “You don’t know their makeup… you don’t get a chance to spend as much time with them. So it’s a gamble whether or not you try and build around that every single year. There could be issues that you run into. So we want to do it on a need basis, to fill spots that we may need.”

Shrewsberry also expressed a desire on the part of Penn State to surround this year’s five-man freshman class with veterans to help lighten their load.

In Wynter, the Nittany Lions get an experienced player who fills a position of need and can score the basketball.

Check, check and check.

With only one season of eligibility, Wynter can help Penn State this season and allow PSU to retain the roster flexibility to pursue high school prospects.

“Who we have and who we build around will always be the guys that we spend the majority of our time and efforts recruiting,” Shrewsberry said. “We have five freshmen coming in that we recruited those guys. I know everything about those guys. There might be a couple of surprises here and there. But for the most part, I know a lot about them.”