Penn State basketball set for next stage of program development in 2022-23

Finally, the temperature has lowered just a bit for Micah Shrewsberry and his Penn State staff. 

Following the conclusion of his first season leading the Nittany Lion basketball program, Shrewsberry’s list of concerns is considerably shorter than it was around this time last year. 

For one, he doesn’t have to worry about re-recruiting his entire roster. He doesn’t need to pull five names out of the transfer portal just to field a competitive team. Penn State’s efforts on the recruiting trail can go forward at a less frantic pace. 

But a less chaotic schedule doesn’t mean a drop in intensity. For Shrewsberry, it simply provides him with more time to hammer away at his program’s foundation.  

“You take a little bit of time to decompress from the season, but then you immediately jump back into what changes you want to make, what you can do better,” Shrewsberry said. “I think that’s the process right now, and the phase of what I’m in is what we can do better as we start heading into next year.” 

Speaking to the media following the conclusion of Penn State’s season, Shrewsberry expressed a desire to build his program conventionally. The Nittany Lions will not be a revolving door of a program, raiding the transfer portal for four or five players every offseason. 

Instead, Shrewsberry wants the Nittany Lions to recruit effectively. And they certainly got off to a good start with their 2022 class. 

Penn State signed three of the top 200 prospects in the country in Shrewsberry’s first recruiting cycle in charge.

That group is headlined by guard Jameel Brown at No. 135 overall. Forward Kebba Njie follows at No. 142, and wing Evan Mahaffey comes in at No. 181. 

Rounding out the five-man class is point guard Kanye Clary (No. 201 overall) and center Demetrius Lilley (No. 271). 

“They fit everything that we’re looking for,” Shrewsberry said. “I truly believe that Penn State is going to fall in love with these guys just based on who they are.”

In 2022-23, the Nittany Lions are set for a second beginning. 

The roster construction in Shrewsberry’s first season makes it a bit of a one-off. The Nittany Lions will lose four seniors t graduation — including star forward John Harrar. Dynamic point guard Sam Sessoms entered the transfer portal following the conclusion of the season, too. 

One of the oldest teams in college basketball this season, Penn State is about to get a whole lot younger — and fast. 

Unless, of course, the Nittany Lions can add some veterans from the transfer portal. With an obvious need at center and a replacement necessary for Sessoms at guard, that seems likely. 

“For next year’s team, we do want to add a couple of older guys so we don’t have to lean on those freshmen just to be primetime players right off the bat, which is really hard to do as a college freshman,” Shrewsberry said. “No matter how good you are, freshmen struggle a little bit.” 

When the 2022-23 season tips off, the Nittany Lion locker room will look a bit more like the conventional college basketball ecosystem. 

Penn State did not have any freshmen on its roster this season. The Nittany Lions were very much a collection of old heads. Next fall, there will be five rookies. 

Shrewsberry and his staff will be hoping that this group can help them score some more points after the Nittany Lions concluded 2021-22 with the worst scoring average in the Big Ten. The most likely candidate to address that need is Brown, a guard who can score from all over the floor.

“When he enters the gym he’s ready to shoot,” assistant coach Adam Fisher, who led the way on his recruitment, said.

“He is a basketball player who is going to come in right away and make an impact on this team.” 

Mahaffey, another guard, earned first-team all-state honors in Ohio this season. He’s a lanky athlete with a knack for defending. 

Clary completes the guard trio. Another excellent defender, though perhaps a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, Clary brings intangibles that the Nittany Lion staff values.

“Undersized, tough, plays with a chip on his shoulder,” his lead recruiter Aki Collins said. “And what you’ll see about this kid is he’s very competitive. He doesn’t like to be overlooked. He doesn’t like to feel like he’s not the best player on the floor.”

Two bigs with unique skillsets round out the class for the Nittany Lions. 

Lilley, at 6-foot-9, earned an offer from Penn State after transforming his body over the summer. He helped Lower Merion to the state semifinals this season with his physical presence in the paint.

“He’s not the most athletic guy that’s going to be hanging and swinging on the rim all the time, but he really pursues the basketball on the offensive glass and defensive glass,” assistant Mike Farrelly said.

He’ll be joined by Njie, a high-ceiling prospect that has the Penn State coaching staff excited. 

“In my opinion, we’re going to be really, really good as he continues to develop,” Collins, Njie’s lead recruiter, said.

“You just see the potential on him. As he matures, he’s going to be a phenomenal player.”