Penn State Class of 2023 targets jump in updated On3 rankings
The top targets for Penn State men’s basketball’s Class of 2023 recruiting efforts are quickly rising. As part of the On3 updated rankings Monday, two Nittany Lion prospects have made particularly big jumps.
At the top of the list, Pickerington Central forward Devin Royal’s explosive spring has led to another big rankings leap. Up from No. 53 nationally, Royal is now pegged at No. 26 overall in the Class of 2023.
A four-star listed at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, Royal is coming off a performance at the 2022 Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas in which he was named the On3 MVP. He averaged 11.3 points and 4.3 assists during the appearance, knocking down 73.6 percent of his shots from the floor.
From the camp’s takeaways:
“Forward Devin Royal will be a big mover in the next update of the On3 Top 150 on June 13. The 6-foot-6 combo forward can defend multiple positions and affect passing lanes with foot quickness and length. Royal is comfortable handling the ball against pressure, shooting out to 23-feet, and passing in the half-court. His long arms and broad shoulders allow him to play bigger, and that shows rebounding.”
Royal has already taken official visits to Penn State, Marquette, and Iowa State with another two upcoming to Michigan State (June 19) and Ohio State (June 26).
Of his relationship with Penn State’s coaching staff, Royal recently updated On3 to express his interest in the program.
“Their culture is great. I learned a lot about their coaches on that visit. (Micah) Shrewsberry came from the NBA and stuff like that. It’s a great program. I went to a football game there. The atmosphere was crazy; all the fans came together. It was a stripe out. The campus is always nice there.”
Royal is expected to reduce his list of choices in late July following Peach Jam, with a commitment expected ahead of the start of his senior season.
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Penn State’s other ascendant targets
Another of Penn State’s top Class of 2023 targets also enjoyed a major leap in the latest On3 rankings.
Carey Booth, a 6-foot-10 stretch four out of Cherry Creek in Englewood, Colo., makes his first appearance in the rankings. Unranked and unrated previously, Booth now finds himself at No. 80 in the updated rankings with a rating of 91 and four stars.
Earning a spot on the Pangos All-American Camp Top 30 Cream of the Crop, Booth has displayed his versatility throughout the spring/summer recruiting circuit. The son of former Nittany Lion great Calvin Booth, now the President of Basketball Operations for the Denver Nuggets, the 16-year-old visited Penn State for an official visit at the beginning of June.
Booth has added offers from Florida, Southern Cal, Arizona State, Ohio State, Missouri, Texas Tech, Colorado State, Xavier, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Iowa, and Cal since April.
Targets of note in updated rankings
Other Penn State Class of 2023 targets to appear in the updated On3 hoops rankings include a pair of guards in DeShawn Harris-Smith and Reid Ducharme.
Ducharme’s new ranking is No. 113, previously unranked, while Harris-Smith dropped from No. 54 from No. 43 previously.