Penn State lands first transfer portal commitment of cycle
Penn State basketball spent the first week of the transfer portal seeing space open for its 2024-25 campaign with a series of four departures. To close out the second full week of the transfer portal, it has started the process of bringing new players in.
On a visit to see the Nittany Lions on Friday and Saturday, transfer big man Kachi Nzeh has announced his decision to play for Penn State next season via social media. Nzeh has three seasons of eligibility remaining after spending his first year at Xavier as a true freshman this past season.
Nzeh is listed at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds on the Xavier web site. This past season, he started four of 19 games played for the Musketeers. He averaged 9.9 minutes per outing, posting 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, connecting on 18-of-30 shots from the floor.
Indicative of his rise through the back half of the schedule, though, Nzeh’s role grew considerably down the stretch. Beginning with a breakout 20 minutes at Seton Hall on Feb. 14, Nzeh averaged 18.5 minutes in eight of Xavier’s next 10 games to close the season. Among those performances, he scored a season-high 13 points with six rebounds against Georgetown on March 2, and had another six points and five boards against Georgia in the first round of the NIT.
Penn State lands first transfer portal commitment
Penn State’s first serious targets through the transfer portal demonstrate the size the Nittany Lions are seeking this cycle. With an exodus of size, top rebounder Qudus Wahab gone to graduation, plus backup big men Demetrius Lilley and Favour Aire off to the transfer portal, Penn State has just one big currently slated for the roster next season in true freshman Miles Goodman, who will enroll this summer.
Discussing his thinking with reporters at his year-end press conference, Rhoades acknowledged how one year of Big Ten basketball has shaped his thinking on roster construction this offseason.
“I know that getting bigger, having Big Ten size is very important. Making sure we have depth that can compete and win games in the Big Ten, because of injuries, because of different things that are sometimes out of your control,” said Rhoades. “So yeah, the experiences in my first year in Big Ten play have, I’m not gonna say reshaped my thinking, but has changed some of it and our staff every day is discussing it.”
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A product of the George School during his recruitment, Nzeh was a target of Rhoades’ staff while still at VCU. There, he was an all-state selection coached by former Penn State star guard Ben Luber, who described the forward’s talents for Xavier.
“Kachi is a relentless competitor and great teammate,” said Luber. “Kachi is leaving a legacy behind at the George School, leading us to first place in our league for the first time in over 50 years. He can shoot and defend and is improving in every facet of the game because he is very coachable. We are excited to see his continued growth and impact on the Xavier program.”
Where things stand for Penn State (10 of 13 scholarships projected filled)
Guards Ace Baldwin, Jahvin Carter, D’Marco Dunn, Dominick Stewart
Wings Nick Kern, Zach Hicks, Puff Johnson, Hudson Ward
Bigs Miles Goodman, Kachi Nzeh
Penn State scholarship breakdown by class
Bonus year (2): Ace Baldwin, Puff Johnson
Fourth year (3): Nick Kern, Zach Hicks, D’Marco Dunn
Third year (0):
Second year (1): Kachi Nzeh
First year (4): Jahvin Carter, Miles Goodman, Dominick Stewart, Hudson Ward
