Q&A with new Penn State basketball transfer commit Camren Wynter

Penn State Nittany Lions basketball landed former Drexel guard Camren Wynter, one of two transfers to commit to PSU on Thursday.

BWI spoke with Wynter for a Q&A to help us understand his decision and what he’ll bring to Penn State.

BWI: Just to start, what about Penn State made that the pick for you? I know you had some pretty high-level interest.

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

BWI: You mentioned that you felt like you fit Penn State’s needs. What did they say that need was and how do you think you fit that?

Wynter: Obviously, they have a lot of good players, high-level shot makers, playmakers, and I just wanted to fit that role of someone who can be able to create their own shot, but also kind of predicates their game on trying to get others involved and make plays for other people. Usually, that opens stuff up for me. So just coming in and being the guy who can make others better around me is really just my main goal.

BWI. Did they kind of explain whether they expect you to play the one or the two? Do you have a feel for that?

Wynter: At the end of the day, I feel like they’re both kind of the same position in their offense. Like, both guards can come off ball screens and make plays for each other. And I thought that was really appealing to me. Obviously, they have other good guards, so just being a guy that can come in and help bring that guard play up a level.

BWI: You touched on your relationship with the coaching staff. Who were you talking to the most? And how did that relationship come about?

Wynter: Well Coach Shrews obviously started recruiting me very early when I was in the portal. Mike Farrelly was a guy that I talked to like the first day I got into the portal. I knew him, he came from Hofstra, which is very close to where I’m from so he’s seen me play for years. I already knew him, so throughout the process, we just kept getting closer and he really just helped me, anything that I needed, he was like, ‘Just give me a call.’ And he really meant it.

BWI: What did you think of campus when you visited?

Wynter: I’ve been to Penn State before so I kind of knew what to expect. I just love the environment there. There was obviously a different campus feel than it is at Drexel, which is more of a city campus. Just having that different experience for my last year was a big thing for me, just being able to go to a school with a bigger campus and more people.

BWI: How big is it for you to play a year at the Big Ten level? What kind of challenge do you think that’s going to be and how attractive was that for you in making your choice?

Wynter: The Big Ten’s a great league with a lot of great players obviously. It’s one of the best, if not the best league in the country. So just being able to get a chance to play in a league like that with the players that are in the league will be really competitive for me. I’m a competitive person. Obviously, I had a good career but I just wanted to challenge myself and make sure that, when I go to play pro next year, that I’m the best version of me that I can be. To do that, I felt like I had to take a different step.

BWI: You mentioned playing pro there. Obviously, Micah Shrewsberry has experience coaching in the NBA. How much of a factor did that play in your decision to play for Penn State?

Wynter: He’s been around great players his whole coaching career and we talked a lot about how they work and how they get better every day and what they work on, the specifics. That really drew me to play for a guy like that. Everything he told me, I went and watched the team work out and it was true. They work on a lot of specifics and things that translate to the next level. That was really eye-catching.