PennLive.com: SportsFlash – Penn State’s Claxton hopes to put on show, exhibition or not:
“STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — It was just an exhibition game, a warm-up against a Division II school.
“But don’t tell that to Geary Claxton, Penn State’s standout sophomore. In this otherwise lopsided and uneventful 89-43 over Lock Haven on a recent evening, Claxton stood out.
“At first glance, the 15 points and eight rebounds aren’t that impressive until the final column from the stat sheet put his numbers in perspective: 16 minutes played.
“I knew what Geary could do,’ Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said after the game, explaining his desire to get more people off the bench some game action.
“After watching Claxton’s performance last year as a freshman, DeChellis said he is pleased with how quickly he has come along. Claxton, a 6-foot-5 wing, was arguably the Nittany Lions’ best player last season.
“Perhaps most impressively, Claxton improved his numbers significantly in Big Ten play, hitting double digits in scoring in all but two conference contests.
“With an average of 14 points a game in league play last year, however, Claxton knows he enters this season as a target for opponents.
” ‘It’s going to be a lot tougher,’ Claxton said. ‘I think teams …. “