Bucknell to visit Duke next January:
“TRANSFER GUARD EYES PSU:
“According to Ohio recruitnik Chris Johnson, Penn State has a shot at yet another guard, this one a very talented transfer.
“Drew Lavender, a waterbug point man from Columbus who just completed his sophomore season at Oklahoma, wants out of OU. He is listing PSU, Seton Hall, Tennessee and Southern Cal among his possible landing spots.
“The 5-7 Lavender averaged 9.7 ppg as a sophomore in 2004-05. He has started 59 of his 63 games at OU and led the Sooners in assists, steals, 3-pointers and minutes his freshman year.
“Lavender was a teammate of PSU recruit Jamelle Cornley at Brookhaven High in Columbus.
“The Nittany Lions already have six guards but may yet lose sophomore Ben Luber to transfer or soph Marlon Smith to a medical malady. Luber has been quietly assessing his options while Smith’s status is still up in the air after a December blood clot in a brain artery.
“PSU’S PROGRESS:
“As of now, DeChellis has one grant remaining. He would have liked to recruit a big with his final available scholarship but ultimately felt what was accessible to him in the spring period simply wasn’t good enough. That included his third trip to Europe with lead assistant Kurt Kanaskie completed last weekend.
“Penn State has cultivated several current juniors for two years now and is facing a pivotal signing period next autumn. If DeChellis and staff are going to get their program turned around, they know they must deliver one big man of a Booth, Stephens or Cline-Heard caliber next school year, preferably in the early window before the pickings get slim.
“From all indications, the 6-10 European signees — Finnish forward Joonas Suotamo and Serb forward Milos Bogetic — are not true post players and not expected to enforce inside in the Big Ten. They are finesse types dependent more on skills than intimidating athletic gifts.
“The revelation of the five-man class looks like Cornley, a 6-41/2, 235-pound beast from Columbus.
“I am getting glowing reports on this kid in every facet — of his relentless style, his energy and attitude. Most believe he can compete inside in a major conference even at his height.
“A dominant high school post player, Cornley didn’t get to play on the wing last season as he had hoped because Brookhaven’s would-be 6-6 power player had academic trouble.”