Nittany Lion Basketball Team Signs Two European Frontcourt Players to National Letters of Intent; Finland and Montenegro Natives Join Penn State Fold
State College, Pa. – April 22, 2005 – Penn State Nittany Lion basketball coach Ed DeChellis received signed national letters of intent from two European frontcourt players, increasing Penn State’s incoming recruiting class to four. Post players Milos Bogetic (Podgorica, Montenegro) and Joonas Suotamo (Espoo, Finland) will bolster Penn State’s frontcourt as freshmen next season.
Bogetic is a 6-10, 255-pound post player with quality passing skills and a good three-point shot. A low-post player with perimeter skills, Bogetic played in the youth leagues of Slovenia.
“Milos is a very physical player with the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter as well as post up,” DeChellis said. “He is an outstanding student and will be an excellent addition to our frontcourt and we’re pleased to welcome him to the Nittany Lion basketball family.”
Suotamo, 6-9 and 220 pounds, is a high post forward that can shoot the 15-foot jumper as well as post up. Very athletic, he runs the floor very well. Suotamo currently plays on the Finnish National Team will compete in the European Championships in Bulgaria this July.
“Joonas is an exceptional athlete,” DeChellis said. “He can play either post position and is a very good shooter. He has great international experience while playing on the Finnish National Team and will be an outstanding addition to the Penn State family.”
Bogetic and Suotamo join recently signed junior college guard David Jackson (Gaithersburg, Md./Gulf Coast CC) and Ohio All-State pick Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio), who signed in November, as members of DeChellis’ second full recruiting class. Last year’s five player recruiting class yielded four players who started throughout the season (including one who earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors) and a fifth who gained valuable playing time throughout the season.