“If you’re a Penn State men’s basket ball fan — one of the few and, at this point, not so proud — you’ve probably been searching for good news. Any smidgen of good news.
“Well, I have some:
“Geary Claxton told me Saturday after another abysmal PSU loss he’s definitely coming back for his sophomore season and that he’s in this thing for the long haul.
“Considering the wreckage of this Penn State season and the fact that Claxton is the team’s only Big Ten-caliber athlete, that’s not just good news. It’s vital news for PSU coach Ed DeChellis. As in, the patient is still critical but vital signs are stable.
“I caught the 6-5 freshman forward soon after the Lions’ listless 22-point loss to struggling Iowa Saturday afternoon and asked, ‘Is there any possibility at all you would transfer from Penn State?’
“Said Claxton: ‘No. None. Coach DeChellis and the staff promised me the chance to play right away here and no one else did that.
“‘It’s rough right now. But I’m sticking this out. This is the place for me.’
“That sentiment was echoed yesterday by the three other freshmen who must be a steel core if DeChellis is able to build anything of a program headed for its fourth straight last-place Big Ten finish. …”