Centre Daily Times | 01/23/2005 | Nittany Lions starting to recruit JUCO players:
“Dozens of players have been through the beleaguered Penn State men’s basketball program in the past two decades. Players tall and small, hailing from Harrisburg to Germany to Idaho, of various abilities and attitudes. One commonality linked them all: None were junior college players.
“For one reason or another, the Nittany Lions never went the JUCO route — at least not far enough to land one. Perhaps it was because of the negative stereotypes that accompany such players, or because Penn State, like the other schools in the Big Ten, requires 52 transferable credit hours for all incoming juniors, while many junior college graduates have only 48.
“Midway through his second season at Penn State, coach Ed DeChellis is starting one junior college player — forward Travis Parker — and is looking at a number of others for next season. A door that had been strangely closed for so many years has been opened, and early returns have been promising.
“‘The stereotype was that we can’t get ‘those kids,” DeChellis said. ‘I never understood who ‘those kids’ were. What we have to do is work hard to find a kid that fits. Not everybody fits.’ …”