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Dave Jones:

[John] Johnson was spectacular in his Penn State debut during a 92-82 defeat of Mount St. Mary’s that played out quite a lot more anxiously than anticipated. After practicing with the team throughout the first semester, Sunday was his first game of eligibility, per NCAA transfer rules.

That Johnson scored 20 points off the bench isn’t the half of it. The greater revelation was that he looked like a man out there. Considering that Johnson is 21 years old and has played a season of serious D-I ball at Pitt (all 39 games in 2011-12), you wouldn’t expect him to be timid. But there was more to it than that.

During a second half in which Penn State unexpectedly found itself in a lay-it-down Philadelphia schoolyard scramble, Johnson looked totally comfortable. He played not just with supreme confidence but aggressiveness. He was exactly what the Nittany Lions needed when they needed it.

Combined with the added size of the 7-foot [Jordan] Dickerson, the Lions (9-4) suddenly appear to have some legit prospects as the non-con season ends and Michigan State awaits on Dec. 31 (5 p.m.) at the Jordan Center to start the Big Ten.

via Pitt transfer John Johnson makes big splash in first dive into Penn State men’s hoops | PennLive.com.

Ben Jones:

Penn State basketball will add a little more height to the roster as sophomore center Jordan Dickerson has been cleared to play and will take the court for the Nittany Lions on Sunday against Mount St Marys.

“We are excited the NCAA has approved the waiver for Jordan,” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said of the news. “He has worked hard to develop during his six months with the program and we look forward to working him into our lineup and taking advantage of his presence in the post.”

Penn State submitted a Legislative Relief Waiver to the NCAA requesting it waive the year in residence requirement that generally applies to transfers in basketball. The rule usually requires that all transfer athletes sit out a season following transfer to another program. A sophomore, Dickerson will have two additional season in Happy Valley following this year…

via State College, PA – Penn State Basketball: 7-Footer Jordan Dickerson Cleared By NCAA, Eligible Immediately.

Big Ten Geeks:

Maybe Penn State Really Does Have Best Backcourt in the Country

A year and a half ago, Penn State coach Pat Chambers made a bold statement:

“Can’t wait! I think we’re going to have the best backcourt in the country! You heard me, in the country,” he exclaimed, referring to Newbill and Frazier. “The reason is because those two together.”

While Chambers’ excitement clearly damaged his sentence structure, it also raised eyebrows. Could Tim Frazier and D.J. Newbill, a low-usage transfer from Southern Miss, actually comprise the nation’s best backcourt?

It took a year longer than expected to find out, but the answer appears to be a surprising “maybe.”

To look at this objectively, I took KenPom’s list of the top 100 offensive ratings in the nation (minimum 24 percent usage and 40 percent minutes played – we want high usage, high efficiency starters, not great role players).  I then filtered the list down. First, since we’re looking at duos, I eliminated players that did not have a teammate also in the top 100. Then, I eliminated duos that included a player that is clearly a forward and not a guard in the context of his team.

We are left with this list:

Player	Team	Ortg	Usage
Russ Smith	Louisville	121.6	31.1
Tim Frazier	Penn St.	120.9	28.7
Jordan Adams	UCLA	134.6	28.3
D.J. Newbill	Penn St.	120.0	25.2
Kyle Anderson	UCLA	118.3	25.0
Chris Jones	Louisville	121.2	24.7

Admittedly, this is a quick and dirty approach. Defense is not considered, nor is schedule strength. We’re also only a third of the way into the regular season, so there’s a lot of basketball left to be played.

With those grains of salt taken, we’re left with three contenders for the nation’s best backcourt (so far): Russ Smith and Chris Jones at Louisville, Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson at UCLA, and Frazier and Newbill at Penn State. An argument could be made that UCLA’s 6-9 Anderson isn’t really a guard, but his assist rate and lineup usage suggest otherwise.

It doesn’t appear that Chambers was completely insane when he made that bold statement. There’s a long way to go, but Frazier/Newbill has a chance to be the best backcourt in the country, at least on the offensive end.

via Big Ten Geeks: Surveying the Landscape « Big Ten Network.

Matt Norlander:

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Its taken 376 days for Penn State to truly believe it can be a team with attitude, composure and conviction. A confident team and, most importantly, a consistently winning one in a practical, realistic sense. And if the Nittany Lions are going to make moves within the Big Ten and win more than 12 games for the first time under Pat Chambers, it surely has to come this year.

It was on Nov. 18 of last season when PSU senior point guard Tim Frazier ripped up his left Achilles. He missed the rest of the season, of course. The NCAA granted Frazier, who has at times shown himself to be one of the more talented guards in college basketball, another season of competition. And in this, his sixth year of eligibility, Frazier’s injury is proving to be the blessing in disguise for Penn State.

The Nittany Lions held off an athletic, quick, talented St. Johns team Friday night at the Barclays Center, staving off a 15-point Red Storm comeback and winning 89-82 in overtime. Frazier finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds. Teammate D.J. Newbill contributed 25 points and eight rebounds. He played all 45 minutes.Penn State is 6-1 for the first time in five seasons.

“Its a great win for our program,” Chambers said. “Its Nov. 29. We have a long way to go here, and the scary thing is, these guys can get so much better. … For the first time we went in the locker room, there was a little bit of celebration, but not a lot. Not a lot. We expect to win games now.”

via Healthy Tim Frazier has Penn State composed, built for winning year – CBSSports.com.

Philly Daily News:

STATE COLLEGE – Playing in his citys famous basketball arena, Penn State shooting guard D.J. Newbill said he got a taste of “Philly competition” Saturday, when he engaged in some trash talk in a win against Penn at the Palestra.

The former Strawberry Mansion standout and the Nittany Lions leading returning scorer will get another chance to exchange words and baskets with a Big 5 opponent at 7 tonight when La Salle 2-1 visits the Bryce Jordan Center.

“The competition level they bring each and every night is crazy,” Newbill said of the Big 5. “For us to go into Penn and beat Penn on their home court was big for us. It was a huge step for us and our program, and for La Salle coming back here will be a great test for us.”

Newbill is in his second season at Penn State, transferring to play for Newtown Square native Pat Chambers after spending his freshman campaign at Southern Mississippi. In three games, Newbill is averaging 18.3 points, 2.7 assists and a team-best 6.7 rebounds….

via Philly guard fills the Newbill for Penn State.

PSU Sports Information

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Nov. 13, 2013) – Patrick Chambers, head coach of the Penn State men’s basketball team, announced Wednesday the signing of Shep Garner (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) and Isaiah Washington (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) to NCAA National Letters of Intent beginning in the 2014-15 season.

Garner is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard who ran the point for both his high school team Roman Catholic and Team Final during AAU play. Nike EYBL Finals advanced to the semifinals of the Peach Jam with the help of Garner’s 8.7 points, 5.5 assists and four rebounds per game.

“Shep is a tough-nosed guard who is used to competing at a high level,” Chambers said of the Philly product. He will bring a winner’s attitude to our program, along with his ability to lead, run a team and knock down shots.”

Washington, a 6-3, 180-pound combo guard, was an integral member of the 2012-13 Williamsport team that finished 23-3 with a district title. The combo guard has started each of the last three seasons, averaging 16.6 points per game as a junior. A former AAU teammate of PSU freshman Julian Moore, Washington spent the last several seasons with We R 1.

Washington is a 4.0 student with aspirations to major in nursing at Penn State.

“Isaiah is an elite-level athlete who can do it all,” Chambers said. “He can really shoot the ball, as well as fill the lanes for some big-time finishes. He plays with high energy and we are looking forward to his athleticism and toughness on the defensive end.”

The Pennsylvania-bred duo could bring the number of in-state players on the Nittany Lion roster to eight next season, six recruited by Chambers and his staff since taking over in 2011.

Penn State:

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State student-athletes continue to graduate well above their peers nationwide, earning record-setting academic performances, according to statistical information released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA.

The NCAAs annual study of institutions across the nation revealed Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a Graduation Success Rate GSR of 88 percent compared to the 81 percent average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 2003-04 through the 2006-07 academic year.

The Nittany Lion basketball and Lady Lion basketball teams earned perfect Graduation Success Rates of 100 percent. The Penn State football team posted a GSR of 85 percent. All three programs delivered graduation figures at least 15 points higher than the national average for their sport.

via Penn State student-athletes continue outstanding graduation rates | Penn State University.

The Penn Stater:

We were talking with Tim Frazier a few weeks back in the otherwise quiet practice gym at the Bryce Jordan Center. Off in the far corner, out of camera view, Frazier’s coach, Patrick Chambers, was chugging away on an exercise bike. Frazier started talking, but he got distracted. He tried to ignore the whirrrrr of his coach on the bike, but finally, after about 20 seconds, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“I just hear a bike in the background, and it just reminds me…” Frazier said. “When [my teammates] were running and doing sprints, I was on the bike. When they weren‘t doing sprints, I was on the bike.”

via From The Magazine: Tim Frazier is Back | The Penn Stater Magazine.

Philly Inquirer checks in:

When Penn State guard Allen Roberts got off the phone with Patrick Chambers, he was sold.

Chambers, who is from Newtown Square, is entering his third season as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. His fiery personality and coaching style have lured the likes of Roberts and D.J. Newbill – a Philadelphian – to Happy Valley.

Roberts said Chambers attitude was magnetic when he first talked to him on the phone. …

More at Chambers making headway at Penn State.

Graduate guard among 46 preseason candidates for the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Oct. 22, 2013) – Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) is one of 46 preseason candidates named to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, announced Tuesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A graduate guard returning for his fifth year after a season-ending injury a year ago, Frazier is one of four players from the Big Ten on the list, which will be narrowed to a final 20 in early February and then final five by early March.

Frazier previously was a Top 20 candidate for the award in 2011-12 – his last full campaign in the blue and white – while leading the Big Ten in assists (6.2 apg) and finishing second in scoring (18.8 ppg) en route to First Team All-Big Ten honors. Before rupturing his left Achilles tendon four games into last season, he was producing at a 21.7 points-per-game clip and averaging 5.7 assists.

The PSU single-season record holder in assists with 198 assists in 2011-12, Frazier now stands 142 assists shy of eclipsing the program’s career assist record of 600. Also among the Top 25 in scoring (24th, 1035 points), the Houston, Texas, native could end his career among Penn State’s top five in career scoring, assists and steals and as just the second Lion to post 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.

The full list of players on the watch list is available in the attached release from the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, The Cousy Award recognizes the top point guard in college basketball. The winner of the 2014 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in Dallas as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Kendall Marshall (North Carolina) and last year’s recipient Trey Burke (Michigan). For more information on the 2014 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

Frazier and Penn State open the season with a Nov. 3 exhibition contest vs. Northwood (Fla.) before the regular-season lid-lifter Nov. 9 against Wagner. The 17-game home schedule is punctuated by a Dec. 14 matchup vs. Princeton in historic Rec Hall and four contests vs. teams in the USA Today preseason Top 25.