By Jeff Rice
– jrice@centredaily.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — The forgotten man in the Penn State lineup, redshirt freshman Billy Oliver, reported to the season’s first practice Friday and showed coaches and teammates signs of the player he could be when healthy.
“He was tremendous,” Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. “He was very, very good.”
But by the end of the weekend, health issues once again took Oliver off the court. The 6-foot-8 forward from Chatham, N.J., missed Sunday’s practice with the flu-like virus that he had been battling in recent weeks.
“I don’t want to say ‘relapse,’ but I had some symptoms and now I’m working my way back,” Oliver said Monday at Penn State’s media day. “It’s a little bit of a process, but by the time the season comes around I’m hoping to be ready.”
Various strains of the flu have also hit sophomore shooting guard Chris Babb, who missed Sunday’s practice, and walk-on guard Joe Silko, who was not in the Jordan Center on Monday. The setback was particularly disappointing for Oliver, who redshirted his freshman year after suffering a pair of concussions during practice early in the season.
Penn State’s coaches hope to use Oliver, who averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks per game during his senior year at Chatham High School, in relief of David Jackson or Jeff Brooks at the four position….
via Lions hoping for a healthy Oliver | Penn State News | Sports – Centre Daily Times.