Kanaskie facing familiar opponents while looking at hoops prospects:
“TEANECK, N.J. — As hundreds of Division I men’s basketball coaches gathered to scout America’s top high school basketball talent, Penn State assistant coach Kurt Kanaskie was scouring the courts for wins.
“Wins will only come from attracting talent to the Bryce Jordan Center, and the Nittany Lion coaching staff can only hope that some of the talent displayed by those participating in this week’s Reebok ABCD camp in northern New Jersey will decide in the 18 months to don the Penn State blue and white.
“Since making a run to the Sweet 16 in 2001, the Lions are 30-84, with just nine wins in Big Ten play. Under current head coach Ed DeChellis the team has gone 16-42 in two years, with eight players transferring since DeChellis’ predecessor, Jerry Dunn, resigned in March 2003. Among those leaving the program after last season were forward Aaron Johnson and guard Marlon Smith, the team’s only proven players entering last season.
“But there is a sense of guarded optimism coming from Kanaskie — the lone Penn State coach who made the trip to ABCD at Fairleigh Dickinson University — when speaking about the players that have left the team for various reasons in his two years at Penn State.
” ‘Our talent base has really improved over a year ago, there’s no question about that,’ Kanaskie said. ‘Sometimes it’s not disappointing when a guy decides to leave — especially when they’re not buying into what we’re trying to accomplish.’ …”