“… Three years ago, Penn State redid the locker room, replacing the cheesy, pressed-wood lockers with cherry wood, converting an unused space into a lounge complete with flat-screen TVs, and carving a video room in what was previously a visiting locker room.
“And the last weekend in September, DeChellis and his staff moved into 4,000 square feet of office spaces that include a kitchenette, mailing/copying/faxing center, private conference room and separate area to host recruits.
“The office space anchors what is now a Penn State basketball wing (the women’s team has the same space in the building).
“DeChellis believes the upgrades have helped the Lions lure players who otherwise wouldn’t have visited, let alone committed. Sophomore point guard Talor Battle was ranked among the top 100 recruits coming out of high school, and Louisville native Jeff Brooks was a Mr. Basketball finalist in Kentucky as well as another top-100 player.
” ‘People used to ask me, ‘What have you been doing?’ DeChellis said. ‘This is what I’ve been doing. I finally feel like we’re on an even playing field.”’…