Juco transfer makes name quickly:
“STATE COLLEGE – Lots of symbolism going on in a place that needs some sort of spiritual jump start.
“Symbols are known for being employed to do just that. And two jumped out yesterday at Penn State men’s basketball media day in the Jordan Center.
“First, there was the news that third-year head coach Ed DeChellis has removed the names from the backs of the Nittany Lions’ jerseys. Which, considering that half the team is new, will make life more confusing for those lonely souls who straggle into the Jordan Center this season, starting with a Nov. 19 skirmish with Cornell.
“Removing names has become a happening trend at a lot of colleges lately to accentuate team philosophy over the individual.
“Second, there was David Jackson. Not the 23-year-old junior college transfer’s game. His head. Not his mind, his nerve or his vocal leadership. His cornrows.
“This might seem hilarious to some, but it’s sort of a big deal in the realm of Penn State men’s basketball. No one in the history of the program has ever been allowed to wear them. …”
Didn’t Brandon Watkins occasionally sport cornrows …. ed.