Big Ten Basketball: Analyzing each program’s 2019 recruiting class

Penn State has only reached the NCAA Tournament five times in the last 64 years, including missing in each of the last eight seasons. The Nittany Lions are clearly far from the most successful Big Ten basketball program and their recruiting will need to experience an uptick in order to change that national perception. With regards to their 2019 recruiting class, head coach Pat Chambers was able to secure three commits but none of them were ranked in the top 200. As a result, PSU’s final trio finished as the No. 85 overall class in the country.

The top-rated of these commits is small forward Seth Lundy, a 6-foot-6 perimeter threat oozing with athleticism. He was ranked as the No. 220 overall recruit in the class and should be an immediately impactful player for the team. It seems likely that Lundy will crack the rotation right away even on a team that features many returners from a year ago. He will likely be one of the main newcomers needed to make up for PSU’s two main losses of Rasir Bolton and Josh Reaves.

The other two newcomers are Abdou Tsimbila (No. 319) and Patrick Kelly (No. 495). Neither of them is highly-ranked but could develop into solid rotation pieces in the future. They are unlikely to receive much playing time this year. Tsimbila sets solid screens and finishes around the rim at a high rate while Kelly is a strong perimeter threat. Their two skill sets work well in the modern game and should continue to develop over the years.