Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Happy Valley, PA (Future150) -- Penn State has been a bit of a conundrum under Pat Chambers, but it appears that the program is on the upswing. A lot of the optimism surrounding the team is due to the the fact that the 2016 recruiting class has some very talented pieces. This class may be make or break for Chambers and company moving forward and could be the foundation of the program from day one:
Tony Carr, #49 in Top-150, Roman Catholic (PA): The gem of this class, Carr will have the ball in his hands a lot during his time in Happy Valley. The 6-foot-3 guard is very good at creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Look for him to develop as a leader sooner rather than later.
Lamar Stevens, #75 in Top-150, Roman Catholic (PA): Arguably one of the most naturally gifted players in the country, the question about Stevens is his motor. He still needs to prove that he can compete at the highest level without taking plays off and playing with 100% effort. If he can do that, he will give the Nittany Lions a dangerous scorer from all three levels.
Joe Hampton, #148 in Top-150, Oak Hill Academy (VA): Hampton is sitting out this season after tearing his ACL, so it is hard to say how ready he will be next season. That being said, he is a big body and has a sneaky amount of skill for a player his size. The questions about his conditioning have seemingly faded, but it will be interesting to see how he comes off of the injury. Hampton will be able to compliment the current forwards on PSU's roster nicely.
Nazeer Bostick, 3-Star recruit, Roman Catholic (PA): The least heralded recruit of the group, Bostick could be a very good defender in time. He has the physical traits of a high-major wing, but has yet to really put it all together. Skill development will be very important for Bostick, but he may pass a few of his teammates in time if he continues to work on his game.
Overall, this group brings some much needed versatility, as Carr, Stevens, and Hampton can all potentially play multiple positions. Carr gives the program a potential 1st team Big Ten type player, while Stevens could be in the running for that at some point in his career as well.
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