On the "Recruiting" edition of "Expert Opinion with Graham Spanier," debuting at noon Eastern time Sept. 20 on the Big Ten Network, the host and his guests discuss the ins and outs of recruiting high school athletes for collegiate sports.
Penn State President Graham Spanier is joined by Mike McQueary, recruiting coordinator for Penn State football; Russ Rose, head coach of Penn State women's volleyball; and Frank Busch, head coach of men's and women's swimming at the University of Arizona. (more)
College sports fans often have two questions on their minds when they consider the performance of the best young athletes: How can they possibly be so good, and how can we get them on our team? New "Expert Opinion with Graham Spanier" episodes scheduled for noon air times Sept. 6 and Sept. 20 on the Big Ten Network will probe two highly volatile topics especially directed toward elite student-athletes: drug use and recruiting practices. (more)
The 2010 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling recruiting class has been tabbed the second-best in the nation by Intermat, the nationally recognized wrestling media organization that can be found at www.intermatwrestle.com. With five wrestlers ranked among the top 100 overall, Penn State narrowly trails Big Ten foe Iowa, who finished first with six in the top 100. (more)
Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis announced the addition of 6-4, 185-pound shooting guard Tre Bowman (York, Pa.) to the Nittany Lion basketball program on the first day of the spring signing period Wednesday (April 14). Bowman, who comes to Penn State after a year prepping at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn., is the first player to sign a national letter of intent to play for the Nittany Lions in the spring period and will join 6-2 guard Taran Buie (State College, Pa.), recently named to the PIAA Class AAAA All-State second-team after leading State College Area High School with 20.8 ppg, in the Nittany Lions' 2010 signing class. Penn State has two more scholarships available. (more)
Future Penn State Lady Lion Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) was selected to the Parade Magazine 33rd Annual All-America High School Girls Basketball Team. Bentley, who will don the Blue & White beginning next season, was a third team recipient. Her Parade All-America selection is on the heels of earning a spot on the ESPN HoopGurlz High School Nation Honor Roll late last week. (more)
Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis received a National Letter of Intent from 6-9, 230-pound forward Sasa Borovnjak Thursday (April 23), one week after the NCAA late signing period began on April 15. The native of Belgrade, Serbia had officially committed to the Nittany Lions last week, but his official letter had to travel to Serbia and back for his parent's signatures. Borovnjak has spent the last two years playing at Veritas Christian Academy in Fletcher, N.C. where he became the nationally competitive program's go-to player according to head coach John Jordan. (more)
With the 2009 track and field campaign already in full swing, the Director and Head Coach of Penn State Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan and the Nittany Lions have announced another outstanding signing class, including several nationally-ranked distance and sprint standouts. Set to join the Nittany Lions in the fall are sprint standout Doris Anyanwu from Maryland, Ohio sprint stars Erika Schmidt and Mahagony Jones and Ohio cross country champion Brooklyne Ridder, instate distance standouts Lindsay Graybill and Natalie Bower, Illinois distance runner and Foot Locker qualifier Danny Pawola, New England middle distance athlete Colleen Shannon, middle distance/distance runner Connor Revord, from Tampa Jesuit High School in Tampa, Fla., and instate distance athlete Sam Havko. (more)
Head coach Robbie Wine announced Tuesday (Dec. 9) that nine student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Penn State baseball team. The Nittany Lions signed three of the top prospects from the state of Pennsylvania, along with top recruits from Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Texas. The incoming class consists of five pitchers and four position players, all of who will join the Nittany Lions in the fall of 2009. "We are very pleased with this year's recruiting class," Wine said. "We feel the players we have signed are going to be excellent additions to our program both on and off the field." (more)
The Penn State women's swimming and diving teams signed four top women's swimming recruits to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, head coach John Hargis announced Monday. Joining the Nittany Lions in the pool next year are Amy Mogdlin, Meritt Krawczyk, Paige Whitmire and Brye Ravettine. "One thing I'll say about this recruiting class is that there is probably more talent coming out the door than any class we've had at Penn State," Hargis said. (more)
Penn State women's basketball head coach Coquese Washington announced the addition of Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas/Diboll) to the 2009 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 7 by Blue Star Basketball and No. 13 by the All Star Girls Report. Greene joins a class that includes Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis), Gizelle Studevent (La Jolla, Calif./The Bishop's School) and Marisa Wolfe (Ford City, Pa./Ford City) who signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) last week. (more)
