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Previously: Tim Frazier, Jermaine Marshall, Jonathan Graham
Ross Travis committed to Ed DeChellis in the fall of 2010. He was one of the more hyped members of the 2011 class and chose PSU over Iowa, Minnesota, and other high major programs. Scouts raved about his athleticism and potential, while the concerns revolved around his health, as he battled through back problems in high school. After his freshman campaign, we've seen his athleticism and look forward to his progress. Hailed by Chambers' as his 'junkyard dog' for his all out effort on the floor, there's no doubt Ross' development will be a key component to the success of future PSU teams.
The Numbers
| MPG | PPG | 2P% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | ORtg | Poss% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 17.9 | 4.4 | 51.5% | 16.7% | 48.0% | 4.2 | 0.4 | 97.9 | 16.3% | 39.3 |
| Conference-Only | 17.9 | 4.1 | 48.2% | 0.0% | 66.7% | 3.7 | 0.4 | 104.7 | 14.3% | 40.0 |
The Good
Ross was able to play in every game and showed no lingering health issues. He had a late growth spurt in high school which was attributed to his back problems that caused him to miss half of his junior year. His athleticism matched the scouting reports, and it was evident by his rebounding. His individual offensive and defensive rebounding percentages were better than Geary Claxton's underclassmen marks, although Geary saw much more action than Ross did this past year. Regardless, Ross was PSU's best rebounder when he was in the game this season.
The Bad
While it was just his freshman year, Ross' skills were raw, and he was not ready to be a contributor on the offensive end. His shooting outside of 10 feet was lousy, and he didn't display much of an offensive arsenal. His points mostly came from put backs or athletic drives. Defensively, he struggled as most young players do with rotation assignments and didn't make as many plays one might hope for from a guy with his size and mobility (0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG).
Best Performance
vs Michigan - 15 points (5-5 FG, 5-7 FT), 6 rebounds (5 offensive)
Ironically, many of Ross' best performances came in PSU's worst games of the year. He also scored double digits against Kentucky, Lafayette, St. Joe's, and Northwestern.
Next Season
As Chambers said in his post-season presser, he wants to develop Travis into more of a guard. Ross played a point-forward type role in AAU following his growth spurt and generally good things happened when he put the ball on the floor and attacked the rim. He's a good finisher, but in order to become a consistent threat, he will have to develop his jump shot and improve his ball-handling. I don't think it's as big of a transition for him as some might think, but his progress over the next year or two will reveal Chambers' ability to develop players.
Final Grade: C
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