YAY HOOPS: Pat Chambers Takes The Podium At B1G Media Day

On the back of an NIT championship, Penn State basketball heads into the 2018-19 season with a lot more questions than answers.

Gone are starting guards Tony Carr and Shep Garner.

Back is the entire starting front court of Josh Reaves, Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins, and incoming is a group of talented freshman.

With all that said, Thursday marked the start of the annual Big Ten Media Days in Rosemont, Illinois.

Pat Chambers took to the podium and made it clear that the primary goal for the Nittany Lions in the coming season is a berth in the NCAA Tournament, something he feels is made more likely by a challenging non-conference schedule.

Chambers added that John Harrar and Jamari Wheeler, both sophomores, will be expected to step up and fill the gaps left by the now departed Carr and Garner.

Wheeler will likely assume the starting point guard role, while it’s yet to be determined whether Harrar will come off the bench or if Penn State will go “big” with Reaves at the two, Stevens at the three and Harrar at the starting power forward spot.

Chambers said he expects the aforementioned freshmen, Rasir Bolton, Myles Dread and Myreon Jones, to play this year and that together they can help handle the workload vacated by Carr.

Additionally, he noted that season ticket sales are increased heading into the year and that he is hoping the Bryce Jordan Center can become a bigger home-court advantage similar to the way it was down the stretch last season

Penn State begins the season on Nov. 9 against North Florida at the BJC.