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Heading into the offseason, Penn State fans knew that the two players most likely to entertain the idea of leaving early were Tony Carr and Mike Watkins. Well, the Nittany Lions received good news on the latter, as Nate Bauer of BWI reported that Watkins will be back in Happy Valley for his redshirt junior season.
Mike Watkins, Penn State's redshirt sophomore big man, announced his return for a fourth season with the Nittany Lions.https://t.co/WUNXsy6M7m
— Nate Bauer (@NateBauerBWI) March 30, 2018
Watkins put up an impressive 12.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 2.3 BPG in 29 games this season before suffering a season-ending injury against Michigan on February 21. While freshman John Harrar had strong performances in place of Watkins, there’s no doubt that the Nittany Lions are a better team with Watkins on the floor.
As for Carr, the sophomore Philly guard said that he will make his decision sometime in the next two weeks.
Tony Carr will make his NBA decision in the "next week or two"
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) March 30, 2018
It’s important to remember that if Carr declares, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s gone. As long as he doesn’t hire an agent, he would maintain the ability to withdraw from the draft (deadline of June 11), and thus, return for his junior season. His benefit of declaring even if he planned on withdrawing? Pretty obvious, as he’d be able to partake in the combine, and would get to speak with NBA GMs, scouts, and coaches to gain insight on what he needs to work on.
If Carr decides to spend one more year in college, people seem pretty freaking excited about Penn State basketball next season.
Pat Chambers moved the needle. Penn State wins the Postseason NIT. If Nittany Lions can get Tony Carr back, they'll be next season's TCU.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 30, 2018
THIS. IS. MARCH. (2019?)