2022 Lower Merion (PA) PF/C Demetrius Lilley has committed to Penn State. Gives the Nittany Lions a skilled big with the ability to space the floor + make decisions with the ball in his hands. Has made great conditioning strides throughout HS. Defense will be to success in B1G pic.twitter.com/80o2X03q05
— Ari Rosenfeld (@ARosenfeldHoops) September 24, 2021
Demetrius Lilley, friends!
Hometown: Ardmore, PA
High School: Lower Merion
Class: 2022
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 230 pounds
Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ (247 Composite)
Notable Offers: Texas A&M, Saint Joseph’s, La Salle, East Carolina, Bryant
Highlights
The Tale
With Penn State sorely needing to replace its front court for the 2022-23 season, Micah Shrewsberry and staff turned to Lilley, hosted the in-state big man on August 5th for an unofficial visit. A few weeks later, Lilley received an offer from PSU and came back to Happy Valley on September 10th for his official visit, which ultimately sealed the deal for the guy who currently plays high school ball at Kobe Bryant’s alma mater, Lower Merion.
Outlook
With Kebba Njie already on board and with Dereck Lively having committed to Duke earlier this week, the addition of Lilley now gives Penn State two bonafide big men in the 2022 recruiting class. While there will certainly be a learning curve with Big Ten play, any kid who reels in double-doubles on the regular as a high schooler has the potential to be developed into a quality man in the middle.
Currently, the Nittany Lions sport the No. 9 recruiting class in the 247 class rankings for 2022. This gives them the distinct honor of being a school that currently sports a Top 10 class in both football and basketball, joining only Ohio State and Oregon in such elite company.
Welcome to Penn State, Demetrius!