2016-17 Penn State Basketball Player Preview: Lamar Stevens

Lamar Stevens was the last of Penn State’s highly-touted “Roman Catholic Trio” to commit, with Tony Carr and Nazeer Bostick preceding his verbal in September 2015, just two months from the November signing period for college hoops. While Carr’s commitment alone was a game-changer for Pat Chambers and staff, Stevens’ decision to join his high school teammates in Happy Valley put the rest of the Big Ten on notice in the sense that was not going to be your older brother’s Penn State basketball program. That’s because in addition to Carr, Stevens was also rated in the Top-100 nationally (No. 98 according to 247Sports) and in the top five in Pennsylvania (No. 3 according to 247Sports).

Last Year

Along with Bostick, and Carr, Lamar helped lead Roman Catholic to Catholic League and PIAA state championships. En route to winning the latter championship, Stevens racked up 27 points and seven rebounds in the PIAA Finals.

Role For 2016-17

Stevens, whom Pat Chambers has said would play the three, four, or five positions (that’s small forward, power forward, and center) was named as a starter for tonight’s exhibition game against Lock Haven:

Much like Tony Carr starting, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, given how thin the team is in the frontcourt. His athleticism and ability to play inside or outside the paint should make him a viable weapon in the new up-tempo system that Chambers plans on running. Seriously, just do a quick YouTube search for his name and you’ll find gems such as these:

Much like his Roman Catholic pals, there will be a learning curve for Lamar and he will certainly get tested early and often against the likes of Duke, Rhode Island/Cincinnati, Pitt, and St. John’s. Ideally, this will make him battle-hardened enough to handle most anything Big Ten opponents can throw at him. Regardless, basketbros should have a blast watching Lamar showcasing his raw talents as he acclimates himself to the rigors of the college game.