Penn State Basketball: Freshmen Rasir Bolton and Myles Dread are special

Penn State basketball recruited two gems in the class of 2018 that are already making an impact.

Freshman point guard Rasir Bolton and freshman shooting guard Myles dread are already making their names known for Penn State basketball. The pair has continued head coach Patrick Chambers’ stretch of successful recruiting.

Bolton was ranked the seventh prospect in Virginia, No. 34 point guard, and No. 206  prospect in the class of 2018 by 247 Sports . He had a three-star rating by 247 Sports and Rivals but was rated as a four-star by ESPN .

I ranked him as a four-star recruit because he’s a ball of explosion who can score from anywhere on the floor. He was dynamic in AAU and high school play and it has translated to the college level. He scored 13 points and had six assists in his debut against Northern Florida and had a career high 25 points, knocking down four triples versus Jacksonville State

Bolton has shown the ability to light it up and be the floor general off the bench while sophomore point guard Jamari Wheeler acts as the starter.

When I spoke with Bolton last year for an interview, he told me he models his game after James Harden and Damian Lillard, the way he scores mimics both players abilities.

Fellow freshman Myles Dread has a killer mentality that reminds me of Paul Pierce. Dread was the  No. 33 shooting guard, and the 164th overall prospect in the 2018 class according to 247 Sports. He was rated a three-star by both Rivals and 247 Sports and a four-star by ESPN. He is a player, just like Bolton, who is not afraid to take the big shot or take over a game.

Penn state has named Dread a starter this year, which shows the confidence the coaching staff has in his ability.

He told me in an exclusive interview I had with him on Facebook that Lamar Stevens and Josh Reaves were two of the guys he developed a relationship with early and that he is a “basketball player, and more importantly, a winner.”

Against North Florida this year he had 17 points and four three-pointers.  When he played DePaul he scored 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. Dread said he compares his game to Devin Booker and he has a great basketball IQ explaining his killer mentality on the court.

Both Bolton and Dread played for two elite AAU teams and were both stars on their high school teams and got a chance to compete against other elite high school stars who are now starring in either college for the NBA.

Bolton scored 15 points with 12 rebounds and six assists against Kansas star freshman Devon Dotson, and poured in 14 points, including the game-winning three-pointer, and five assists against  Portland Trailblazers’ rookie Gary Trent Jr. Against USC star freshman Elijah Weaver he scored 18 points and dished out six assists.

Dread played against such players as Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley, Villanova four-star freshman Brandon Slater and UCLA star freshman center Moses Brown.

Penn state basketball is headed in the direction of a consistent tournament team, and Bolton and Dread are ready to lead the way for the Nittany Lions.