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Penn State Basketball: Lamar Stevens has a decision to make

By Collin Wieder

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 03: Lamar Stevens #11 of the Penn State Nittany Lions drives to the basket past Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Crisler Arena on January 03, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 68-55. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 03: Lamar Stevens #11 of the Penn State Nittany Lions drives to the basket past Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Crisler Arena on January 03, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 68-55. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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A first-round, Big Ten Tournament exit for Penn State basketball marked the end of the season. It also means it’s decision time for one Nittany Lion.

Down the stretch of the 2018-2019 campaign, Penn State basketball played and looked like the team that won the NIT Championship and 26 games just one short year ago. Although the team made a nice run over the last part of the season, the season turnaround came up short. The Nittany Lions lost in the Big Ten Tournament to Minnesota, ending their season.

The loss means junior forward Lamar Stevens has a decision to make. He can stay and continue the program rebuild for his final season as a senior or declare for the 2019 NBA Draft. He doesn’t owe Penn State anything. He’s already done so much, helping the team to its best season in more than a decade last year.

Stevens could’ve declared for the draft in 2018, like fellow classmate Tony Carr. However, he decided to come back and have his best on-the-surface statistical year of his career, averaging 19.9 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game.

I said best on-the-surface season, because the shooting percentages were career lows for him (42.2-percent overall, 22-percent from three). Even with that said, he did finish with the best Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of his career at 19.1.

There’s no denying he’s one of the best players in Penn State basketball history. He’s accounted for 10 win shares over his time, which is fantastic and deserves to be mentioned. It wouldn’t shock me to see the NBA come calling for him. At times, he carried the offense. He scored 20-plus points in 18 of the team’s 34 contests.

According to 247 Sports last season, an NBA evaluator said Stevens would’ve been a G-League player if he declared for the draft. It obviously stated that it didn’t mean he couldn’t progress and become an improved player.

I’d say he’s done that. Stevens proved he could carry a team and score at a high level. The shooting percentages can rise and improve with more work at the next level. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound star is a high-rising athlete that plays a bit of the tweener role, meaning he can play forward in a smaller lineup or as a guard in a bigger lineup.

Next. Penn State Football: Linebacker Micah Parsons set for stardom. dark

Either way, Stevens does have a big decision to make and could be the second consecutive Penn State player selected in the NBA Draft.

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