The biggest ‘what if’ in Penn State Basketball history

Portland Trailblazers superstar CJ McCollum revealed that he is ‘one who got away’ from Penn State Basketball, the kind of player who could have altered the program’s history

CJ McCollum was a first-round NBA Draft pick, has averaged almost 19 points per game in his career for the Portland Trailblazers … and was almost a Nittany Lion?!?

The two-time AP Honorable Mention All-American, and 2016 NBA’s Most Improved Player is well known for taking Lehigh University, a small private school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,  and to the NCAA Tournament as a 15 seed and taking down the mighty Duke Blue Devils.

Taken No. 10 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, McCollum has spent his entire career to date with the Portland Trailblazers, pairing with Damian Lillard to create one of the NBA’s highest scoring backcourts.

And it turns out he wanted to play for Penn State Basketball.

McCollum was a guest on “The Old Man & the Three” podcast with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter.  He stated;

"“Penn State was a school I really wanted to go to, they never offered me (although) they offered one of my teammates.  It was crazy because I was literally the type of kid that would go to a big conference, smaller school but an academic school.”"

McCollum  was a three-star recruit, ranked as the 84th point guard in the nation and the 17th best player from Ohio (452nd in the nation).

The Canton, Ohio native committed to Lehigh in September of his senior year and enrolled that summer.  His number three is retired high above Stabler Arena, and he finished his collegiate career the greatest to ever wear the Lehigh Mountain Hawk brown and white.

With McCollum playing his collegiate hoops nearly three hours away, who was in the 2009 recruiting class for the Nittany Lions, you ask?

Well, then coach Ed DeChellis did get at least one right, with the three star from Texas, Tim Frazier.  Jermain Marshall went onto have a decent career before transferring and the other two recruits were Bill Edwards and Sasa Borovnjak.

Imagine Talor Battle and Tim Frazier having future NBA star CJ McCollum in the backcourt when they faced off vs Temple in the 2011 NCAA Tournament?  Would Ed DeChellis have stayed after that year with two future NBA players in his backcourt?

Just another great ‘what-if’ question for a program full of them…perhaps just one more example of #ThePennStateBasketballStory.