How Pat Chambers’ hiring as FGCU Head Coach impacts Penn State Basketball
By Evan Smith
Could Pat Chambers impact Penn State Basketball recruiting?
Pat Chambers had a solid 2021-2022 recruiting class signed before he was fired from Penn State.
It’s logical he would take another shot at those players who had once already committed to him.
Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) — similarly ranked to incoming Shrewsberry recruit Evan Mahaffey, Mallette was Pat’s first real foray into recruiting California.
The three-star 6-foot-5 combo guard decommitted from Penn State after Chambers’ firing and ended up playing this year for Pepperdine. Despite the Waves’ poor record (7-25), Mallette was their leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game. He played in all 32 games, starting 29 of them, and shot 38.2% from three.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Austin Peay) — similarly ranked to incoming Shrewsberry recruit Demitrius Lilley, the three-star center from New Jersey also had an excellent year, averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting over 50% from the field, leading the team in all three categories.
TaQuan Woodley (South Carolina) — the most prized recruit of Chambers 2021 class, Woodley decommitted less than one week after Pat Chamebrs was fired. Woodley played in 26 games for the Gamecocks, averaging 12.2 minutes (2.0 points, 1.9 rebounds).
What effect could this have on Penn State Basketball?
It’s not likely Shrewsberry would be looking at any of these players if they entered the portal.
However, since all three did sign on the dotted line to come to State College once, it would make sense to at least contact any if they enter the portal.
What’s most frustrating for Penn State Basketball fans is all three of these players would have filled huge deficiencies for the 2021-2022 Nittany Lions. Mallette likely would have been their best shooter from deep and both Hutchins-Everette and Woodley would have provided not just much-needed depth behind John Harrar but provided stepping stones for future years as opposed to playing fifth-year seniors with no remaining eligibility (Lee, White, and Cornwall).