Penn State Basketball Adds Desperately Needed Big Man
By Evan Smith
Penn State added a much-needed big man to their 2022-2023 roster, signing Michael Henn from the transfer portal.
Mikey Henn initially hails from Bellevue, Washington and has played for FOUR different teams in his collegiate career, all on the west coast. He started at UC-Davis (4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds/game), then California Baptist (6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds/game), then Portland (7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds/game), and then last year for Denver (8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds/game). He will have one ‘COVID-19’ year of eligibility left to play under Micah Shrewsberry and the Nittany Lions.
He is a career 43.8% shooter from the field, he has some touch from behind the arc (35.5% on 2.5 shots per game) and has a career 70% average from the free-throw line. He started 27 of 32 games for the Pioneers last year, playing 25.2 minutes per game. Denver finished 7-11 in the Summit League and 11-21 overall.
Henn was an unranked recruit out of high school and has unbelievably transferred within the same 3-day span each of the last 4 years (6/5/17 from UC Davis to California Baptist, 6/8/20 to Portland, 6/7/21 to Denver, and today, 6/6/22 to Penn State). Henn sat out the 2017-2018 season after his first transfer and the 2019-2020 season after his second. It’s hard to believe a class of 2016 high school recruit will still be playing college basketball in 2023 but here we are.
Henn fills a GIANT hole in the Nittany Lions front court, with only returning small forwards Seth Lundy and Myles Dread playing significant minutes last year. Henn will play a role in mentoring incoming freshman Kebba Njie and Demetrius Lilley in the post. Henn’s signing would put Penn State over the scholarship allotment, adding further fuel to the fire that Jevonnie Scott will not return to the Nittany Lions program.
Welcome to the Shrew Crew, Mikey Henn! Here’s hoping your one-year Nittany Lion career goes better than Shrewsberry’s one-year transfer portal players before you (Cornwall, Scott, Lee, White…)