Penn State basketball finally lands its first transfer portal commitment

Penn State basketball head coach Mike Rhoades has had a tall task ahead of him rebuilding his roster, but after a slow start, he was finally able to kickstart the process in the transfer portal.

The Nittany Lions opted out of postseason tournaments to focus on the transfer portal and building the program for the immediate future. This allowed Penn State to get a head start in the transfer portal, but unfortunately, the early jump did not lead to any commitments.

Penn State was the last Big Ten team to land a portal commitment in the cycle, which was not very amusing to the Nittany Lion basketball fans, but on Tuesday, Rhoades landed his first portal acquisition.

Mike Rhoades adds Cincinnati wing Josh Reed

Josh Reed is a 6-foot-7 wing from Atlanta, GA. He has spent three years at Cincinnati, working his way up the ladder to significant playing time last season as a junior.

Reed averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 41% shooting from the floor and 85% from the free throw line.

Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller inserted Reed into the starting lineup for the last nine games of the season, and Reed notched double-digit points in four of those contests. He scored a season-high 19 points against Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.

Reed is a lengthy wing with a high basketball IQ. He was used mainly as a three-point shooter in Miller’s offense, and Penn State fans will quickly notice how his shots from beyond the arc scrape the stratosphere. He’s a gritty, hard-nosed player, and it’s evident why Rhoades wanted him for his system. He should be a leader for the young Penn State squad

I wouldn’t expect Reed to have a massive role, but he will be a key role player who will understand his assignment on this team. He might be a starter next season, but the transfer portal is not even close to finishing out.

Will Horstman of the Daily Collegian recapped the current roster and his personal starting lineup projection, not including Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Without including Niederhauser, I agree with Will’s projection. 

The foundation of the roster is there, but Penn State is really going to need more solid portal pickups, and most importantly, Niederhauser to return for his senior season.