Penn State Basketball 2023-2024 Roster Preview: Front Court
As we continue to prep for next week's Penn State Men's Basketball season opener against Delaware State we continue to preview their 2023-2024 roster here at Happy Valley Insider. Next up is the front court.
Without a doubt, the front court is the biggest question surrounding Mike Rhoades' squad entering his first season at the helm. Penn State should have good guard play again this season, but there are major questions about the front court. Especially the lack of a true big man.
Leo O'Boyle
Scranton native Leo O'Boyle transferred to Penn State from Lafayette this past offseason. The 5th-year senior is coming off a strong career for Lafayette that saw him finish with more than 1,000 career points.
With Lafayette, O'Boyle shot 39.4% from the field, 37.5% from three-point range, and averaged 9.5 points per game. Penn State lost a lot of three-point shooting from last season, which was a major driving force behind them reaching the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, and O'Boyle will look to help replace that.
Even if O'Boyle does not start for Penn State this season he will likely play starter type minutes. O'Boyle being able to find his groove from behind the arc and being able to fill an Andrew Funk type role from last season would go a long way toward a strong first season for Rhoades.
Zach Hicks
6'8" junior Zach Hicks comes to Penn State from Temple. The past two seasons, Hicks averaged 27.2 minutes, 9.0 points, and 4.7 rebounds per game. He will have ample opportunity to see playing time at the 4 for Penn State this season, potentially the 3 as well depending on how Puff Johnson is used.
A near lifetime 36% shooter from three, like O'Boyle, Hicks could help bring some much-needed 3s to the Nittany Lion offense this season. It would not be a surprise to see Hicks become a key cog for Penn State this season.
Qudus Wahab
Qudus Wahab transfers to Penn State after spending four seasons at Georgetown. After spending his first two collegiate seasons at Georgetown, Wahab transferred to Maryland for a season before returning to Georgetown.
Back with the Hoyas, the 6'11", 245-pound Wahab played in 29 games last season. For his collegiate career, he has 1,030 points and 737 rebounds. With the Hoyas last season, Wahab averaged 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Wahab appears to be the frontrunner to start at the 5 for Penn State this season. With the team's overall lack of size, Wahab could be one of their most important players this season. Rhoades and his staff need a strong season from Wahab.
Favour Aire
Even behind Wahab, Miami transfer Favour Aire should see plenty of reps this season. The former four-star recruit out of Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland saw action with the Hurricanes last season and could step right into playing legitimate minutes with the Nittany Lions.
The 6'11", 220-pound Nigeria native played in 14 games with Miami last season. He averaged just 3 minutes per game while scoring 9 points to go with 8 rebounds and a pair of steals.
Aire could be one of the biggest wild cards for Penn State this season. If he is able to take a step forward and start to play like the consensus four-star recruit that he was in high school, that would go a long way toward shoring up the front court for the Nittany Lions.
Demetrius Lilley
The new coaching staff did a good job to keep Demetrius Lilley in the fold after Micah Shrewsberry left for Notre Dame. The true freshman played in five games for the Nittany Lions last season, and will look to build upon that this year.
The 6'10", 245-pound Philadelphia native could see some time at the 5 with Aire and Wahab this season. Lilley could also contribute at the 4. Lilley has a lot of untapped potential yet, and could be a bit of a wild card for the Nittany Lions this season.
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