Coming out of the debut season of Mike Rhoades with the Penn State basketball program, the Nittany Lions saw quick movement in the transfer portal. Along with three players who exhausted their eligibility, the program saw another four players from the roster enter the transfer portal.
This week, the Nittany Lions took another step toward building back.
Yanic Niederhauser, a 6-foot-11, stretch forward from Northern Illinois, has committed to play for the Nittany Lions next season. Niederhauser is a rising junior with two seasons spent with the Huskies. He has two seasons of playing eligibility and a redshirt year available.
In two seasons with Northern Illinois, the Swiss-born Niederhauser appeared in 47 games, starting 26 of his 27 played during the 2023-24 campaign. Averaging 19.6 minutes for the Huskies, he finished with 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Key to Penn State’s interest, he also knocked down 7 of 24 3-point attempts last season (29.2 percent) while helping to space the floor. And, maybe more important, he served as a rim protector. He notched at least one block in all but five games, finishing with 57 for the season.
Evaluating early Penn State transfer haul
Penn State’s first targets in the transfer portal this cycle immediately created a first-hand look at its priorities. Without top rebounder Qudus Wahab, a center who exhausted his eligibility, plus backup big men Demetrius Lilley and Favour Aire exiting to the transfer portal, Penn State began the cycle with just one big slated for the roster in true freshman Miles Goodman, who will enroll this summer.
Penn State worked to rectify that roster deficiency by immediately bringing in power forward Kachi Nzeh and Niederhauser for visits sandwiched around the Easter holiday weekend. Nzeh committed before his visit had concluded, helping to boost the Nittany Lions’ size.
Last year, Nzeh started four of 19 games he played for Xavier in his first season of college basketball. Playing 9.9 minutes per outing, he posted 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. As a product of the George School during his recruitment, though, Nzeh was a target of Rhoades’ staff while still at VCU. There, he was an all-state selection coached by former Penn State star guard Ben Luber.
With Niederhauser’s commitment, Penn State has two remaining scholarships to fill ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Where things stand for Penn State (11 of 13 scholarships projected filled)
Guards Ace Baldwin, Jahvin Carter, D’Marco Dunn, Dominick Stewart
Wings Nick Kern, Zach Hicks, Puff Johnson, Hudson Ward
Bigs Miles Goodman, Kachi Nzeh, Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Penn State scholarship breakdown by class
Bonus year (2): Ace Baldwin, Puff Johnson
Fourth year (3): Nick Kern, Zach Hicks, D’Marco Dunn
Third year (1): Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Second year (1): Kachi Nzeh
First year (4): Jahvin Carter, Miles Goodman, Dominick Stewart, Hudson Ward
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