May 14, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; May 14, 2010 - Penn State coach Ed DeChellis continued to add size and athleticism to the Nittany Lion men's basketball roster during the spring signing period as he received a National Letter of Intent from 6-8, 218-pound forward Jonathan Graham (Baltimore, Md.) on Friday.
Graham, who was visiting campus with his parents, joined 6-4, guard Tre Bowman (York, Pa.), also a late-period signee, and 6-2, guard Taran Buie (State College, Pa.) in the Nittany Lions 2010 signing class. Penn State has one scholarship still available.
"Jon is a very versatile forward who can score around the rim as well as step out and be effective on the perimeter," DeChellis said. "He is a very good rebounder, runs the floor well and plays extremely hard. He's just very passionate about the game. He has a great mother and father who we really enjoyed meeting with, and I think Jon is going to be an excellent fit in our program."
A two-time All-Metro selection, Graham averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game last season, leading his Calvert Hall College High School team to a 21-7 record and the Baltimore Catholic League tournament championship with a 46-44 upset of No. 1 seeded Mount St. Joseph in the title game.
Graham, a four-year varsity player and three-year starter, finished his Calvert Hall career as the program's second all-time-leading scorer with 1,670 points. Rated as a three star recruit by Scout.com and the No. 40 power forward in the nation, Graham is described as a crafty, low-block scorer and a blue-collar rebounder with a strong mid-range game and range to the three-point line. He was named MVP of the Benedictine Tournament in Richmond and to the All-Tournament Team of the Gonzaga D.C. Classic as he established himself as one of the most dominant post players in the Baltimore area.
The first-team All-BCL player logged 17 double-doubles on the year and led Calvert with 18 points in a semi-final win the BCL tournament. He logged a 16-point, 18-rebound, 10-block triple-double and a 33-point, 15-rebound double-double on the year.
Graham, who has added significant size and strength to his long and athletic frame in the past two years, averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds a game to earn All-Metro honors as a junior.
"They (Penn State) love his upside," Graham's Calvert Hall coach John Bauersfeld told the Balitimore Sun. "They love the fact that he's very long. They love his skills for a big guy. They really liked his work ethic and personality-wise, he's a great kid and solid student. All those aspects they were really impressed with. I think that made Jon really attractive to them.
"(Jon) really liked the coaches when they met. He fell in love with the campus, and obviously playing in the Big Ten is really attractive to any kid. Penn State is a great school."
Graham is the son of former Maryland great Ernest Graham (1978-81) who ranks among the top 15 all-time in scoring (1,607) and assists (346) in Terrapin history. Ernest, who helped lead Maryland to an ACC title and NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" berth in 1980, still holds Maryland's single-game scoring record having posted 44 points vs. North Carolina State in 1978.
-NITTANY LIONS-