Feb. 10, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Nittany Lion basketball coach Patrick Chambers had a timeline in his head for when junior guard Devin Foster would become a contributor for Penn State.
A junior college transfer from Vincennes University (Ind.), Foster signed a national letter of intent to join the Nittany Lions mid-April. When he began working out with the squad over the summer, the first things Chambers and his teammates talked about were his basketball IQ and ability to pass.
The Dayton, Ohio, native saw very limited action in three games before January 1, but for the past two weeks Foster has been instrumental in helping the Nittany Lions go 3-2 in their last five. Averaging 20.6 minutes per game during the last six games, Foster has scored 5.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.
Gaining confidence each time he steps on the floor, Foster brings a Big Ten body to the guard rotation and is an underrated impact player on defense.
"He is another point guard out on the floor who can make good decisions and handle the ball," senior D.J. Newbill said. "He's a strong power guard going to the hole. His defensive presence has been great for us because we can put him on bigger guards and on quicker guards.
Chambers is impressed with Foster's maturity level and how he is able to handle adversity. That being said, after a conversation with Chambers in the clutch moments of Penn State's win over Nebraska on Saturday, Foster stepped up.
"I'm really proud of him because he came out and struggled a little bit," Chambers said. "How he responded to him at a timeout, it was just him and I talking, was huge for his growth as a player and as a leader. He was a calming effect in the halfcourt offense, and he made two huge layups. And he wants the ball."
Foster sees his minutes on the floor as an opportunity to make the team better. He understands his role and wants to provide good energy each time he checks into a game.
"My role is to bring energy to the team each time I come off the bench," Foster said. "It doesn't matter if we are down or if we are up, I want to bring energy and attitude to the team. I want to get the other players involved and then score if I need to."
The left-handed guard is strong moving to his dominant side, and he made a habit of finishing in traffic. Almost routinely for the past two weeks, Foster has had a highlight reel lay-in at least once a game.
"We've seen it all year in practice," Newbill said. "There are so many times where we feel like we play perfect defense on him, but he makes a crazy shot. He's definitely a crazy threat going to his left hand."
"I have always been short, so I always tried to get the shots up before taller guys could block it (when I was growing up)," Foster said. "That has just carried along ever since I was little, and that's what I try to do now."
The Ohio native and Nittany Lions (15-9, 3-8 Big Ten) travel to Columbus on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tip (BTN) with the 23rd-ranked Buckeyes (18-6, 7-4 Big Ten). Ohio State enters the game having won four of its last five. The Buckeyes rest in a tie second spot in the Big Ten standings after knocking off Rutgers on the road (79-60).
Freshman phenom D'Angelo Russell is the catalyst for the Buckeyes. The rookie guard swept the Big Ten weekly awards this week following a triple-double against the Scarlet Knights (23-11-11). Russell is averaging 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Sophomore forward Marc Loving is the only other Buckeye averaging double-figures (11.7 ppg).
Ohio State is ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring offense (79.0 ppg) and third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (61.5 ppg). Offensively, the Buckeyes are leading the conference in shooting percentage at 50.3 percent. Ohio State is third in the Big Ten in assists at 16.6 per game.
The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes will meet again inside the BJC on March 4 in Penn State's final home game of the regular season. The Lions swept the Buckeyes last season, including a 71-70 overtime win in Value City Arena that featured a Newbill game winner.