Jan. 22, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" With 11 regular season games to play in his Penn State career, senior guard Devin Foster knows the number of opportunities he has to put on the Blue and White are limited.
In his second full season on the floor for the Nittany Lions, the Dayton, Ohio, product is playing the best basketball of his career in Happy Valley.
During the past four games, Foster has been a key contributor on both ends of the floor in extensive playing time. Averaging 27 minutes per game during that stretch, Foster has manufactured a string of games with 12, seven, nine and 10 points, respectively.
His 12 points and 30 minutes of action against Michigan State were both career-highs. On Thursday, Foster was instrumental in helping the Nittany Lions slice a 17-point Wisconsin lead down to just three in the final minutes of a 66-60 setback. He played 28 minutes and scored 10 points against the Badgers, including a career-high tying two 3-pointers down the stretch. Foster was a tidy 3-for-5 from the floor and had four rebounds and an assist.
"He's making timely plays for us," head coach Patrick Chambers said. "He's rebounding the basketball. He's an elite finisher...And he has a better understanding of our defensive slides now. You know, he's only been here a year and a half. I think he's feeling more comfortable out there, and I think that's what you are seeing."
His path to Happy Valley began with a stop at Vincennes University in southwest Indiana. Foster was a JUCO All-American during the 2013-14 season before his signed to play at Penn State on April 16, 2014. He's gotten more comfortable by the week and is primed for a strong finish down the stretch.
Foster averaged 12.8 minutes of floor time in 19 games last season. Playing in every contest, he's already played in 20 games and is averaging 19.5 minutes in 2015-16. It's a big credit to Foster's mindset that he remained active in the practice gym and worked to refine his game to help the Nittany Lions in any way that he can.
"He stayed engaged. He didn't lose faith, and we didn't lose confidence in him," Chambers said. "I see his confidence rising. I see him in the gym more without being told to be in the gym."
Foster's emergence on both ends of the floor is huge for giving starting point guard Shep Garner a breather from the relentless pressure he has been accustomed to bringing the ball up the floor in Big Ten play. Foster is a reliable ball handler capable of setting the table for the Nittany Lions on the offensive end of the floor. He also brings a level of toughness to the Nittany Lion backcourt.
"With Devin Foster playing with great confidence, that's really going to help us down the stretch here," Chambers said.
Penn State (11-9, 2-5 Big Ten) travels to Foster's home state on Monday for a matchup against Ohio State (12-8, 4-3 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. on BTN.