A two-time All-Big Ten honoree and All-America candidate, Claxton enters his senior season on pace to end his career among the top three scorers and rebounders all-time at Penn State...One of two players to rank in the top five in scoring and rebounding in the Big Ten last year, he is first in rebounding (8.0 rpg) and second in scoring (16.3 ppg) among Big Ten returners in 2007-08...A team co-MVP last season, he led the team in scoring for the third straight year (just the sixth Penn State player to do so) and rebounding for the second straight year and 10 categories overall...a quick and explosive leaper, the 6-5 forward has ranked among the top three in offensive rebounding in the Big Ten the last three years...He leads all Big Ten returners with 17 career double-doubles and has scored in double-digits in 72 career games.
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HONORS/MILESTONES
2007 All-Big Ten second team (media) and third team (coaches)
2007 NABC All-District 3 second team
2007 Penn State co-MVP
2006-07 Preseason Big Ten All-Conference Team
2006 USBWA All-District I team
2006 All-Big Ten third team (coaches and media)
2005 Big Ten All-Freshman Team
Big Ten Player-of-the-Week (1/3/06)
Big Ten Player-of-the-Week (11/14/04)
12th all-time in scoring (1,262) and 27th 1,000-point scorer Penn State history
The 15th PSU player to post over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds
Sixth player to lead Penn State in scoring in three seasons
Leads active Big Ten players with 17 career double-doubles
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2006-07 SEASON JUNIOR
Earned All-Big Ten second team (media) and third team (coaches) honors and was named to the NABC All-District 3 second team...Shared team co-MVP honors with Jamelle Cornley... Penn State[apos]s second-ever preseason All-Big Ten Conference first team selection and first since 2000-01...Led Penn State in 10 categories including points, rebounds, steals and blocks...Just the sixth player in Penn State history to lead team in scoring in three seasons...One of two players to rank in the top five in the Big Ten in scoring (16.3 ppg, 5th) and rebounding (8.0 rpg, 2nd)...Tied for third in the Big Ten with eight double-doubles...Second in offensive rebounding (3.19), third in defensive rebounding (4.77), sixth in minutes played (34.0) and 13th in steals (1.12) in the Big Ten...Led Penn State in scoring 14 times and in rebounding 17 times...Twice posted career-best strings of three straight double-doubles...Posted seven 20-point games...Scored in double-digits in the last 15 straight games and in 24 of 26 games on the year...Had a string of 60 consecutive starts (every game of his career) snapped as he missed Penn State[apos]s first four games with a broken bone in his right (shooting) hand...Broke the hand below the pinky in the opening minutes of Penn State[apos]s first exhibition game...Wore a bulky brace on the hand for four games...Saw his first action of the season in a 65-61 win over St. Joe[apos]s (11/25), posting a game saving block of 6-9 Ahmad Nivins in the closing seconds...Made his first start of the season in an 80-71 win over Morgan State (12/2) and posted 15 points and eight rebounds...Willed Penn State to victory recording 16 points and 10 rebounds (despite playing with a brace) in a 56-55 victory over Hartford (12/6)...In his first game without a brace, Claxton dominated posting a then career-high 29 points (17 in the first half) and 11 rebounds as Penn State fell 69-59 at Seton Hall (12/9)...Posted his third-straight double-double leading Penn State with 21 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes in a win over Long Island (12/13)...Led the team with 21 points and added seven boards and a team-high tying four assists in a 75-42 win over Maine (12/23)...Scored a career-high 31 points and added 11 rebounds while shooting 12-of-18 from the floor in a 129-111 victory over VMI (12/30)...recorded his 1,000th career point on an alley-oop slam...Earned Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honors (1/3)...Scored 15 points and added six rebounds in an 83-57 Big Ten opening win over Northwestern (1/3)...Grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and added eight points in a 64-60 loss at Purdue (1/6)...Led Penn State with 17 points and eight rebounds in an 84-74 loss to Indiana (1/13)...Led Penn State with 20 points and added seven rebounds in a 79-63 loss at Iowa (1/24)...Led Penn State with 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 65-60 loss at Minnesota (1/27)...Led Penn State with 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 69-59 loss to Purdue (2/3)...Posted his third-straight double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 71-58 loss vs. Wisconsin (2/7)...Led Penn State with 16 points and eight boards at Northwestern (2/10)...Led Penn State with 19 points (15 in the second half) and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double in five games in a 64-62 loss to No. 2 Ohio State (2/14)...Led Penn State with 15 points and six boards at Wisconsin (2/17)...Led Penn State with 15 points and eight boards in an upset bid at No. 1 Ohio State (2/21) in which the Lions fell 68-60...Scored 18 points in a 74-72 victory over Iowa (2/28)...Led Penn State with 25 points, his most-ever in a Big Ten game, and six rebounds in a 94-63 loss at Indiana (3/3).
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2005-06 SEASON SOPHOMORE Named to the USBWA All-District I team (Penn State[apos]s first selection since Jarrett Stephens in 2000)...Selected to the All-Big Ten third team by both the coaches and media (PSU[apos]s first player selected to one of the top three All-Big Ten teams since 2001)...One of five players that ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring (10th with 15.2 ppg) and rebounding (sixth with 7.5 rpg)...Also ranked ninth in steals (1.40 spg)....His 15.2 ppg scoring average was the highest for a PSU player since 2001...Started all 30 games and led the team and was 12th in the Big Ten playing 34.17 minutes per game...Scored in double figures in 26 of 30 games on the year and 48 of 60 career games (31 of 35 Big Ten games)...Led Penn State in six major statistical categories including scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, steals, minutes played and at the free throw line (attempts and makes)...Led the Big Ten in offensive rebounding (3.20)...Posted seven double-doubles on the year...Penn State[apos]s leading scorer in 14 games and leading rebounder in 17 games...Posted back-to-back double-doubles in the Big Ten Tournament leading Penn State with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 60-42 first round win over Northwestern and posting 12 points and game high 12 rebounds in a 63-56 loss to No. 1 seed Ohio State in the quarterfinals...Played a career high 40 minutes and made a career high three treys in scoring a team leading 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds at Indiana (2/22)...Scored 20 points (13 in the second half), grabbed a team high nine rebounds and three steals, and tied for the team high with four assists in a 71-68 victory over Indiana (2/15)...Scored 20 points (13 in the second half) and grabbed a team high tying six rebounds in Penn State[apos]s upset of No. 6 Illinois in Champaign that ended the Illini[apos]s 33-game home win streak...Posted team highs of 21 points and nine rebounds vs. Wisconsin (2/11)...Recorded a career high 15 boards and added eight points in a 69-60 victory at Purdue (2/18)...Posted 15 pts and 10 rebs, including Penn State[apos]s first seven points of the game, in Penn State[apos]s road win at Northwestern, the Nittany Lions[apos] first conference road win in five seasons...Recorded 13 rebounds in the opening win over Cornell...Made a career high three treys vs. New Hampshire, hitting his first three attempts while scoring Penn State[apos]s first 11 points (went 3-for-5 for the game)...Posted career-high scoring nights in back-to-back games vs. Long Island and Clemson posting 21 pts, 7 rebs vs. Long Island (11/26) and 27 pts, 9 rebs vs. Clemson (11/29)...Shot 61 perent vs. Clemson going 11-of-18 from the field for 27 points.
2004-05 SEASON FRESHMAN
Claxton became the second straight Nittany Lion to earn a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team...Led Penn State and ranked 18th in the Big Ten with a 12.7 ppg scoring average...Ranked second on the team and eighth in the Big Ten in rebounding at 6.3 rpg, tops among all freshmen in the conference...Earned Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honors following his collegiate debut after leading the team with 16 points and adding nine rebounds vs. Illinois State (11/14)...His consistency was evident throughout the year as he scored in double-figures in 22 of the season[apos]s 30 games...Raised his scoring average to 14.0 ppg in Big Ten play...shot 30.0 percent (9-of-30) from three-point land and was superb from the foul line, hitting 70.9 percent (117-of-165)...His 117 buckets made from the line were a team-high...Ranked 10th in the Big Ten with 23 blocks and was third in offensive rebounding pulling down 3.10 per game...Also posted 31 assists and 20 steals...Posted 20 points on five-of-nine shooting and added three blocks in his Big Ten debut vs. Michigan State (1/5)...Had two strong games against No. 1 ranked Illinois posting 18 points on seven-of-12 shooting and three blocks at Illinois (1/12) and 19 points on eight-of-15 shooting at home vs. the Illini (2/16)...Posted 13-point, eight-rebound outings in back-to-back games vs. Michigan (1/15) and Northwestern (1/22)...Scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds at Ohio State (1/26)...Posted his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds vs. Ohio State (2/12)...Ended an outstanding freshman campaign with a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double vs. Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament (3/10) in the United Center.
HIGH SCHOOL
Claxton was a four-year letterman at Hill Regional Career High School, where he helped guide his team to three straight division titles as well as a league championship....Became the first player in Hill Regional history to surpass the 1,000 career point mark...Was a two-time Connecticut all-state selection and two-time team MVP...Hill posted a 65-30 record during his four years on the team...As a sophomore averaged 11.0 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game...Was voted the team[apos]s Most Improved Player and helped guide Hill to an 18-6 mark and division and league titles...As a junior became one of Connecticut[apos]s top offensive threats averaging 21.8 ppg, 14.0 rpg and 4.0 blocks per game....Starring on a 15-10 Hill Regional squad, Claxton was a first team all-state selection while collecting all-area, all-division and team most valuable player laurels...Led Hill to a 19-6 mark and yet another division title as a senior...Averaged 27.2 ppg, 15.0 rpg and 4.0 bpg in his final campaign....Was again named a first team all-state pick and duplicated his team MVP, all-division and all-area awards...Helped guide his team to the state quarterfinals.
PERSONAL
The son of Geary and Michele Claxton, Geary has a younger sister, Jasmine...The Claxton family are frequent spectators both courtside in the Bryce Jordan Center and at Nittany Lion road games, often bringing a bus load of supporters from Connecticut...Claxton has an aunt, Tracy, who played collegiate basketball at both Old Dominion and Kansas and was a two-time All-American at ODU (1984 & `85) and MVP of the 1985 Final Four as she led the Monarchs to their third National crown...He lists travel as an interest outside of hoops...Is majoring in recreation, park and tourism management.