Penn State basketball to host top 15 guard from the transfer portal

Originally posted on Basic Blues Nation
By Morgan Chapman | Last updated 4/12/24

The Penn State basketball team is looking to build its roster for the upcoming season. It’s no secret that the Nittany Lions will need to rely on the transfer portal to gather additional talent. Mike Rhoades has already dipped into the portal for one prospect but another player is set to visit Happy Valley from the transfer portal. Former NEC Player of the Year and Merrimack guard, Jordan Derkack will visit Penn State soon according to reports.

Penn State basketball to host top 15 guard from the transfer portal

Jordan Derkack just finished his sophomore season at Merrimack. He entered the transfer portal on March 20th looking for a new home. He’s arguably one of if not the best players in the NEC after winning NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. 247Sports ranks Derkack as the No. 13 combo guard in the transfer portal.

This past season the 6-5 Colonia, NJ native averaged 17 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, and 2.1 steals per game. Now, Joe Tipton of On3 reports that Derkack will visit Seton Hall, Rutgers, USC, and Penn State shortly. Tipton added, “Derkack says these are not his final four schools as he remains open to other programs.”

Merrimack transfer guard Jordan Derkack, the NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, tells @On3sports he's planning to visit these four schools:

Penn State
Seton Hall
Rutgers
USC

Derkack says these are not his final four schools as he remains open to other… pic.twitter.com/eCgye8Iuqt

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 11, 2024

According to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times, Derkack will visit Penn State this weekend. If this visit goes well, we could see the momentum shift in the Nittany Lions’ favor.

Building through the transfer portal

Penn State basketball could use a veteran guard like Jordan Derkack. His visit to Happy Valley will be critical to his decision. If Derkack decided to commit to Penn State, he would be the second transfer portal addition behind Kachi Nzeh.

The ex-Xavier center made his commitment to the Nittany Lions on March 20th. It’s a homecoming for the Upper Darby, PA native. Mike Rhoades recently made a statement about this addition.

“We’re thrilled to add Kachi [Nzeh] to our Penn State basketball family. He is a great fit for what we want to do on both ends of the court and his versatility and physicality will make him a great addition to our team. We’re excited to bring Kachi back home to his home state of Pennsylvania and can’t wait to get to work.”

This article first appeared on Basic Blues Nation and was syndicated with permission.

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