×

Chambers recruits, but can he coach?

After watching the Penn State vs. Maryland basketball game Tuesday night, I cannot understand the coaching during the last minute.

In close games, once again Penn State gets to the last two minutes, and the percentages are against them winning. Why?

Is it the players or the coaching?

Even with the best groups of players on the Penn State team, they continue to lose most close games.

We should be tired of hearing about their “young team.” This is a group that has played as freshmen and is now a seasoned group.

Penn State has five players averaging double figures with good backups on the bench in case of foul trouble. With a solid center, with a good backup, and guards that can shoot, what is missing?

During the last few years, the Nittany Lions have gone into the Big Ten with a good record but has lost to teams like Rider, Duquesne and George Mason. Clearly they have had a lack of quality wins while being competitive in most conference games but still have a losing record.

After seven years of Pat Chambers’ coaching, most major schools would expect a lot more wins — especially within their conference. Most schools would not keep extending a contract and say to themselves “maybe next year.”

Some people can recruit, and some can coach. Penn State has a recruiter.

Byron Lasser

Hollidaysburg

Barkley leaves unforgettable memories

We are all going to miss Saquon Barkley, but he can’t be blame for leaving.

His promise to his parents and James Franklin to finish his PSU education shows the quality person he is.

Penn State fans saw a nice young man perform in the blue and white uniform with memories we will never forget.

In my 36 years as a season ticket holder, I have not seen anyone like him.

We all wish him well in the NFL and thank him for his years at Penn State.

Randy Sibert

Harrisburg

PSU ‘keeps climbing’

My wife and I attended the Fiesta Bowl and did not regret it. Arizona is a beautiful state, especially around the Scottsdale-Glendale-Phoenix area. The rugged, red-colored granite mountains were especially breathtaking.

We have come a long way from the sanctions to the Pinstripe Bowl, the TaxSlayer Bowl, the Rose Bowl and now the Fiesta Bowl.

We keep climbing the ladder and getting better. The Washington Huskies never knew what hit them. They were not prepared and couldn’t compete with the more talented Penn State players. Saquon Barkley, DaeSean Hamilton and Trace McSorley were just too much for the Huskies to handle.

We will lose Hamilton, Barkley and Mike Gesicki on offense and seven players on defense going into 2018, but our recruiting of four- and five-star players will keep the program moving forward and getting better all the time. James Franklin, Ricky Rahne, Brent Pry and others will keep the continuity strong.

I am sure Franklin and Rahne will devote a good amount of time creating some new wrinkles over the winter. With recruiting better quality players, we are going to be in the thick of things and will probably see a only slight dropoff from the last two years. I am anxious to see what impact Ricky Shade, Micah Parsons and others will have in 2018.

Morale should also be very spirited during the winter program.

Les Hart

Duncansville

Tarman was a class act

I read about Jim Tarman’s passing. May God comfort his family.

I had the good fortune of interfacing with Tarman way back in 1967-68 when I was writing weekend sports for WDFM (now WKPS), the student-run radio station, and he was Penn State’s sports information director.

Tarman always made time for me, helped me get interviews and arranged for me to get copies of the football game’s play-by-play notes.

He was a gentleman and a class act.

Lu Dorfman, Houston

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today