Clay’s Take: Penn State
After guiding Marquette to three straight NCAA Tournament bids to conclude her tenure at her alma mater, Carolyn Kieger takes over a Nittany Lion program that has struggled to reach the postseason as of late. Kieger looks to infuse the roster with talent the same way that she did at Marquette. In a five-season span, she guided the Golden Eagles to a 18-win differential starting with a 9-23 season in 2014-15 and concluding with a 27-8 season in 2018-19.
Key Returners:
Siyeh Frazier, Sr.: 9.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Kamaria McDaniel, Jr.: 9.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Alisia Smith, Jr.: 9.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg
Key Departures:
Amari Carter (graduate transfer)
Teniya Page (graduation)
Final Outlook:
At the height of Penn State’s run in the earlier part of this decade, the Big Ten program made a living off of national recruiting. The pieces are there with a fertile recruiting base up and down the East Coast over into the Midwest with the draw of playing a schedule that includes teams as far west as Nebraska. For 2019-20, Kieger’s main challenge will be to stabilize the roster and find the scoring to replace Page and Carter who combined for just under 30 points per on a roster that averaged 67.7 points per contest. The Nittany Lions have plenty of opportunity to offer on a roster that competes in a Power 5 league. The football program is back in the national discussion providing plenty of top-notch recruiting Saturdays in the fall to secure potential recruits. Kieger has two of the game’s premier recruiters in Ginny Boggess and Ashley Earley locked in on her staff.
Brandon Clay serves as the WNBA Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The JumpOffPlus.com International Report, which is picked up by more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide. He serves as the Executive Camp Director for the Elite Basketball Academy Camps. He serves on the Naismith Trophy Men’s / Women’s College Player of the Year Academy and is chairman of the HS Boys / Girls Board of Selectors and is on the McDonald’s All-American Selection Committee. He also is the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com.
