Although Penn State basketball is currently sitting in the basement of the Big Ten standings, the team’s future got a little brighter Thursday night with the verbal commitment of 4-star combo guard Brandon Austin.

The 6-6 Austin–ostensibly recruited as a 1- or 2-guard but listed as a small forward on ESPN–received offers from Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, Miami (FL) and Tennessee. However, Austin decided to join Chambers’ increasingly impressive group of recruits, which already includes fellow AAU player and 3-star recruit Brandon Taylor in addition to 3-star point guard Geno Thorpe.

The current high school junior at Philadelphia’s Imhotep Charter averages 13 points and 7.5 assists a game. Austin was the type of recruit that has eluded Penn State and former coach Ed DeChellis in recent history, and is a tangible example of the highly-touted Pat Chambers recruiting efforts.

Austin, who can conceivably play the wing and run the point, may well be one of the most significant recruits in the program’s history. In any case, there’s all the more reason to turn out for Penn State basketball games in the future.