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Chambers Appoints Basketball Captains for 2013-14 Season

With Penn State basketball holding its first official preseason practice tomorrow morning, Pat Chambers has named his four captains for the 2013-14 season.

The players, according to GoPSUSports.com, are redshirt senior Tim Frazier, senior Alan Wisniewski, redshirt junior D.J. Newbill, and junior Ross Travis. Frazier was formerly one of the team’s captains until he went down with a season-ending Achilles’ injury in the fourth game last year. Newbill is now a second-time captain.

Frazier, an All-Conference guard out of Houston, is arguably on of the best point guards in the country. Despite playing in just 130 total minutes last year, Frazier was a major presence on the team. He attended every game, sat on the bench, and could sometimes be seen standing next to Chambers giving instructions to players on and off the court.

Take out the six minutes he played against Akron before his injury and Frazier was averaging 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and three steals per contest. Had he kept up that pace, Frazier would have led the Big Ten in scoring and steals, been second in assists, and tied for 14th in rebounds.

Newbill took over point guard duties when Frazier went down, and despite never playing the position, was named an All-Conference honorable mention. The Philadelphia native was Penn State’s best player last year, leading the team with 16.3 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Newbill was second on the team in rebounds with five per contest and was second in the Big Ten in minutes per game.

And then there’s Ross Travis. While he may not be the best offensive player in the world — he only averaged 7.0 points per contest on 35.1 percent shooting from the field and 12.5 percent shooting from three — Travis has established himself as one of the premier rebounders in the Big Ten.

Despite being small for a power forward, the 6’6″ Minnesota native is a monster on the glass, pulling down 7.4 rebounds per contest last year, good for fourth in the Big Ten. Travis was also the team’s defensive specialist, often guarding the opposing team’s best player, whether he be a point guard or a power forward.

Wisniewski is one of the best stories on the team. While he hasn’t exactly been a monster on the court — Wisniewski averaged 0.6 points and 0.7 rebounds in 12 appearances last year — he is praised for his work ethic during practice and for his excellence in the classroom. A few weeks ago, Chambers rewarded the former walk-on with a scholarship.

The men’s basketball non-conference schedule kicks off on November 9 against Wager. The Nittany Lions will play in the second annual Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn in late November.

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