Penn State had roller coaster of a 2017-2018 basketball season, finishing with the team hoisting the NIT Championship trophy at Madison Square Garden. All-Big Ten star Tony Carr and senior guard Shep Garner led the Nittany Lions throughout the season — both players will begin new chapters in their lives as Carr declared for the 2018 NBA Draft and Garner concluded his collegiate eligibility.

Coach Pat Chambers is tasked with replacing the two scorers with a roster that didn’t get much production from its bench this season. The Nittany Lions will bring in two commits who have signed their National Letters of Intent for next season in shooting guard Myles Dread and point guard Rasir Bolton. Both players may see significant playing time from the get-go.

Although Carr and Garner’s departures are big losses, Chambers still holds a trio of fantastic players returning next season. Lamar Stevens was second on the team in scoring this season behind Carr and was named Most Outstanding Player for the NIT. Mike Watkins and Josh Reaves both were named to the All-Big Ten defensive team.

The trio of Stevens, Watkins, and Reaves will likely start for Chambers next season, but it’ll be interesting to see how the coach fills the other two guard positions. Jamari Wheeler and Nazeer Bostick saw the most time off the bench at the guard position this season, but both are limited offensively. The Nittany Lions will likely rely on Dread early for scoring and he might even join Chambers’ starting lineup right off the bat next season.

The point guard decision will come down to how ready Bolton is. If Chambers believes the 6’3″ incoming freshman is ready, Bolton could get the start over Wheeler, who usually came in off the bench and provided a spark of defense.

Big man Julian Moore also graduated from Penn State, but his minutes will ultimately go to John Harrar, who started in place of the injured Mike Watkins during the Big Ten Tournament and NIT. Chambers may decide to go with a big lineup, starting Dread and Reaves at guard, Stevens and Harrar at forward, and Watkins at the five position. Although this would put all of the best talent on the floor, it also limits spacing and only leaves Satchel Pierce as a big man on the bench.

Assuming Penn State doesn’t get a graduate transfer, the starting lineup will probably be Bolton, Dread, Reaves, Stevens, and Watkins. Harrar, Wheeler, and Bostick will probably be the first players off the bench, and Deivis Zemgulis, Satchel Pierce, and Trent Buttrick could see time on the court when needed.

Chambers will need to rely on the development of players like Bostick and Wheeler next season, along with more offensive responsibility for Watkins and Reaves. Stevens should be able to lead the Nittany Lions every night in scoring with his impressive range from from down low, mid-range, and the perimeter.