While preparing over the summer for the 2019-2020 season, Penn State basketball big man John Harrar had one word in his head.

“My word this summer was confidence.”

For the trio of Harrar, Mike Watkins, and Trent Buttrick, confidence seems to be the common denominator. All three have been working on various aspects of their games, especially in the face of multiple changes coming their way when it comes to how the group of forwards will be looking on offense.

Head coach Pat Chambers revealed new expectations for his big men. Taking a page from the trend that’s swept across the NBA over the last decade, Chambers has been having his forwards develop their outside shooting and floor spacing abilities. This new offensive philosophy has made him bullish on his team’s potential.

“Now we have five guys on the floor who can make a three,” said Chambers. “How’re you able to guard that?”

According to Harrar, this new focus on floor spacing and increased versatility from the forwards was in part inspired by the Australian national team and how center Andrew Bogut is used.

Bogut is often asked to space the floor both for Australia’s national team and during his stints in the NBA. The seven-footer isn’t afraid to move out of the post and get active outside, especially near the top of the key. While Bogut isn’t expected to take shots from out there like Penn State’s big men are now, it’s his positioning and awareness beyond the arc Harrar seems to be referencing, whether it’s setting screens or making key passes.

Harrar and Watkins were both approached by Chambers during the offseason and given two goals: To get the confidence to shoot three and to be able to make those shots consistently. It’s something that Harrar has taken to heart and put into practice already.

“When I’m open now, I’ve completely changed my mindset, and Mike has too,” said Harrar. “Instead of just getting into the dribble handoff, I’m looking to score at the top of the key and to take a chance. It’s gonna go in eventually when you shoot it.”

This versatility from the forwards has effects on the entire team — whether it’s making room for Lamar Stevens, making room for key passes, or forcing the defense to spread themselves thin. It’s a potential difference-maker whose importance hasn’t been lost on Buttrick.

“I feel like that’s good for everyone, spacing the floor and helps out Lamar as well,” said Buttrick. “We have now three extra shooters on the team that can stretch the floor, whether it’s shooting that top of the key three or corner three.”

For Watkins, the main focus over the offseason was getting his confidence back after injury troubles affected his ability to get on the floor, especially after a knee injury prematurely ended his sophomore season. Issues with his knees continued through last season, and while Chambers still referenced Watkins as day-to-day, he’s called the big man “healthier than he’s ever been” with the worst seemingly behind him.

But with a clean bill of health entering his senior season and a new lease on life, Watkins appears to have rediscovered his confidence.

“It’s more about staying healthy, strengthening myself. I know I was hurt, and I let my guys down,” he said. “It was a mental thing, and it affected my game. I knew then that I gotta gain my confidence back and work on my inner self and be me.

“Coming into the season, I got a different mindset, I’m 100%. We’re a healthy team, and our chemistry is great.”

Watkins’ teammates have noticed his improved play and state of mind. Harrar especially noticed his dominance in a recent team scrimmage.

“[Watkins] was jumping as high as he was when he was healthy,” Harrar said. “Last season, his leg really limited him, but this year he’s come back and really playing like a senior. He’s playing really confident and he’s playing like any day could be his last.”

Regaining and reinforcing personal confidence has also been a goal for Harrar. After bursting onto the scene his freshman year while taking over for the injured Watkins and helping lead Penn State to an NIT title, he’s since remained a key contributor.

Harrar was asked to lose weight over the summer and did just that, becoming more lean and athletic, while also working on his outside shot and outside spacing. Building confidence was an important part of this process.

“I’ve definitely been shooting (threes) with confidence,” he said. “When your point guard or Lamar passes you the ball and tell you to shoot it, that helps a lot. It just helps build confidence in yourself.”

This confidence in his three-point shooting has spread to his general outlook as well. With more pressure on him at the start of this season to perform than any other, Harrar has found solace in the coaching team around him.

“They’ll tell me to shoot. They’ll tell me to get outside my comfort zone and just work on confidence, he said. “‘Here’s the right things. Here are the wrong things.’ I just think the difference has been working and improving every day while staying confident.”

Buttrick also had a lot asked of him over the offseason. While he normally played small forward last season, the junior was asked to put on weight during the summer so he could be played as a shooting center as well.

Chambers sees Buttrick’s development as key for the new focus on stretch forwards, as Buttrick can add depth off the bench and provide a ready to go replacement in case Harrar or Watkins are sidelined for any reason.

Chambers sees Buttrick’s development as something he can help out with by allowing him to just get out on the court. He cited Buttrick’s breakout game last season against Alabama when the then-sophomore led the team with 13 points after going 5-5 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc.

“He’s shooting at a high clip, and at Alabama, he played really well,” Chambers said. “I need to allow Trent to play, and I need to allow Trent to play through mistakes.

“I see no reason why (Trent) can’t be our Grady Eifert from Purdue, someone who’s just really solid, makes good decisions, rebounds the basketball, blocks shots, takes charges, moves the ball when you’re open and takes threes. That’s a great role and one that Trent is accepting right now.”

Buttrick had a straight-forward offseason, doing exactly what was asked of him and improving in every area, especially those that will help turn him into that stretch five and Eifter-type glue guy Chambers wants him to be. After a summer in the weight room, his weight is up about six pounds from last season to 240 pounds.

With so much asked of them over the offseason, from expanding shooting ranges to putting on muscle, the forward trio of Harrar, Watkins, and Buttrick appears ready and confident to take on anyone. The confidence the three have built up is something they need to continue to maintain even amidst the distractions of a highly publicized basketball season.

“As a team, I just think we need to take it game by game, day by day,” Watkins said. “When we look ahead, that’s when we get distracted and the social media when we entertain that nonsense makes us lose focus.”