Penn State men’s basketball has added a new member to its staff for the 2020-21 season. Talor Battle, who played for the Nittany Lions from 2007 to 2011, will take over the position that Kevin Freeman held before leaving for UConn.

During his time at Penn State, Battle averaged 16.5 points, close to five rebounds, and nearly four assists. He was a three-year captain, and led the team to a 2009 NIT championship, which was the program’s first national title in school history. He also played a major role in getting the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament in 2011, their first appearance since 2001.

“Talor embodies everything it means to be a Nittany Lion and his work ethic, winning mentality and attitude align with our vision for success,” head coach Pat Chambers said. “His experiences at Penn State as a leader, as a competitor in the Big Ten and as part of this community will be invaluable for our current and future student-athletes.”

Battle is still the leader in points scored for the Nittany Lions with 2,213 career points, as well as career starts (131) and also leads the Big Ten in career minutes played with 4,799.

Battle had played overseas ever since his time as a Nittany Lion ended, until he retired in 2018. The Nittany Lions will try to make another solid run like they did last year, however they may need to wait as athletics have been put on pause for the immediate future due to the coronavirus pandemic.