Penn State men’s basketball didn’t hold back its feelings about former head coach Pat Chambers at the team’s media day Wednesday.

Chambers resigned as head coach in October following an internal investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct. New misconduct allegations surfaced after former Penn State guard Rasir Bolton claimed in June a comment Chambers made involving a “noose around [his] neck” led him to transfer.

Multiple Nittany Lions defended Chambers after that allegation came out over the summer, and did so again this week. Both Izaiah Brockington and Jamari Wheeler opened their press conferences with statements about their former head coach.

“Obviously, I was shocked and hurt by the decision that coach made, but as a team, we’re all committed to this season,” Brockington said.

Wheeler, who’s now entering his senior season at guard, spoke honestly about the team’s feelings surrounding the shocking news last month.

“We miss [Coach Chambers] a lot,” Wheeler said. “We wish he was here, still battling with us, helping us through this season. But unfortunately, some circumstances won’t allow him to be here with us. We’re still confused and don’t understand how that happened…Hopefully, he gets another chance to coach at a high-major and be a head coach again because he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for.”

Wheeler also acknowledged some of the allegations of Chambers “being racist” and shared his perspective on it.

“For me, I’ve been here four years, a Black athlete that plays for him that’s all the way from Florida,” Wheeler said. “I didn’t get questioned not one time, ‘Was coach racist?’, or anything like that.”

Junior guard Myles Dread also discussed Chambers during his press conference. He said he and the team aren’t satisfied with what they’ve been told about the investigation and the resignation.

“No, I am not at peace with it,” Dread said. “I will not be at peace with it until everybody has answers into why, but that is all I have on the subject.”

Dread said it was extremely emotional when Chambers informed the team he would be resigning.

“I just wanted to be there for my teammates, wanted to be there for the staff,” Dread said. “It was shocking and very upsetting for everybody on our staff and in our program. [Chambers] was very loved, and is still very loved and appreciated.”

Back when he was a freshman, Dread was involved in an incident with Chambers in which the head coach shoved him during a game against Michigan. Chambers was suspended one game and gave a public apology to Dread in the days following.

That moment from the 2018-19 season was discussed a bit when news of Chambers’ resignation went public, but Dread was frustrated when discussing if he thought that had anything to do with the investigation.

“I believe that was blown completely out of proportion,” Dread said. “The situation was handled, and it was handled extremely fast. Coach Chambers dealt with it with the administration, and then after that for it to come back up again was absolutely unnecessary and uncalled for.”

After a whirlwind of an offseason, the Nittany Lions are finally set to open their season next Wednesday, November 25 against Drexel at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State will be led this season by interim head coach Jim Ferry, who has spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Nittany Lions. Each player spoke highly of their new head coach Wednesday, as they explained that expectations remain high and their play style won’t change under Ferry.