Penn State men’s basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry has already said he’ll be active in the transfer portal, and he’s been true to his word so far.

The Nittany Lions have lost four stars by way of the portal, including Myreon Jones and Izaiah Brockington. But the group has also added two key pieces through college athletics’ form of free agency.

Shrewsberry hopped on the recruiting trail by earning a commitment from Gardner-Webb transfer guard Jaheam Cornwall Friday afternoon. The head coach stayed hot over the weekend when former Siena guard Jalen Pickett announced his transfer to Happy Valley on Sunday.

Both guards will provide some key depth to a Nittany Lions group that lost some serious talent through the portal. Jamari Wheeler’s departure to Ohio State and Brockington’s re-entry to the portal both hurt plenty, but Jones’ transfer to Florida may affect Penn State’s offense the most. The sharp-shooting guard led the Nittany Lions with 15.3 points per game last season, along with two assists.

Along with that, Penn State currently has just one guard committed over its next two recruiting classes. Cornwall and Pickett’s transfers to Happy Valley are massive, to say the least.

Cornwall was a pure scorer over the course of his career at Gardner-Webb. During his four seasons playing for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, Cornwall shot an absurd 42% from deep and truly burst onto the scene over the past two years. He started in every game but one and was named first-team All-Big South after a senior season in which he averaged 14.1 points and 3.8 assists per game.

Hailing from Brooklyn, Cornwall wasn’t necessarily a highly touted recruit coming out of high school. However, his production for Gardner-Webb is undeniable. The Big South is hardly a direct comparison to the Big Ten, but Cornwall’s ability to lead an offense at such a productive clip is an exciting prospect for Penn State.

As for Pickett, there’s no denying he has the tools necessary to contribute early and often for Shrewsberry’s program. As a freshman at Siena, he averaged 15.8 points and 6.7 points per game to help the Saints to a 17-16 overall record. The shooting guard continued to serve as a catalyst for the group over the next two seasons and was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year after a dominant 2019-20 campaign.

As a sophomore, Pickett averaged 15.1 points and added six assists. He didn’t see the same level of success this past season, but the Rochester native was still considered a top option in the transfer portal. Of his top performances as a Saint, none stands out more than when Pickett put up an amazing 46 points and 13 assists as a freshman against Quinnipiac.

Pickett may hot have top conference experience, either, but he has the scoring prowess that the Nittany Lions will need entering Shrewsberry’s first year. Both players have the ability to explode for big nights on the offensive end, and that, paired with the experience of players such as John Harrar and Seth Lundy, could prove successful. That’s a far cry from where many thought the team would be just a few weeks ago.