Without Tony Carr and Shep Garner, a pair of incoming freshman may slot in to the Nittany Lions starting five.
Sturtz signed an amateur tryout contract to finish the 2017-18 season with Belleville before his entry-level contract kicks in next year.
The 6'5", 205-pound floor general can score from anywhere, and his length and athleticism give Carr a lot of room to grow as a defender once he's in the league.
Aarne Talvitie was named the Player of the Year in his junior league last season, while Oskar Autio brings a familiar name and solid goaltending technique to Guy Gadowsky's squad.
Since 1985, just 18 of the 33 NIT winners have broken into the Big Dance in the season directly after their respective NIT titles.
Terrane Laird and Danae Rivers showed the strength of the young strength of the team in historic performances over the weekend.