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Recruiting Central: Lions' Newbill wants company

D.J. Newbill wants to be the bridge that brings big-time Philadelphia basketball recruits to Penn State. That's why the North Philly native will pitch the Nittany Lions whenever he can to local prospects.

"I don't see why a Philly kid wouldn't want to play there," D.J. Newbill said after transferring to Penn State. (Chris O'Meara/AP file photo)
"I don't see why a Philly kid wouldn't want to play there," D.J. Newbill said after transferring to Penn State. (Chris O'Meara/AP file photo)Read more

D.J. Newbill wants to be the bridge that brings big-time Philadelphia basketball recruits to Penn State.

That's why the North Philly native will pitch the Nittany Lions whenever he can to local prospects.

"Of course, I'm going to try to get some guys there," said the 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, who transferred from Southern Mississippi to Penn State last week. "Penn State is a good school, nice facilities. We got some good coaches up there.

"I don't see why a Philly kid wouldn't want to play there."

Getting area hoopsters to feel that way is one reason the Nittany Lions named Pat Chambers their new basketball coach in June.

Before taking the Penn State job, the former Newtown Square resident had a lot of success recruiting the area at Boston University.

That was a result of his ties to the area.

He was the associate head coach at Villanova before becoming the coach at B.U. in 2009. He also had assistant- coaching stints at Philadelphia University and Delaware Valley College.

If Chambers and Newbill have their wish, Philly will become one of Penn State's prime recruiting bases.

"There's a lot of exposure up there," said Newbill, who will have to sit out this season before having three seasons of eligibility. "The Big Ten has a lot of exposure anyway with the Big Ten Network. And you are playing against top schools like Michigan State and Ohio State.

"It's definitely a plus."

Worthem likes Owls. Jeremiah "Lump" Worthem is still leaning toward accepting a scholarship to play at Temple, according to his Math, Civics and Sciences basketball coach, Danny Jackson.

"Temple is like his dream school," Jackson said of the 6-6 junior swingman. "He has some of the bigger [conference] schools offering him. But he wants to stay local.

"Now, if he gets a school like Villanova, I think he might lean toward there."

Rutgers, Rice, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Niagara, Marist, Towson, Baylor, Virginia Commonwealth, and Rider are among the 15 schools that offered Worthem a scholarship.

Jackson said St. John's was close to making an offer. He also said his standout was being recruited by Maryland.

New Yorker considers Temple. The Owls are one of the eight programs with a shot at getting Kamari Murphy.

The 6-8 power forward, who recently graduated from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, is considering scholarship offers for the Class of 2012 from Temple, Auburn, Miami, Oklahoma State, Connecticut, Missouri, Maryland, and Florida, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The Sun received the information from Murphy's Long Island Lightning AAU coach, Dana Dingle.

Murphy will spend a postgrad season next year at IMG Academy in Florida.

Minnis picks Red Raiders. DeShon Minnis, a recent graduate of Atlantic Christian, recently gave an oral commitment to play basketball at Texas Tech, beginning this coming season.

The 6-2 point guard chose the Red Raiders over a scholarship offer from Dayton.

Minnis, a South Philly resident, transferred to Atlantic Christian from Southern two years ago.

Jack attracting city attention. St. Joseph's, Drexel, and La Salle are among 40 schools that have offered scholarships to Donovon Jack, a 6-8 senior forward at Reading Central Catholic.

The three local programs might have a tough time getting a commitment from him. Power conference programs Northwestern, Washington State, Minnesota, and Clemson are in the mix.

CRN star makes his decision. Arron Goodman, a senior forward at Council Rock North, has accepted a scholarship from Philadelphia University.

The 6-5 forward picked the Rams because of his desire to play for coach Herb Magee, who was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last week.