New commit Evan Mahaffey feels Penn State basketball can get him NBA ready

Penn State basketball added a second name to its recruiting Class of 2022 on Wednesday, as Evan Mahaffey announced his intention to play for the Nittany Lions.

Development was a sticking point for the newest Penn State commit, who feels like he's putting himself in a position to grow by choosing to play for new Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry.

"I feel really good about it," he said. "The whole thing was just being comfortable with my decision, and I definitely am."

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Ultimately, Penn State's proposed style of play was attractive for Mahaffey, who has hopes of playing at the next level.

Shrewsberry sold him on a system that includes four ball-handlers around one big, and Mahaffey feels as though his well-rounded attributes fit that scheme well.

"All four dudes may have to handle the ball like the NBA," Mahaffey said. "So it's like coming off of ball screens, being able to bring the ball up, just doing multiple things on the court, which is one of my strengths, I would say for sure. Being versatile in many ways is one of the things I do the best, so I feel like going up there would help me perfect my game and help me be NBA ready."

Of course, Shrewsberry would know a thing or two about that.

The new Penn State head man was an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics under Brad Stevens from 2013-2019.

That's another important factor for Mahaffey, who feels as though his development is now in the hands of a coach who knows what it takes.

"I would definitely say it plays a big role," Mahaffey said. "You're able to see what he did, with him training Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and multiple other players. It really shows that his stuff works, which is really cool to see. It definitely does help. He's just a really good guy overall and I know he's going to be a great coach."

Mahaffey may have flown under the radar for some programs due to an injury he suffered, which prevented him from playing AAU ball this summer.

He said he's well on pace to be back on the court this winter for his senior season at Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati.

Ranked as the No. 33 overall shooting guard in his class, the State College area was another big selling point for Mahaffey.

"I love the State College feel," he said. "I like the secludedness. I really do enjoy the campus, I really enjoy how they're going to play. I think it's going to be really effective in the Big Ten and I feel like their development is really, really good as well."