Nittany Lions land '19 power forward

Penn State's Class of 2019 doubled in size Tuesday evening.

Announcing his decision via Twitter, Saint Maria Goretti (Hagerstown, Md.) power forward Abdou Tsimbila (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) has chosen to play his college ball for head coach Patrick Chambers and the Nittany Lions. He joins Patrick Kelly, a 6-foot-7 small forward out of Virginia Episcopal School, who committed to Penn State in February.

Tsimbila, originally from Cameroon, has spent the past two years in the United States and picked up an offer from the Nittany Lions in early May. Since then, he traveled to Penn State's campus in late June.

Lifting his play this past season at St. Maria Goretti, Tsimbila was named a first-team all-Washington County performer in Maryland, and was highlighted by the Hagerstown Herald-Mail for his "major impact as a rebounder and defensive force."

"The broad-shouldered 6-7 junior from Cameroon also has shown a developing offensive repertoire in the low post. He scored 18 points in a 64-52 Baltimore Catholic League win over Mount Carmel and his play was instrumental in league wins over Loyola (seven points, 13 rebounds, five blocks) and John Carroll (13 points, 11 rebounds)."

Tsimbila chose Penn State over other offers from George Mason and St. Bonaventure, as well as growing interest from the likes of Witchita State, East Carolina, George Washington, Saint Joseph's, UMBC, Towson, and Coppin State, according to his AAU team, Mid-Atlantic Select.