By Jeff Rice, NN Senior Writer

jrice@nittanynetwork.com

May 6, 2009

Penn State has a lot of players on the current roster capable of playing the small forward spot – David Jackson, Jeff Brooks, Billy Oliver, Chris Babb or Cammeron Woodyard – but no one who has proven he can provide consistent offensive production.

So even though coach Ed DeChellis had said earlier this spring that the Nittany Lions planned to give their final remaining scholarship to a big man, Wednesday’s addition of Middletown, Ohio, forward Bill Edwards, Jr., increases the odds that production from that spot will be better next season.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder, who chose Penn State over Miami of Ohio and Central Florida during a news conference at Middletown High School, gives DeChellis another frontcourt hybrid – a versatile left-hander with perimeter skills.

The Middies didn’t have a natural point guard this season, so a lot of the offense went through Edwards, who led the conference with just under five assists per game.

“He sees the court well, sees things develop,” Ronai said. “When we needed to put him inside, we put him down low.”

But Edwards, who shot 42 percent from the 3-point line as a senior, when he averaged just under 18 points and about 10 rebounds per game, is most at home on the perimeter.

“He’s best facing the basket, pulling up and taking the jumper,” Ronai said. “He was never a traditional back to the basket type.”

Edwards struggled defensively early in his career, Ronai said, but led the team in charges taken this past season.

“He’s really worked hard at becoming a better ball player,” Ronai said. “Early on, we had to put him on the biggest and slowest kid. This year, he could play someone on outside. He’s really picking up that part of his game.”

Edwards is also a natural leader, said his coach. When Ronai wanted to round up some players to participate in a Walk-a-thon for the Columbus Heart Association (to honor Todd Bell, the former Middletown star and Chicago Bears safety who died of a heart attack in 2005), he went to his star player.

“He said, ‘I’ll get it taken care of,’” Ronai recalled. “We had every one of our players, except for those playing fall sports, as well as kids from the junior high and elementary teams. We had great representation, and it was because of him.”