| Suncoast Conference Player of the Year Stanley Pringle signed with Penn State Tuesday. |
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., April 17, 2007 ?C Penn State coach Ed DeChellis announced today the signing of standout junior college guard Stanley Pringle (Virginia Beach, Va.) to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Nittany Lions.
Pringle (6-1, 175) was named the 2007 Suncoast Conference Player of the Year and an honorable-mention National Junior College Athletic Association All-American at Pasco-Hernando Community College. Pringle also earned first-team Florida Community College Athletic Association All-State selection and was named first-team all-conference for the second season for PHCC located in New Port Richey, Fla.
Pringle led PHCC and ranked fourth in NJCAA Region 8 averaging 18.9 points per game. He also ranked sixth with 5.5 assists per game and added 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while making 68 threes for the Conquistadors who posted a 19-12 record last season.
??Stanley is a very athletic guard who can play both the point and the two-guard positions for us,?? DeChellis said. ??His major strengths are his speed and his quickness. He can really push the basketball in the open court and has the ability to go by guys. He has a good looking shot and shot almost 40 percent from three last year, but where he is most effective is in breaking down defenses off the dribble and driving and kicking or getting to the rim.??
Pringle played primarily at the point-guard position for coach Bobby Bowman at PHCC. He was named the 2006 Suncoast Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 16.5 ppg and 3.8 apg in his first season at PHCC as the Quistas went 15-15 and finished third in the Suncoast Conference.
??He is well packaged with his talent and versatility,?? Bowman said. ??He handles the ball extremely well, is very good off the dribble penetrating and finishing and is a good passer. He is extremely athletic with excellent quickness and jumping ability and has all the ingredients to be a very good four-year college player.??
Bowman pointed to a PHCC victory last season over Seminole Community College in which Pringle scored 37 points and hit the game winning shot in overtime.
??He is the ultimate competitor,?? Bowman said. ??He??s not cocky, but he??s a very confident player ?C pressuring guys defensively, taking the last shot or getting the ball down the floor under pressure.??
Pringle was a standout at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach where he earned first-team all-state and all-region honors and was named the Virginia Beach Player of the Year following his senior season. He averaged 18.3 ppg and 6.1 apg while leading Landstown to a 21-4 record and the Virginia Class AAA state tournament final.
Pringle will be one of five new players expected to see action for Penn State next season. The Nittany Lions returns four starters and their top three scorers and rebounders, including two-time All-Big Ten selection Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, the 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Penn State will also welcome red-shirt freshmen Andrew Jones (6-8, 225) and David ??D.J.?? Jackson (6-6, 200) to the rotation and true-freshmen Talor Battle (5-11, 160) and Jeff Brooks (6-8, 190) will join the Penn State program following very successful high school careers.