Now former Penn State guard Jamari Wheeler – who entered the transfer portal following the conclusion of the Nittany Lions’ season – announced on Tuesday night that he will enroll at Ohio State. Due to current NCAA rules, Wheeler will be immediately eligible to play for the Buckeyes.
“First and foremost I want to thank PSU so much for the opportunity to become a Nittany Lion student-athlete and graduate. This university gave me an opportunity to compete at the highest level of college basketball and these past four years have been nothing short of amazing,” Wheeler said in a statement.
Wheeler’s announcement comes following Penn State’s official introduction of Micah Shrewsberry as the Nittany Lions’ new head coach earlier in the day. Penn State had announced Shrewsberry’s hiring previous but Tuesday was his first public speaking and first media appearance following his departure from Purdue.
As for Wheeler, the Florida product heading to Ohio State is the first Nittany Lion to find a second home after a slew of players entered the portal following the conclusion of Penn State’s season. Guard Izaiah Brockington announced his intention to return to Penn State after entering the portal while Myreon Jones, Seth Lundy and John Harrar all remain in the portal but are publicly undecided about their respective futures, although Jones – according to an Instagram post – does not appear headed towards a return to State College. Harrar has also reportedly been contacted by Ohio State.
“We don’t comment on publicly about the transfer portal,” Shrewsberry said on Tuesday. “I’ve talked to every single one of the guys that have entered and we are actively trying to get them back, we’re having conversations, face to face over zoom on FaceTime, but we are actively recruiting as well. My goal is to have a great team in place when it’s time to tip off next season. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
Wheeler was critical of Penn State’s administration following the departure of head coach Patrick Chambers just prior to the start of Penn State’s season and generally was expected to leave the program following the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.
