Penn State added two all-conference transfers Thursday, with former Drexel guard Camren Wynter and former Bucknell guard Andrew Funk signing to the Nittany Lions.
Wynter (No. 69) and Funk (No. 84) are both among ESPN’s top 100 transfers.
“I thought Penn State was the best fit for me in terms of what they needed and what I was looking for,” Wynter told ESPN. “I had a very close relationship with the coaches and they made me feel important to what they are trying to do next season.”
Wynter, a 6-foot 2-point guard, was a first-team All-CAA selection averaging 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. It was his third straight season in which he scored at least 15 points per game. In four seasons with the Dragons, he averaged 14.6 points and 5.1 assists and shot nearly 34% from 3-point range.
Wynter scored at least 20 points six times last season, including a season-high 28 points in the CAA tournament against eventual champions Delaware.
“We’ve got some great shooters and playmakers so I think I can help include others while adding another scoring touch while playing on both sides of the floor,” Wynter said.
Funk, a 6-5 guard, is having the best season of his career at Bucknell. He averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists and shot 36.3% from 3-point range. He received second-team All-Patriot League honors.
“Since starting I’ve really bonded with the coaching staff and I love this coach [Micah] Shrewsberry could do it in his first year there,” Funk said. “A big part of that process for me, too, was being able to challenge myself as a player, which I get to do every day at Penn State, especially conference games and Big Ten competitions.
“There is definitely something special about going to the first public school in your home state and playing there. I’m just really excited to go there and hopefully win a lot of games.”
Funk was able to score big with the Bison, scoring 38 points against Illinois State, 34 points against Loyola Maryland, and 32 points against Penn in November.
“I think I can bring a lot to their program,” said Funk. “I think people are probably going to look at me and what I did at Bucknell and think I’m just bringing the shooting to the table, but one thing I remember about the Penn State staff and Coach Shrewsberry in particular really appreciated was that they really were I’ve seen a lot of other things do. They tend to like running a pro-style offensive line with multiple people able to dribble, pass and shoot, and I think I’ll be able to fit seamlessly into such a system.
Penn State went 14-17 overall in Shrewsberry’s freshman season at state college, but nine of those losses came from two possessions or fewer. The Nittany Lions also recorded victories over NCAA tournament teams Indiana, Rutgers, Iowa, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
They are expected to bring back four players who have started in at least 14 games, including leading scorers Jalen Pickett (13.3 PPG) and Seth Lundy (11.9 PPG).