Penn State Nittany Lions' Jalen Pickett - Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo
There is a new addition to the Penn State basketball team for the 2023-2024 season. The Nittany Lions have had an open scholarship spot, and it is finally filled. The Nittany Lions now add D’Marco Dunn, a former four-star guard from the University of North Carolina. Dunn made the announcement on his own Instagram account. North Carolina is big when it comes to college basketball, and a member transferring to Penn State can help the Nittany Lions moving forwards. Here is some information on Dunn, and what he will bring to this Penn State basketball team.
Penn State Basketball’s Newest Addition
After two years at North Carolina, Dunn has entered the transfer portal and announced his commitment to Penn State. In two years, Dunn never started in a game, but this season he has gotten more playing time. In 27 games, Dunn averaged 10.3 minutes, which is a big leap from his first season. His averages were not great at North Carolina, but a change with the Nittany Lions could increase his stats.
Throughout the 2022-2023 season, Dunn had an average of 20% for two points and 40% for three points, according to Sports Reference. The issue is that he did not have many attempts. He only had an average of 2.7 points per game. Could it be his playing time that hurt him? That is definitely a possibility. If he can manage to get more playing time with Penn State basketball, everyone can finally see his potential.
He was a four recruit going into North Carolina, but 247-Sports lists him as a three-star transfer. That is still not a bad rating. This is the final scholarship spot that the Nittany Lions had open. Penn State filling it with a three-star transfer is not something to complain about.
Nittany Lions’ New Potential
Penn State basketball exceeded expectations in the 2022-2023 season. They ended up with a 10-10 conference record, which was just what they needed to rank ninth in the Big Ten. They made a strong push in the Big Ten tournament, enough to make March Madness. The Nittany Lions were even able to get a win in that NCAA tournament. With the new recruits, including Dunn, Penn State’s team may be better than people expect.
It is too early to know just how much Dunn will play next season. If he demonstrates his potential, expect to see him on the court. The Nittany Lions ended ninth in the Big Ten last season, but with the new addition of Dunn, expect them to compete enough to be ranked higher. Penn State has a young team who will only grow from here.
