The Lions' Pride

Leaves another scholarship open for Pat to grab another recruit, think we got 2 schollies left for the next 2 years....any options? Jeter? Who else?

EDIT with story from GOPSUSports:

Oliver Ends Penn State Playing Career

Four-year member of squad will earn degree in May, remain with team through 2012-13 season

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; FEB. 11, 2012 – Penn State sophomore forward Billy Oliver (Chatham, N.J.) has elected to end his Penn State playing career due to re-occurring symptoms related to his history of concussions and migraine headaches.

“I have put a lot of thought into this, and I have decided not to continue my basketball career,” Oliver said. “I am still going to stay with the program, going to games, and next year I’ll be hanging around with a medical scholarship – more of an office job. It’s a decision I have put a ton of thought into. I’ve got these guys (teammates) supporting me, and my parents talked to coach countless times. It seems right for me, and more importantly, for the team.

“It’s selfish for me if I am not going to be able to go out there and give 100 percent with the history of my head, and I am worried about problems with that. I don’t want to do that to the team, because I know they give 100 percent. So, I am not continuing basketball, but I will be around.”

In his fourth year with the Nittany Lion program, Oliver redshirted his freshman season of 2008-09 after suffering a pair of concussions during early season workouts and sat out all but fivegames of the 2009-10 season due to exercise induced migraine headaches. An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Oliver has applied to earn his degree in finance this May and plans to return to Penn State next fall to finish a second degree in economics. He plans to remain with the team in a non-playing capacity through the remainder of this season and next and will remain on scholarship as an NCAA medical non-counter. Oliver will not count for Penn State toward the NCAA’s 13-scholarship limit for men’s basketball beginning next season.

Oliver played in 21 games in the 2011-12 season, starting 20, and was playing an average of 24 minutes per game. Prior to the Nebraska game on Feb. 11, he led the team with 35 three-pointers on the year and ranked fourth on the team posting 6.8 points per game whilepulling down 3.3 rebounds per contest. Oliver had a break-out game in Penn State’s 65-45 victory over Purdue on Jan. 5 in the Jordan Center as he posted a career-high 21 points on a career-best 7-of-10 from the three-point line, tying the second-best single game three-point total in Penn State history. It marked one of three double-digit scoring games on the year for the 6-8 forward.

Oliver began to experience symptoms after getting sick at halftime of the Lions’ home contest vs. Minnesota on Jan. 15. He sat out the following four games as the team doctor and athletic trainer put him through a battery of tests to evaluate his condition. He was cleared to return to the floor on Feb. 4 in the Lions’ game at Iowa and played 16 minutes in that contest. He also played 11 minutes in Penn State’s following game at Michigan State on Feb. 8 before determining not to continue his playing career.

The all-time leading scorer at Chatham High School, Oliver ends his Penn State career having played in 58 career games (32 last season) with 20 career starts. He scored a total of 220 points and collected 146 rebounds while downing 46 career threes. Oliver helped the Lions reach their first ever Big Ten Tournament Championship game last year and the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Penn State’s first appearance in a decade.