Nov 12, 2005 3 min read

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – It was just an exhibition game, a warm-up against a Division II school. But don’t tell that to Geary Claxton, Penn State’s standout sophomore. In this otherwise lopsided and uneventful 89-43 over Lock Haven on a recent evening, Claxton stood out.

At first glance, the 15 points and eight rebounds aren’t that impressive until the final column from the stat sheet put his numbers in perspective: 16 minutes played.

“I knew what Geary could do,” Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said after the game, explaining his desire to get more people off the bench some game action.

After watching Claxton’s performance last year as a freshman, DeChellis said he is pleased with how quickly he has come along. Claxton, a 6-foot-5 wing, was arguably the Nittany Lions’ best player last season.

Perhaps most impressively, Claxton improved his numbers significantly in Big Ten play, hitting double digits in scoring in all but two conference contests.

With an average of 14 points a game in league play last year, however, Claxton knows he enters this season as a target for opponents.

“It’s going to be a lot tougher,” Claxton said. “I think teams are going to look at last year and try to exploit some of my weaknesses. I’m trying to improve in every area of my game to fix that, so we’ll just see this year.”

Among those weaknesses, Claxton said he’s been working hardest on perimeter shooting, as he took just 30 shots from behind the arc last season.

Part of that desire to improve his game is to show something to people back in his home state of Connecticut. Despite being a first-team all-state pick in his junior and senior years, Claxton was passed over by highly ranked UConn.

“I try to prove a lot of people wrong,” Claxton said. “I’m just glad Penn State gave me the opportunity to come here.”

Claxton was the centerpiece of a freshman class, including Mike Walker and Danny Morrissey, that saw significant action last season.

With Morrissey likely lost for the season with a knee injury, however, more burden will likely be placed on Claxton, Walker and junior college transfer David Jackson as outside shooting threats.

Walker said he and Claxton look forward to the challenge, not just with improving the team this season, but helping revive a program that has spent the recent past in the Big Ten cellar.

“That was something important for me and Geary and this whole class,” Walker said. “It was important for us to really try and be the foundation to turn it around.”

Claxton smiled when told of Walker’s goal.

“It’s very important,” Claxton said. “Because when it does change and we’re here, it’ll be a good feeling to turn this basketball program around. We’re working hard every day just to make Penn State not only a football school but also a basketball school.”