Penn State Men’s Basketball: Nittany Lions Open Up 2025 Class with Size

Penn State men’s basketball landed its first commitment of the 2025 cycle on Wednesday evening as center Justin Houser announced his decision. Houser hails from the Phelps School in Malvern, the same program where former Nittany Lion center Mike Watkins played his senior season of high school.

Houser hits the scales at 6-foot-11 and fielded offers from schools like Temple, Delaware and St. Joe’s, among others, according to the 247 Sports Network. Former Penn State assistant Adam Fisher is currently the head coach at Temple.

Houser is currently an unrated prospect by the 247 Network, although that will almost certainly change in the coming months as evaluations continue across the nation. The 2025 class marks the second true recruiting class under head coach Mike Rhoades who hit the transfer portal heavy this offseason as the Nittany Lions look to reload following the departure of several players by virtue of expired eligibility. Penn State will be led by the trio of Ace Baldwin Jr., Zach Hicks and Puff Johnson.

Penn State’s incoming four-man 2024 class was rated 24th nationally by the 247 Network’s Composite Rankings and led by four-star center Miles Goodman.