Penn State Lands Xavier's Kachi Nzeh From Transfer Portal

Nzeh, a 6-8 freshman from the Philadelphia area, spent one season with the Musketeers.

Xavier Musketeers center Kachi Nzeh (15) drives to the basket against Connecticut in the Big East Basketball Tournament. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State men's basketball has landed its first player from the NCAA Transfer Portal for the 2024 cycle. Kachi Nezh, a 6-8 freshman who played one season at Xavier, announced Saturday that he will play for the Nittany Lions next season.

Nezh's arrival begins the second roster rebuild for Penn State basketball coach Mike Rhoades. Four players entered the portal after the season, during which the Nittany Lions went 16-17. Rhoades has said he wants to add size and physicality, notably in the frontcourt, to his next roster. Nezh helps address that.

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Nzeh averaged 9.8 minutes per game as a true freshman for Xavier, playing in 19 games and starting four. He contributed 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, scoring a season-high 13 points (in a season-high 28 minutes) against Georgetown in early March. He also contributed a season-high six rebounds in the game.

“We’re thrilled to add Kachi to our Penn State basketball family," Rhoades said in statement to announce the signing. "He is a great fit for what we want to do on both ends of the court, and his versatility and physicality will make him a great addition to our team. We’re excited to bring Kachi back home to his home state of Pennsylvania and can’t wait to get to work.”

 

Xavier listed the 6-8, 230-pound Nzeh as a center on its roster. Nzeh entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in late March. He is from Upper Darby in suburban Philadelphia and played at the George School, where he was a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports. Nzeh signed with Xavier in 2023 as the No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports.

Xavier coach Sean Miller offered this scouting report of Nzeh during the recruiting process: "Kachi is a high upside forward from outside of Philadelphia who we are really excited to have in our program. He is an extremely high character young man. Kachi has a unique ability to be an extremely versatile player. He has long arms, quick feet, and can run the court with great speed.”

Rhoades recently outlined what drives his recruiting philosophy in the portal.

“I've been doing this long enough. I can tell if guys are good fits for me," Rhoades said. "You're not going to be 100 [percent], but you want to get close. To me, the shooting part of it is watching them in live action. Can they get it off quick? Do they shoot the same shot every time, even if they miss? Do they have great shot discipline and shot prep? Then it's like that for everything.”

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.