Tag Archives: Micah Shrewsberry

07.25.22
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Relationship Builder

In his short time back with Penn State men’s basketball, Adam Fisher, front, helped bring in the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry said: “He’s a people person and our guys love him. I think the players that he’s recruited, they love him.” Photo credit: John Patishnock Jr.

Adam Fisher has a close relationship with his players. 

Exactly how close? 

“I probably hear from him more than I hear from my mom, honestly,” senior guard Jalen Pickett said. “I hear from him four, five times a day about something. He loves us and he’s a great guy. He pushes me to be better with honesty and the truth with film.”

Fisher’s been back at his alma mater for about a year and a half — serving as associate head coach of the men’s basketball team — and in that brief amount of time, his ability to connect with players on a personal level has bolstered the Nittany Lions’ roster. 

Pickett, for example, one of Penn State’s all-around leaders last year, transferred to Happy Valley after three years at Sienna. Pickett noted Fisher’s the one who reached out to him about becoming a Nittany Lion. Fisher also serves as Pickett’s academic advisor, with Pickett and his teammates receiving regular invites over to Fisher’s house. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, Pickett said: “I think me and Fish have a great relationship.”

When Micah Shrewsberry arrived in Happy Valley in early 2021, Fisher was his first coaching hire. A 2006 Penn State graduate, in addition to experience as a student and graduate member during his undergraduate days, Fisher boasts coaching stops at Villanova and most recently at Miami, Fla. He also returned to Penn State for a few seasons in 2011-13 for roles as video coordinator and director of player development. 

“That’s my guy,” senior swingman Seth Lundy said of Fisher. Lundy’s capable of playing both guard and forward, starting 30 games last year as the team’s second-leading scorer (11.9) and third-leading rebounder (4.9). “He was recruiting me when I was in high school at Miami. Even though I committed to Penn State and he was at Miami, he still saw the potential in me and he’s just that type of guy.

“He’s a great coach but he’s also a great guy off the court. Definitely last year, I built a stronger relationship with him, watching extra film with him, talking to him about my game. We also talk about a lot of stuff off the court. Building that relationship off the court definitely builds that confidence with the coach.”

Fisher, while with Villanova from 2007-09, earned a master’s degree in education leadership. Photo credit: John Patishnock Jr.

Shrewsberry added this assessment, during a media session earlier in July: “He (Fisher) brings a lot of different elements to our program from the coaching side, the player development side, the player relationship side and then the recruiting side. I talk about it, our whole staff, we’ve got some bulldogs on the recruiting trail, these guys really really work to build relationships, not just with players, with everybody around that player and everybody in that player’s family and I think that’s a strength of his. He’s a people person and our guys love him. I think the players that he’s recruited, they love him, so he’s easy to root for.”

After the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, Shrewsberry recalled how he recruited Fisher. The two had recently driven around Indianapolis during the Big Ten Tournament, when Shrewsberry — recently named as the head coach at Penn State — was on the phone with Fisher, who was at Miami, coaching with the Hurricanes.

“I’m glad that he came back,” Shrewsberry said during the recent media session at the Bryce Jordan Center. “One day, he’s going to be a head coach, and he’s going to be gone. But what he’s doing right now for us, is he’s laying a great foundation for this program in terms of what he’s done on the court and off the court and, it’s paying huge dividends for us.”

Senior guard Jalen Pickett finished last season as one of just six active Division I players with 1,500 career points, 500 career rebounds and 500 career assists, and one of only two to reach all three marks in just four seasons. Photo credit: John Patishnock Jr.

Part of that groundwork shown last season, when the Nittany Lions allowed only 65 points per game, lowest in the Big Ten and the program’s best such number in 11 years. Moving forward, the team adds the program’s best-ever recruiting class, signed in November 2021 and ranked as a Top-30 class by the nation’s top recruiting sites.

After the media session on July 19, practice was open to the media. It was a whirlwind, like a hockey game. Constant motion, mostly taking place at one end of the court, with barely a few seconds in between stops.

At one point, Shrewsberry stopped drills to let the guys know the importance of communicating with each other. Another time, to emphasize the benefits of landing on two feet when delivering a pass.

In the middle of it all was Fisher, who while with Villanova from 2007-09, earned a master’s degree in education leadership. In some ways, Fisher looks unassuming, almost like he could be a fifth-year senior who’s on the team. Though over the last decade and a half, he’s amassed a wealth of experience.

He’s worked with Hall of Fame coaches and made the Final Four (Villanova, 2009). He’s held seemingly every job possible within a college hoops program. And now, he’s back where it started for him, guiding the current generation of Penn Staters.

“What really sticks out to me is when he invites us over (to his house) and really just wants to get to know us, and how we’re really doing, with dinners, different things like that, just talking to us,” Pickett said. “He’s a really great guy.”

Penn Staters can learn more about Fisher at GoPSUsports.com, with additional practice photos below. You can click on individual photos to see the full-size version and scroll through the gallery. Photo credit for all images goes to John Patishnock Jr.

Associate Head Coach Adam Fisher
Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry
Freshman Forward Kebba Njie
Associate Head Coach Adam Fisher and Senior Forward Michael Henn
Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry
Junior Forward Caleb Dorsey
2022-23 Penn State Men’s Basketball Team

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12.08.21
by

Success With Honor Exemplified

In the past few days, two Penn Staters were recognized for contributions that go beyond the playing field, exemplifying Success With Honor.

On Tuesday, former Penn State linebacker and current Detroit Lions fullback Jason Cabinda was nominated by his organization for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The honor recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities, in addition to their success on the field.

“Guys like Jason Cabinda can change the world,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said in a statement released by the team. “He is a man of principle who sets such a positive example for our entire locker room. Since the day I met him, he has embodied what it means to be a leader on and off the field. With our platform in today’s NFL, it is our duty to help lift up the lives of others, and Jason carries this responsibility with dignity and honor.”

As a Nittany Lion, Cabinda totaled 283 tackles as a reliable linebacker from 2014-17. He stood out during his senior season in Happy Valley by making 88 total tackles, forcing two fumbles, and grabbing 6.5 tackles for loss.

Since joining Detroit in 2019, Cabinda has been devoted to the youth and community in Detroit through his various efforts with Davison Elementary School. This August, he hosted a Back to School Book Drive where he gave out more than 800 books in addition to school supplies for students to take home. Cabinda also held virtual weekly reading comprehension sessions with Davison students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of eradicating childhood illiteracy.

Incentivizing students to invest in their education, he established the “Jason Cabinda Attendance Award,” given to students that maintain 100 percent attendance during the school year. His programming at Davison Elementary has garnered funding from the Ford Motor Co. Fund, Athletes for Charity and other donors.

“Walter Payton’s legacy embodies so many things. He was one of the greatest running backs on the field, and he truly looked out for people that didn’t have a voice and gave them a voice. I think within my character, I hope to embody Walter Payton in the sense of wanting to look out for others and wanting to be somebody who gives back and be somebody who remembers their roots and where they came from,” Cabinda said in the release from the team. “When you’re in this position, you can have such an impact on these communities. You can have an impact knowing that the person that is standing in front of them is a person that has been in their shoes and has been sitting in their seats.”

A current Nittany Lion also received recognition on Tuesday, as Penn State men’s basketball senior forward John Harrar was named a top 30 candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award.

To be eligible for the award, a player must be classified as senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages athletes to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

From the list of 30 candidates, a committee will select 10 finalists in February. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.

Harrar has been actively involved in several community service initiatives throughout his time in Happy Valley, including the State College Area Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk, Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State initiatives, and volunteering at the Centre County United Way Day of Caring where he and the Nittany Lions have served breakfasts to the 1,500 volunteers.

Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry had this to say about Harrar in a recent press conference: “What that kid does every day – in practice, in the film room, in the locker room, on the court – that’s Penn State. When I got here and people started telling me about it –  I’ve got people on my staff from Penn State, and people in the community tell me about Penn State – what I hear that Penn State is, I see it every day and I see it in John and what he does and who he is.”

In addition to his success on the court (he is currently in the top 10 in the country in rebounding), Harrar is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in management and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in management and organizational leadership from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business.

Harrar is the well-documented leader for Penn State basketball. He was named a recipient of the 2021 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award, one of just 28 recipients amongst all Big Ten student-athletes in every sport. He is known for consistently bringing a strong leadership presence and outstanding work ethic that has been praised by opposing coaches and national media alike.

Harrar is also a two-time recipient of Big Ten Sportsmanship Award that is awarded to one member of each Big Ten team.

With players granted an extra year of eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic, returning to Penn State for an extra season was never a hard decision for the sixth-year forward, even with the possibility of transferring elsewhere on the table.
 
“I have no regrets coming back,” said Harrar. “This is home for sure.”