Penn State nabbed its highest-ranked commitment in years on Wednesday evening, when four-star forward Carey Booth announced his intention to sign with the Nittany Lions. Booth is the third member of the program’s 2023 class and hopes to be a cornerstone of head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s rebuilding project.
Below, Rivals has a look at what Penn State is getting in its newest pledge as well as what the news means for the big picture.
WHAT PENN STATE IS GETTING
The son of Penn State star turned Denver Nuggets GM Carey Booth, the newest Nittany Lion comes with good bloodlines, but he’s far more than just pedigree. Booth is all of 6-foot-9 and has become a much more skilled and versatile offensive option in the past year. He’s able to stretch the floor and his jumper is consistent enough to keep defenders honest. He’s a willing rebounder that will improve on that front as he bulks up and adds size. Booth's main battle will be with adding weight, which will help his game in innumerable ways. As things stand, however, he brings some decent defensive versatility because of his long frame, shot blocking and ability to move his feet on the perimeter and stay in front of smaller guards for short bursts when he gets caught in a switch. On the days where Booth has his jumper working from deep, he’s capable of scoring outbursts that feature him taking defenders off the bounce as well as pouring it in from distance.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE NITTANY LIONS
There’s no telling how year two of the Micah Shrewsberry in State College will go, but things on the recruiting trail seem to be trending in the right direction. Booth, who checks in at No. 80 in the Rivals150, is the highest ranked high school recruit the program has landed since it snagged Tony Carr in 2016. One recruit doesn’t make a program, but Booth’s trust in Shrewsberry may say something about the new head coach’s ability to improve the school’s talent level long term. The four-star forward pairs with guard Logan Imes and Shrewsberry’s son, Braeden Shrewsberry, who had an impressive close to the summer playing on the adidas 3SSB Circuit and is flirting with breaking into the back end of the Rivals150.
IN HIS WORDS:
““I chose Penn State because I built best relationship with the coaching staff there and I feel like I have the best chance to succeed at that school.” -- Booth to Rivals.com Travis Graff.
