B-ball recruit picks Penn after extra year

After he graduated from Susquehanna Township High in Harrisburg, Pa., incoming Penn men's basketball freshman Andrew Chubb didn't feel he was quite ready to enter the world of collegiate athletics or academics.

So, the 17-year-old high school grad decided to take a postgraduate year at Mercersburg Academy, at the same time turning down offers from some small Division I schools.

"I was really young when I graduated," Chubb said. "And the schools I was looking at weren't what I wanted at the time, so I decided to take another year because I knew it would help me get ready for school academically and physically."

Chubb didn't break any new ground when he chose Penn after a year at Mercersburg. Quakers forward Ugonna Onyekwe, last season's freshman sensation and Ivy League Rookie of the Year also took an extra year at Mercersburg after graduating from high school in London.

The fact that he was following in Onyekwe's footsteps was not lost on Chubb, who -- at 6'9" and 215 lbs. -- is also a power forward.

"I got to know Ugonna from playing in the Jersey Shore League last summer," Chubb said. "We kept in touch this year, and he helped me know what to expect both at Mercersburg and at Penn."

Chubb ultimately chose Penn over offers from mid-major schools such as Virginia Tech and Miami (Ohio), but he decided that Penn was the best combination of balls and books that he could find.

"In terms of academics and basketball, I figured that Penn was the one that would be the best fit," Chubb said. "I was looking for strong academics in business and/or engineering, and [Penn] definitely had one of the better basketball teams. Even though they're not as well-recognized, they play better competition."

Chubb should be able to get a good look at some of his new teammates -- and they at him -- as he plays in the Jersey Shore League again this summer.

The Quakers joining Chubb on LB Financial are sophomore point guard David Klatsky and the three other Penn recruits Jeff Schiffner, Charley Copp, and transfer Andrew Toole.

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