Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports
Penn State's Newest Basketball Commit Is a Point Guard From Iceland
Penn State's 2023 men's basketball roster will have at least one freshman after all. And he hails from Iceland. Bragi Gudmundsson, a guard who plays in Iceland's top club basketball league, has signed with Penn State and will be eligible for the 2023-24 basketball season.
Gudmundsson essentially is the first true freshman recruit to commit to Penn State coach Mike Rhoades. In addition, to Gudmundsson, Rhoades has rebuilt his roster with eight players from the NCAA Transfer Portal, including two from his former roster at VCU. The 6-5 Gudmundsson is the most interesting addition to Penn State's roster, considering he has international experience and has played in Iceland's highest-level professional league.
According to Eurobasket, the 19-year-old Gudmundsson has played the last four seasons with Grindavik of the Subway League, sponsored by the sandwich chain. He averaged 10 points, 4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season, shooting 40.6 percent from the field. Gudmundsson also shot 28.4 percent from 3-point range.
Gudmundsson has played for two teams in the Icelandic National basketball system and has been invited to play for the under-20 national team this summer. His parents both played for Iceland's national teams, and two brothers played Division I basketball in the U.S.
“We are extremely happy to have Bragi join our Penn State family," Rhoades said in a statement. "He comes from a great basketball family and fits our style of play and need. He will be one of our younger players, but his vast international experience will help him in his transition at Penn State. He is a dynamic guard who can really shoot it. We can’t wait to get him on campus and get to work.”
Gudmundsson joins an eclectic Penn State roster, which now features 12 scholarship players. Three were Lions last season, while eight others played for colleges such as North Carolina, Georgetown, Temple and Miami. Penn State is one scholarship player shy of having a full roster.
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