Many times, one of the biggest factors in recruiting is the relationship between the player and the coach.

That was the biggest factor for Ben Luber, who signed a letter of intent to play for the Penn State men's basketball team next season.

Luber, a point guard, chose a struggling Penn State squad over many other schools because he wanted to play for Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn.

He orally committed last winter, and the deciding moment came at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, when Luber said that Dunn cared about the person as well as the player.

Even with all of the Nittany Lions' losses this season, the Council Rock native remains happy with the decision he made.

"His attitude has been great," Council Rock North H.S. coach Derek Wright said. "The staff are good people, he feels comfortable with the opportunity to be a part of Penn State rising again."

Luber, who is averaging 22 points, six assists and four rebounds per game, remains fixed on the idea that Dunn is a good coach. Luber said that Dunn has had previous success by taking the 2000 team to the Sweet Sixteen and that the future remains bright.

All of the rumors that surround the uncertainty of Dunn's future with Penn State don't bother Luber.

"I hear things but nothing is really reliable," Luber said. "All I know is that he's still my coach next season. I'll worry about that if a problem arises." Luber took unofficial visits to Georgetown and Rutgers. Iowa State, Charlotte and Villanova also expressed interest in Luber. He received a lot of attention from Wright's brother, Villanova coach Jay Wright. Luber said that as a freshman in high school Jay Wright, who was coaching at Hofstra, started recruiting him. Jay continued to pursue him at Villanova, but Luber became uninterested last year, after Villanova signed the highly touted duo of Randy Foye and Allan Ray.

One of the major questions surrounding Luber has been his smallish frame, which may have pushed away some recruiters. He stands at 6-foot, 160 pounds. Wright said that Luber needs to get bigger and stronger to play at the college level, but doesn't expect that his size to limit him.

Luber has the true point-guard mentality and uses his abilities to his advantage. He uses his quickness and ability to shoot pull-up jump shots, because he realizes that he can't challenge bigger players at the rim.

With Luber having done everything possible in a career entering his senior season, Wright challenged him to help Council Rock North win a conference title. Luber rose to the challenge and won the championship, and has propelled his team to victories in the first two district playoff games.

Facing a deficit in the second half against Truman H.S., Luber told his Council Rock North teammates to give him the ball and clear out of the lane, and that he would find them or score himself.

He didn't disappoint, carrying his team to a 56-53 victory in his final home game in the first round of district playoffs.

"It was awesome, any Penn State basketball fan would have loved to see it," Wright said. "He got to the basket and the foul line, and he never took his focus off winning."

Wright called Luber "the best player ever to go to Council Rock North."

Penn State will need Luber to be that good at Penn State for it to return to glory, with or without Dunn at the helm.