It seems appropriate that his doctor detected abnormally long arms when Geary Claxton was in his mother's womb.

It's interesting that he'd jump off his bunk bed and dunk on his mini basketball rim when he was 4 years old.

It's hard to believe Connecticut, Syracuse and Villanova demanded that he attend a prep school for a year before playing for their Division I programs.

It's fortunate for Penn State, though, that Claxton, the high-flying forward with an 85-inch wingspan, realized he was good enough to play at the collegiate level immediately after high school graduation.

"I guess [other schools] wanted to polish my game up and improve on some areas, but I didn't agree with that," Claxton said. "I wanted to go to a school that would give me a chance right away."

The West Haven, Conn., native deserved that chance after Penn State assistant coach James Johnson watched the swingman lead Hill Regional Career High School to victory against the top team in the state. Claxton recorded 43 points and left a pretty good impression on the Penn State coaching staff.

"We just didn't think he needed to go to prep school, and every once in a while, we have to make a decision," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "Geary has figured out how he can be successful offensively. He scores around the basket and rebounds. He's figured out where his stuff comes from on the floor. He's also a very good defender."

A two-time first-team all-state selection, Claxton averaged 27.2 points and 15 rebounds per game while guiding his team to the state quarterfinals during his senior year at Career High School. However, playing out of position as a 6-foot-5, 210-pound power forward left him off those lists featuring the top recruits in the country. There was uncertainty as to whether he'd make the transition from a power forward to a three-man or a guard as a college player.

"Coach Johnson had to convince Coach DeChellis that, even though everyone in the East wasn't recruiting this kid, that he could play at Penn State," Career High School coach Peter Evans said. "I knew that Geary could play. I haven't seen all of the freshmen in the country, but I watch college basketball, and there's not one that won't say he's not among the top 50 in the country."

Claxton's prowess and agility on the court make him arguably the best freshman in the Big Ten. He leads conference freshmen with 6.3 rebounds per game, and his 12.3 points per game rank him 23rd overall, second among freshmen.

Claxton plays basketball unlike any athlete the Lions have been able to recruit for some time now and is the marquee player in the Lions' rebuilding process.

"I think I can help this program," Claxton said. "We are an improving program that is rebuilding right now. It's not all about being on a winning team. Sometimes you have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top."

That's the way things have always been for Claxton. It wasn't until his senior year of high school that he could finally beat his dad in a one-on-one game. It took quite a while for the then-11-year-old Claxton to get used to playing in a Rec league with his father and his father's buddies at East Street Park.

"We told Geary, 'These are men. They aren't going to treat you like a little boy,' " Claxton's mother Michele said. "And he still says, 'That's always stuck with me, Dad. They never took it easy on me.' "

Maybe that's the place from which he draws the confidence that makes him look like anything but a freshman. He plays with zest as he floats up and down the court, playing aggressively on both sides of the ball. As freshman guard Danny Morrissey said, he plays without a conscience. He's not afraid to drive to the basket, pull up for a jumper, crash the offensive boards or go for a blocked shot.

Junior forward Travis Parker admires Claxton's competitiveness, although the two almost fist-fought after Parker claims to have beaten Claxton in a one-on-one game over the summer. And perhaps Claxton's best quality, as noted by DeChellis and freshman guard Mike Walker: he hates to lose.

"Right now, Geary is our man," Walker said. "We've kind of been riding him. He's really stepped up his game. He's turning into a complete player.

"Sometimes, in games like [the loss to Ohio State] when you play really well individually and you don't get any results as a team, I think you take it a little bit harder."

Claxton is a quiet guy. He doesn't say much until you get to know him, his teammates said. He never pumps a fist after a big basket. He never puts his head down after a rare bad play. He hardly ever cracks a smile after he throws down an alley-oop. He doesn't dwell on losses. He's just not a visibly emotional guy.

"I'm just quiet when I'm frustrated," Claxton said. "You want to win so bad. I know I want to win for my teammates and the coaching staff. I don't want the team to feel like we can't win."

Dismiss the idea that a player like Claxton is sure to transfer to a more basketball-oriented school. He takes pride in the prominent role his freshman class plays in the rebuilding process. That's what attracted him to Penn State, along with the coaching staff. And he said he "[likes] it here. Actually, I love it here and there's no place I'd rather be.

"I want this program to be a winning program, one of the ranked teams in the country and let Penn State not only be known as a football school but as a basketball school, too," he said. "I want this university's name to be all over the nation."

He wants to be part of all that. If he didn't feel like putting the effort forth, he'd be at a prep school, probably with UConn, Syracuse or Villanova knocking at his door.

Instead, he's at Penn State, and he's here to stay.