Ed DeChellis reached out far to Texas, and it paid off.
High school senior shooting guard Chris Babb, from Arlington, Texas, gave a verbal commitment to the Penn State men's basketball team this past week. Scout.com lists Babb as a three-star recruit.
"It came down to the fact that he just went with his gut," Babb's father, Mike Babb said. "I know he was very impressed when he got there."
Babb, listed as the No. 34 shooting guard in the country, could fit in nicely at that position for Penn State. With Mike Walker's final season of eligibility completed, Babb would provide more depth at 3-point shooting along with junior Danny Morrissey.
The newest Nittany Lion also brings his 6-foot-4 frame to Penn State, which would make him the tallest guard by at least two inches. The two starting guards for most of the season, Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle, are listed at 5-foot-11 and 6-foot-1, respectively.
Babb, who will make his commitment official during the spring signing period, is from The Oakridge School, where he averaged 31.3 points per game this season. He also played on the AAU team (Amateur Athletic Union) Team Texas.
Babb's father said Penn State's Jeff Brooks and Battle played a part in encouraging Babb to commit to Penn State. Babb said his son hung out with the two and Battle spoke with his son on the phone.
Babb chose Penn State over schools including Iowa, Iowa State, Tulsa, Bradley and New Mexico, where he originally gave a verbal. Babb's father said his son's decision came down between Penn State and Iowa.
"It was real tough decision," Babb's father said. "He stressed. When I picked him up from school [Thursday], and he said he was going to make his decision."
Although his son will be playing far away, Babb said he would make sure to see his son, whether that would be traveling to or watching the games on television.
The elder Babb said he was relieved the whole process is over, as he took a lot of phone calls from schools that just recently showed interest in his son and wanted to evaluate him. But the commitment was made easier because of DeChellis.
"Just the way he sat down with him -- very calm," Mike Babb said. "Went over everything about the school, the program, what he's trying to do, what his vision is of Penn State basketball, and thought Chris would be a big part of it."
Penn State cannot officially comment on Babb until he officially signs, team spokesman Brian Siegrist said.
