Andrew Jones channeled his inner Dwight Howard, coming out for the second round of a dunk contest in costume.
But instead of Superman, the junior center strode onto the court in a shirt and tie, rolled up khakis and thick glasses -- "DrewPa" had arrived.
"Going up against all these high flyers, I needed to consult a legend," Jones said to the crowd.
"So, I consulted JoePa."
It was a relaxed atmosphere at the Bryce Jordan Center Saturday morning as the Penn State men's basketball team held Hoops Fest.
The event marked the first time the Nittany Lions have played in front of a crowd since winning the National Invitational Tournament last April.
The team ran through a short scrimmage before entertaining fans in a three-point shootout, won by sophomore guard Cammeron Woodyard, and the dunk contest.
With official practice beginning Friday night and another one before the event, the players were tired but still wanted to put on a show for the fans.
"It was fun, it gave them a little slice of practice," junior guard Talor Battle said.
"It was kind of tough though because we had just practiced for two hours.
"We were trying to scrimmage and I looked over at coach and said 'I'm tired', so I was just kind of being the quarterback out there, getting everybody else shots."
During the scrimmage, which consisted of two 10-minute halves, the team's five true freshmen got to make their first impressions in front of a crowd.
Guard Tim Frazier provided the highlight play, stealing the ball from Battle and finishing with a breakaway dunk.
Frazier went on to showcase his athleticism in the dunk contest, edging Jones in the final with a windmill slam.
Freshman forward Bill Edwards showed his versatility throughout the event, advancing to the finals in the three-point contest and showcasing his passing during the scrimmage, including a no-look behind-the-back pass to Battle for a score.
"I think [the freshmen] are doing very well," junior forward David Jackson said.
"The main thing with them is that they're competing. They'll get the little things as practice goes on, and they'll be ready for the season.
"We're looking for them to come in and compete and get some minutes for us."
Battle, a first team All-Big Ten selection last year, received an ovation when he took his turn shooting threes.
The junior didn't shoot well, missing the second round, and looked upset with his performance as he looked on from the bench.
Coach Ed DeChellis thanked the fans for their support last season, and especially for traveling to New York during the NIT.
Jackson said he hopes the fan support continues to stay strong and that this year's team is "going to give them a show."
"I think we're going to have a very good season," Jackson said.
"We have a team that's going to go out there and compete every night, and that's what it takes to win in the Big Ten."
