Daniil Kasatkin Leaving Penn State

Penn State guard Daniil Kasatkin has decided to return home to Russia to pursue a professional career. Kasatkin was originally from Vichuga, Russia before attending Mission Mountain for high school in Virginia. He came to Happy Valley as part of the 2018 recruiting class, joining Rasir Bolton and Myreon Jones

The Russian guard played very little in his short time with Penn State. He only appeared in 3 games, totaling 8 minutes, and did not register a point. Due to his lack of playing time, Kasatkin qualified for a redshirt year and was poised to be a redshirt freshman with four years of eligibility remaining.

While Kasatkin failed to make his presence felt in the Big Ten, he thrived during his time with the Russian U20 national team this summer. He averaged just under 20 points per game with the national team, helping them reach the semifinals of the FIBA European Championship. According to the school, it is not clear what role playing for the Russian U20 team had in his decision to turn pro in his home country. Pat Chambers told GoPSUsports.com, “He had an exceptional work ethic and helped make our team better. We’re excited for him in his decision to play professionally and look forward to seeing him excel in his career.”

Kasatkin’s departure opens up a scholarship for the Nittany Lions and it will be interesting to see what Chambers decides to do with it. He may look to the transfer market with the open scholarship, or possibly look to reward a walk-on.