Senior Spotlight - Cordell Muthler

Hazleton, Pa. - Men's Basketball player, Cordell Muthler of Mill Hall, Pa. is at the center of today's senior spotlight. Muthler attended Central Mountain High School before joining Penn State DuBois where he played basketball for two seasons. Cordell transferred to Penn State Hazleton in the fall of 2018 and continued to play basketball while pursuing a Business Degree in Marketing and Management.

Cordell played in just six games during the 2018-19 season at Hazleton but continued to spend countless hours in the gym and eventually reaped the benefits of the hard work during his senior season. Cordell worked his way into the lineup for 20 games during his final year on the court, playing valuable minutes down the stretch as Hazleton made their way to a third straight post-season berth. On February 21, Muthler added one of his best performances of the season, pouring in 13 points while going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc as Hazleton topped Schuylkill on senior night in the Dr. Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium.

Cordell will graduate later this year and currently plans to attend graduate school abroad at Darby University in the United Kingdom where he will continue his studies in business.

We caught up with Cordell earlier in the week for a brief interview:

What was your favorite memory playing basketball at Penn State Hazleton?

Watching Andy Kwiatkowski hit a three at the buzzer to beat Brandywine by one point was probably my favorite moment. We celebrated the life of Shay (Nelson) that night, so to come out, play hard and win it in that way…really made it even more special.

What impact did basketball have on your collegiate experience?

Basketball always kept me motivated to improve myself, both in class and in the gym. It kept me competitive and challenged me in all sorts of ways.

How are you managing everything during the statewide shutdown?

I have a lot of classes which keeps me busy, but it's definitely been an adjustment period. I'm taking interviews for summer jobs and working out as much as possible. You have to get creative with no gyms open. I was bench pressing a chair the other day.

Are there any teammates, coaches or family members you would like to recognize for having a positive impact on your career?

All of my teammates were great the past two years. I especially want to thank Andy for being such a great supporter and sharing his work ethic with me. Also a big shout out to Coach Fiore for giving me the ability to always see the upside in things.