Penn State Sports Magazine
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4 0 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M echoed his coach. Pickett, a preseason All-Big Ten pick, foresaw the Lions maintaining their defensive intensity, but he also liked their potential on the offensive end. "We're a tough group," he said. "We play a lot of different styles and a lot of different guards and different combina- tions. But, the way we guard is just to be tough. We're going to make people work for everything they get on offense. We're going to set solid screens, we're going to share the ball. "That's the pretty part," he added. "We say 'gritty, not pretty.' But, the offense is kind of pretty. We shoot a lot of threes. We want to be pretty on offense, but gritty on defense." Penn State was the Big Ten's stingiest defensive team last season, allowing only 65.0 points per game, but its offensive production was just the opposite. The Nittany Lions managed just 64.6 points per game in conference play, the league's lowest average. Penn State's deliberate style of play was entirely intentional. The Nittany Lions wanted to slow down games and force opponents to show patience to find shots. They took the same approach on the op- posite end of the court, often waiting for late shot clock looks themselves. That formula helped produce a 14-17 overall record, but as the team's offensive capabilities have improved, Shrewsberry has been less intent on slowing down the pace of play. On the front end of that equation is a group of veteran returnees. In Pickett and senior forward Seth Lundy, the Nittany Lions have brought back their top two scorers from the 2021-22 season. Guard Myles Dread has also returned for a bonus year of eligibility, having knocked down 55 three-pointers a year ago, and another sharpshooting threat, junior guard Dal- lion Johnson, is in reserve and active from the bench. With Funk and Wynter now in the fold, plus two big men who can hit from deep in junior Caleb Dorsey and freshman Kebba Njie, Penn State has set a new course. "We've got dudes that can really shoot it, and shoot a bunch of them. And not just one. If people are going to leave us open, we're going to shoot as many as possible," Shrewsberry said. "They're worried about it, which opens up driv- ing lanes, which opens up guys attacking again." Through the first two weeks of the season, Penn State notched wins against Winthrop, Loyola Maryland, Butler, Fur- man and Colorado State, dropping only one game, a 61-59 decision to Virginia Tech in the second game of the Charleston Classic. Those results were in line with Shrewsberry's stated intent. Making 12.5 three-pointers per outing, the Nittany Lions were No. 4 nationally in the category, with their 42.4 percent three-point shooting average ranking 16th nationally. The Lions were also 16th in three-point attempts per game (29.5). Led by Pickett, who went into PSU's game against Clemson on Nov. 29 ranked fifth nationally at 7.6 assists per game and leading the team with a 15.1-point scor- ing average, the Nittany Lions can pen- etrate and score, or dish to open perimeter shooters. They have shown themselves to be dangerous and versatile, with Dread (52.8 percent) and Funk (38.8) both among the most proficient three-point shooters nationally. "That means we're connected, that means we're locked in offensively, that means we're playing the right way, we're sharing it," Shrewsberry said. "We've got dudes that can put it on the deck, too. So now, once [opponents] start running at us, we'll be able to attack and get to the rim more." Set to face Michigan State and Illinois in the Big Ten's two-game December teaser, Penn State is likely to see its early num- bers decline as the competition improves. Even so, having established itself as a potent shooting team from beyond the arc, PSU appears fully capable of exploit- ing opponents' weaknesses. "When you take guys away, there are other people. There are a lot of capable guys," Shrewsberry said. "I tell them all the time, 'I believe in every single one of you.' Because, who can you focus on?" Eager to display its offensive versatility, Penn State is hoping to leave opponents without an answer. ■ Coach Micah Shrewsberry went into the season believing the Lions had improved their offensive outlook after averaging a league-low 64.6 points per game in Big Ten play last year. "We have the potential to score a lot bet- ter and score a lot easier," he said. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE P E N N S T A T E M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E Date Opponent Time (TV) Nov. 7 WINTHROP W, 93-68 Nov. 10 LOYOLA (Md.) W, 90-65 Nov. 14 BUTLER* W, 68-62 Nov. 17 Furman** W, 73-68 Nov. 18 Virginia Tech** L, 61-59 Nov. 20 Colorado State** W, 68-56 Nov. 25 LAFAYETTE W, 70-57 Nov. 29 at Clemson 7 p.m. (ESPNU) Dec. 7 MICHIGAN STATE 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Dec. 10 at Illinois Noon (BTN) Dec. 18 CANISIUS Noon (BTN) Dec. 22 QUINNIPIAC 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Dec.29 DELAWARE STATE 2 p.m. (B1G+) Jan. 1 IOWA 5:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 4 MICHIGAN 7 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 8 Purdue ^^ 4 or 6 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 11 INDIANA 7 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 17 at Wisconsin 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 21 NEBRASKA 2:15 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 24 at Rutgers 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 29 MICHIGAN Noon (BTN) Feb. 1 at Purdue 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 5 at Nebraska 4:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 8 WISCONSIN 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 11 at Maryland Noon (BTN) Feb. 14 ILLINOIS 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at Minnesota 7 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 23 at Ohio State 6:30 p.m. (FS1) Feb. 26 RUTGERS 6:30 p.m. (BTN) March 1 at Northwestern 9 p.m. (BTN) March 5 MARYLAND Noon (BTN) Mar. 8-12 Big Ten Tournament # TBA * Gavitt Tipoff Games ** at Charleston (S.C.) Classic ^ ACC/Big Ten Challenge ^^ at Philadelphia/The Palestra # at Chicago/United Center