How assistant coach Mike Farrelly helped Penn State find their energy in win over Quinnipiac
To some extent, the actions outside of the Bryce Jordan Center matched the energy inside it Thursday.
Outside, cars moved slowly over the slush covered roads, proceeding with caution as snow and rain fell. Inside, the Penn State men’s basketball team mirrored those movements, struggling to find the zeal necessary to win against a Quinnipiac team it should handle with ease.
Eventually, the Nittany Lions did enough, defeating the Bobcats 77-68. They found the verve to close things out, in part because of the enthusiasm and passion from assistant coach Mike Farrelly that helped keep things rolling when Penn State began to pull away.
“He’s awesome, man,” Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “I tell him all the time, he’s one of the best hype men in the game. He gets our guys so ready. As they’re warming up, as they’re coming back in the locker room, out of the locker room, he’s great at that. He’s got incredible energy.”
Farrelly’s energy was obvious throughout the game. He’s always one of the most active coaches on the court, but that increases even more when he’s in charge of scouting the opponent and creating a game plan.
That was clearly the case Thursday as he was leading the way with instructions, shouting to the Nittany Lions on both ends of the court.
Those are the times that everyone on the court can feel Farrelly’s presence.
“(He) is like very detail oriented in his scouts,” Shrewsberry said. “He knows what’s coming, what’s next, what they go to. ... I’ve got a great staff. ... They understand basketball, they’ve been through it. They know what this time is, helping our guys get up for these. This felt like a closed scrimmage.”
Thursday’s game was always going to be difficult for Penn State from an energy perspective. A brief break to go home for the holidays was coming and the weather outside led to a smaller crowd than usual. It would make sense for the players’ minds to be lingering elsewhere.
And it seemed they did early. There was a distinct lack of energy emanating from the bench, with the exception of a select few players. A shout of “pick each other up” from Myles Dread after he came out of the game and a celebration after an alley-oop that Kebba Njie finished — one that drew a celebratory snarl from Shrewsberry — were the brief glimpses of Penn State’s usual vigor.
That began to change in the second half, partially because of the liveliness Farrelly brought. Penn State defended on the end of the court away from its bench, with the assistant coach drifting closer to the court as he shouted instructions — and crouched to focus on what was unfolding on the other end.
He yelled, and the players responded. He told them to watch for certain actions and certain sets, and they happened with his players prepared.
That’s a testament to what Shrewsberry said about Farrelly’s preparedness, but it also says a lot about how the players handle him and embrace his energy on the court.
After all, it is the norm for what the players he was motivating see day in and day out.
“Coach Farrelly is always yelling and screaming no matter what day it is, who’s in the crowd or not, and at practice,” senior guard Jalen Pickett said.
To a large extent, there’s only so much an assistant can do. He can prepare the players, shout instructions and give the team added energy. But still, as Pickett added, the players need to want it themselves. There will be more games like this and it’s on them to be ready and play at a high level. They have to make things happen on the court.
But on Thursday, the players needed some help. Farrelly wasn’t the one making the play, but his impact was felt.
His spirit and passion helped light the fire that led to Penn State’s victory.
“If your talk and your mindset are in the right place then you’ll be ready to go,” senior forward Mikey Henn said. “And you have guys like Farrelly talking and screaming and yelling and I’m just trying to piggyback off of him and do the same type of thing.”
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 9:30 AM.
