How Penn State basketball coach Pat Chambers’ continued confidence in Myles Dread paid off vs. Indiana
Myles Dread couldn’t help but smile.
The sophomore guard trotted into a crowd of teammates with the edges of his mouth curled and his teeth beaming as Indiana head coach Archie Miller called a timeout. Just seven seconds prior, with 14:34 left in the second half of Penn State’s 64-49 win over the Hoosiers, Dread laced home an open 3-pointer.
The made shot, his first from deep in the game, sent him spinning around to get back on defense along the sideline near the Penn State bench. Nittany Lions head coach Pat Chambers met Dread as he swiveled his body toward the opposite end of the floor and connected with a fervent high-five. The sophomore guard continued past Chambers before regrouping with his teammates.
The fact that Dread made an open look from deep isn’t unusual, but it has become infrequent of late, and his willingness to continue firing from deep had Chambers filled with exuberance.
Chambers leaned forward and laughed when he was asked about the sequence after the game, presenting a smile not unlike the one Dread wore.
He wasn’t reacting to Dread making the shot. He was reacting to him taking it.
“He had just shot an airball, and he was running his lane, like he’s supposed to, and I was screaming at him,” he said.
“Shoot it again, shoot it again, shoot it again,” Chambers relayed as the side of his hand pounded the podium in congruence with each utterance of the phrase.
The Penn State head coach’s continued confidence in his players’ shooting isn’t a surprise but it’s certainly important for a player like Dread. Shooters can go hot and cold. Rarely do players who shoot 40% from 3-point range go out every night and make four 3-pointers on five attempts. They make 1-of-7 one night then go back and make 4-of-6 on another and eventually fall somewhere in between the two extremes over the course of the season.
For Dread, the extreme was a negative one through 19 games of the 2019-2020 season. The 20-year-old entered Wednesday night’s win over Indiana making 28.6% of his shots from deep on 5.9 attempts per game. Last year he made 35.6% of the same shots on the same numbers of attempts.
Chambers has said in the past he has confidence in Dread as a shooter and believes in his shot, but that hadn’t led to positive results of late. That confidence has kept Dread’s attempts per game high, even if his makes stay low.
“I think when you give your players that type of confidence the ball is going to find its way into the basket,” Chambers said.
The sophomore hadn’t made more than a single three in a game since the Nittany Lions beat Iowa in the Palestra on Jan. 4. Even then it took him eight attempts to make two of his 3-pointers. You have to go all the way back to Dec. 20 against Central Connecticut State, when he went 3-of-4, to find a game where Dread took multiple 3-pointers and made at least 30% of them.
That changed Wednesday night when he made 2-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc. There could be more success on the horizon for Dread. He could be on the verge of finding a hot streak to counteract his cold spell. If he does, it could have a big impact on Penn State.
“You know eventually he’s got to come back,” senior guard Curtis Jones Jr. said with a smile. “He’s coming back now. He’s starting to hit shots.”
In a team that isn’t filled with marksmen from beyond the arc, it’s important for Dread to get back on track. He provides necessary spacing to allow players like senior forward Lamar Stevens and redshirt sophomore guard Izaiah Brockington to go to work in the lane and attack the rim. If he isn’t making shots it’s easier for players to sag off him and lean toward the paint, closing off attacking lanes for his teammates. Dread’s success could be a game-changer for Penn State.
“Myles is resilient,” Jones Jr. said. “He’s going to shoot the ball regardless ... I think it’s great for us.”
Jones Jr.’s acknowledgment of Dread and his excitement to see his success are glimpses into the value of the sophomore’s success. His teammates know he’s an important piece of the puzzle. His success Wednesday night helped propel his team to an important victory. The Nittany Lions secured their 15th victory in only 20 games, surpassing last year’s season total and climbing back over .500 in the Big Ten at 5-4.
The game could be a one-off. It could be an aberration for Dread.
Or it could be a sign of things to come for one of Penn State’s most important players.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 12:03 PM.
