What Penn State men’s basketball’s first 5 games mean for the rest of the season
Penn State men’s basketball is in the midst of a nine-day break from game action with only Big Ten play ahead. The Nittany Lions have opened the season 3-2 with an 0-1 record in the Big Ten.
The team has dealt with a tumultuous offseason that led to plenty of upheaval in the program. Former head coach Pat Chambers resigned from his post in October after an internal investigation into Chambers and his program. His departure created questions within the team and caused the players to display their frustration during the team’s media day in November.
Several players — like team leaders Jamari Wheeler and Myles Dread — voiced displeasure with his departure and said they had yet to receive answers on why he resigned.
Yet, through five games, the team has stuck together under interim head coach Jim Ferry, who was previously an assistant coach who coordinated the team’s offense.
They’ve relied on a spread attack to blitz teams from deep when they have the ball and a frantic defense that tries to wreak havoc and cause chaos for their opponents.
Let’s take a look at what the team’s first five games under Ferry say about where he can lead it the rest of the way.
Offense
The Nittany Lion offense came into the season without its primary option from last year after Lamar Stevens left for the NBA. Without Stevens, there was no clear-cut option to lead the team in scoring. Instead, it would have to rely on the collective offensive effort and style to outscore opponents.
“I think we have more 3-point shooting than we have in the past,” Ferry said at the team’s preseason media day. “We might not have size or a post-up guy to go, too. ... Very, very unselfish team. We’re quick, we’re athletic.”
Thus far, that approach has worked and has led to any number of players stepping up to lead the offense. Only one player has reached double-digits in every game this year and three different players have led the team in scoring. Junior guard Sam Sessoms — who transferred from Binghamton in the offseason after he averaged 19.4 points per game there — is the only player to hit double figures in every game and has yet to lead the team in scoring.
The team’s offense is currently No. 33 in the country in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency — an estimate of the number of points a team would score against an average Division I defense per 100 possessions. The Nittany Lions’ success can mostly be attributed to their lack of turnovers offensively. They turn the ball over on roughly 15.1% of their possessions, good for 23rd in the nation.
Their ability to maximize offensive possessions, along with their 37.7% shooting from beyond the arc, has helped mitigate their lack of a go-to scorer. They’re able to generate more shots than their opponents, even if they don’t make them as efficiently.
Defense
The story of Penn State’s defense isn’t dissimilar to the story of its offense. The Nittany Lions lost Mike Watkins after he exhausted his eligibility last season, which took away a stalwart on that end of the court. Watkins was an elite rim protector and good rebounder who solidified the interior for the team.
Instead, Penn State has a collection of guards and wings that can pressure ball handlers and force turnovers.
“We have the ability to go small,” Ferry said. “Which can cause some problems as long as on the other end we can really compete and defend and rebound the basketball.”
Penn State has excelled at forcing teams to make quick decisions this year and that starts with Wheeler. The senior guard is leading the team with two steals per game after leading the Big Ten in then stat last season. He’s a pest at the point of attack and will be
Wheeler may be a one-man wrecking crew at the point of attack but he’s far from the only high-level defender through five games. The Nittany Lions as a whole have also lived up to Ferry’s expectation prior to the season. They compete and defend to the tune of earning steals on 12.6% of their opponents’ possessions through the first five games. That’s 29th in the country and a sustainable number given the way they play, which includes applying pressure on the perimeter and double teaming post players when they have a mismatch on one of the team’s guards.
Those turnovers can help make up for the easy looks the team could give up in the post as the season moves forward.
Outlook
The biggest takeaway through five games for Penn State is that they’ve established something Chambers’ teams had lacked — a clear identity.
The Nittany Lions are an undersized team that beats teams by winning the turnover battle and making shots from deep. They rely on several key players on both ends of the court and have several options that can step up on any given night.
With that being said, the rest of the season will not be easy. They still play in the toughest conference in the country and will have to battle every time they take the court. Getting to .500 in conference play should be the goal, with an 8-12 or 9-11 record in the Big Ten being an acceptable outcome.
In most years that could lead to an NCAA Tournament berth, but the shortened non-conference season makes it difficult to project forward. Still, the Nittany Lions have a much brighter outlook than they did one month ago and a legitimate chance to make the big dance.
