Here’s 3 takeaways from Penn State basketball’s 98-81 loss to Illinois
Penn State men’s basketball played its first home Big Ten game of the season Wednesday night when they took on the Illinois FIghting Illini at the Bruce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions fell to Illinois, 98-81 to drop to 3-3 on the season and 0-2 in Big Ten play.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
1. The Nittany Lions continue to start off hot...
Penn State couldn’t miss early in Wednesday night’s game. The Nittany Lions were hitting on all cylinders offensively to the tune of a 19-4 run to open the contest. They were creating offensively with transition opportunities and 3-pointers in the half court. The defense may have been even more impressive than the offense in the run that lasted 5:01. Guards and wings helped stifle Illinois center Kofi Cockburn early in the game by digging down from the perimeter when he got the ball in the post.
The early action of the game indicated a Penn State team that had a sound strategy to create chaos defensively and push the pace offensively with high levels of activity.
2. ...and continue to blow big leads
Their hot start quickly dissipated with Illinois regaining the lead at one point in the first half and heading into halftime tied at 43. The activity level dropped off from the perimeter on defense and senior center John Harrar went to the bench, opening the door for Cockburn. Harrar is the only Nittany Lion with the requisite strength to guard the 285-pound Illinois big man and once he left the court, Penn State was in trouble.
Forward Trent Buttrick and center Abdou Tsimbila aren’t equipped to handle Cockburn for different reasons. Buttrick isn’t long enough or quick enough to contest his looks on the interior, while Tsimbila isn’t strong enough or experienced enough to handle him. Cockburn’s 10-of-10 start from the field was the fuel the Illini needed to eliminate Penn State’s strong start.
3. Big teams are going to cause problems
Cockburn’s success signifies a bigger problem for Penn State that the Nittany Lions need to handle. They’re going to face some of the best big men in the country this year — including the likely Big Ten Player of the Year in Luka Garza — and still don’t have a 40-minute answer for when they do. They’ve shown the ability to stop effective big men for stretches with the aforementioned digging from the perimeter, but it hasn’t been sustainable as the Nittany Lions lose energy as the game wears on.
The problem isn’t going to go away unless Harrar can stay out of foul trouble and play upward of 30 minutes per night, which is not realistic. The best answer may be taking their lumps against the best in the country, and hoping they can outpace their opponents with their shooting from deep. Outside of that — or keeping up the pressure for 40 minutes — there may not be a quality option for the Nittany Lions to improve in their post defense.
