Three takeaways from Penn State basketball’s performance at the Charleston Classic
Penn State left the Charleston Classic with a 2-1 record after playing threes games in four days, all of which came against teams currently in the top 85 of Ken Pomeroy’s KenPom efficiency ratings. The Nittany Lions, who are No. 31 in the KenPom rankings, defeated No. 61 Furman and No. 85 Colorado State while losing to No. 30 Virginia Tech.
Here are three takeaways from the Nittany Lions’ trip to South Carolina.
Shooting success continues
Penn State started off the season well but plenty of questions remained about just how good the start was. The Nittany Lions started off hot from beyond the arc in their first three games and it became clear that was not misleading while the team was in Charleston. They shot well in two of the three games, with the only “off” game coming against Colorado State in a matchup they won by 12 that was never really in doubt.
They can go deep into the rotation with capable shooters and that has allowed for the Nittany Lions to play around Jalen Pickett in a different way. Last year the team focused on getting him ball screens to give him an advantage as he drove into the lane, but now they can go directly to the end purpose of having him in the paint with four shooters around him. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry frequently posts Pickett up near the rim where he can use his physicality and size to score or his vision and passing to find those shooters on the outside. Pickett’s versatility was key over the weekend in Charleston and allows the Nittany Lions to take different forms depending on the opponent.
Scoring efficiency not a problem
The biggest point of consternation for Penn State early in the season has been the team’s lack of elite size to protect the paint. The last three games reinforce something that I’ve thought would be the case — it’s not an issue. Yes, teams will be able to score over the top of Penn State’s defenders when the Nittany Lions go small, but the team has enough strength that even then it won’t matter all that much. Pickett and other players like Myles Dread and Seth Lundy who may be asked to defend in the post are sturdy and strong. They are difficult to move and can force defenders to take shots from eight feet out rather than right at the rim.
That might not seem like a big deal, but the opponent’s efficiency will take a hit moving that little bit out. Not to mention, Penn State’s shooting from deep will likely give it a scoring efficiency in most games. No matter how many points in the paint the team gives up, the difference in its points in the paint and the opponents should still be less than the difference in its points from beyond the arc and the opponent’s shots from the same area.
Evan Mahaffey’s role should keep growing
Four of Penn State’s five freshmen have seen the court this season already and the group should be able to contribute quite a bit this season. Kebba Njie leads the bunch as the most likely to start this year given the team’s center depth. He’s strong and athletic and has the touch to make things happen in the paint on offense. Despite that impact, I bet he won’t be the freshman the team is talking about most by the season’s end.
That distinction should belong to Evan Mahaffey. Mahaffey is long and athletic and can make just as much of an impact defensively as he can offensively right now and should be able to make a large one on both ends by the end of the season. He came into the game against Virginia Tech and helped spur the team’s run that nearly won it the game. He created chaos on defense with his length and instincts, jumping passing lanes and disrupting shot attempts. He used his activity on offense to get rebounds and extra possessions while finding open teammates off them for good looks at the rim. Mahaffey may not have had the pedigree of other recruits but his impact is clear and will only continue to grow as the season moves along.
