Game Grades: Penn State Men’s Basketball vs.Indiana
After suffering two disappointing losses to Purdue and Michigan, the Nittany Lions got back into the win column, defeating the Indiana Hoosiers 85-66.
Here’s a breakdown of how the team fared in the game.
Offense: A+
Penn State’s offense was in full force against Indiana as the Nittany Lions torched the Hoosiers for 85 points. The team shot the ball at a terrific clip, hitting 54% from the field and 58% from beyond the arc.
They once again displayed their dynamic perimeter shooting, knocking down 18 3-point shots. This mark tied the program-record that they set in their season opener against Winthrop.
The best part about this game was the Nittany Lions proved they could survive without Jalen Pickett taking 20 shots or more. Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk combined for 48 points and 14 made triples on the night. Lundy also eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark with his 25 points.
Pickett contributed 12 points, but he displayed his ability to distribute with eight assists. Things are starting to click once again for Penn State and it’s trouble for Big Ten opponents.
Defense: A-
At first glance, it would seem that the defense for the Nittany Lions was tremendous and deserves an A+, but there were some big holes in the game.
The Nittany Lions did force 11 turnovers and held the Hoosiers to 44% shooting from the field and just 29% from three, but they gave up 13 offensive rebounds and 40 points in the second half. Better teams are going to take advantage of this and convert more often which spells trouble for the blue and white.
They did have a lot of success in shutting down the top two players for Indiana in freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino and senior Trayce Jackson-Davis. The two combined for just 25 points and were 9-for-25 from the field.
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry should be happy with the overall performance of his defense in this game. They followed the game plan with great weak side help on Jackson-Davis, but there are some issues that continue to hurt them this season.
Coaching: A
For Coach Shrewsberry and his staff, this game felt like a must-win and they did just that. After suffering two tough losses, they hatched a game plan that was perfect for them to get back in the win column.
They looked sharp and ready on both ends of the court and they took away things that Indiana was aiming to do. The biggest thing was getting their star Jackson-Davis as many touches as possible.
The blue and white forced him to be a passer rather than a scorer and it worked well for them. They forced Indiana to make threes to keep up and they couldn’t.
Coach Shrewsberry found a way to get open looks for their best shooter, Andrew Funk, as he was able to get free and shoot his way out of a cold stretch of games.
One of the biggest changes that the coaches have made is the development and usage of freshman Evan Mahaffey. Shrewsberry has clearly shown a commitment to his progression and he is a budding star as he adds athleticism and versatility both offensively and defensively.
Penn State will look to keep heating up as it travels to Wisconsin next Tuesday.
Thomas English is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email tfe5082@psu.edu.
