Opportunity is Knocking: Penn State battles Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament
Penn State is as close as it has been in years to a berth in the NCAA Tournament, and has the opportunity to potentially clinch a spot against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Nittany Lions sit on the bubble as they head to Chicago, with a win going a long way to ensuring that spot inside the big dance.
Coach Micah Shrewsberry and his Nittany Lions face a familiar foe in the Fighting Illini, who the blue and white defeated twice this season already. Shrewsberry knows it is difficult to defeat a team three times and is focused on getting his team ready for the test.
“We have to play well, that is the number one thing,” Shrewsberry said. “What’s happened before has no implications on what’s gonna happen on Thursday.”
This game has huge postseason implications for the blue and white, but that is not the main focus of the team. Shrewsberry and his squad understand that their focus is solely on the task at hand against the Illini.
“That’s all we’ve been doing these last few weeks,” Shrewsberry said. “We are just focused on what’s next and what is right in front of us.”
Penn State’s success over the Illini this season has been in large part due to the performance of their star point guard Jalen Pickett. Pickett was selected as a consensus First Team All-Big Ten for his performance all season but has been special against Illinois.
Pickett is averaging 30.5 points and seven assists per game against the Illini, including his masterpiece of 41 points and eight assists in the Nittany Lions' 93-81 win against Illinois at home. The matchup has favored Pickett all year, and he will look to continue to show out against the Illini in Chicago.
Another player who has had a lot of success this season against the Illini is Andrew Funk. Funk averages 15 points per game against Illinois and has knocked down eight three-pointers against them.
The duo of Pickett and Funk have made it extremely difficult for coach Brad Underwood and the Illini to deal with defensively. Illinois will try to counter Penn State’s shooting by running in transition with their guard Terrence Shannon Jr.
Shannon Jr. has been great for the Illini since transferring from Texas Tech and scored 20 points against Penn State inside the Bryce Jordan Center. Shannon Jr.’s ability to push the pace has the attention of the Penn State coaching staff.
“At times, Terrence Shannon Jr. can be a one-man fast break,” Shrewsberry said. “If you’re not sprinting back on every make or miss, then he’s getting there and either getting layups or getting fouled.”
Another aspect of this matchup that could favor Illinois is the atmosphere inside the United Center for the matchup. The United Center is only a two-hour drive from the University of Illinois and could play as a home-away-from-home for the Illini this week.
“This will be a road game,” Shrewsberry said. “Playing Illinois in Chicago, they have a good base and there will be a lot of orange in there.”
This is a huge game for both teams, with Illinois looking to gain momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament, and Penn State trying to earn their spot into March Madness. The matchup tips at 6:30 p.m. EST, with the winner going on to face Northwestern on Friday.
Adam Sheetz is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ads360@psu.edu.
