Penn State Basketball Stock Report
In the final game of the regular season at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Penn State Nittany Lions (16-15) came to play. The team had a complete effort from the starters with several of them putting up impressive stats. But some of the best performances came from the guys whose contributions will not show up on the stat sheet.
Stock Up: Jordan Dickerson
The senior center was a defensive menace all day for the Nittany Lions and made every shot difficult for Illinois down the stretch. There was a moment, however, late in the second half where Dickerson kept his hands down and an Illinois player had an uncontested lay-up. But after that, Dickerson made it his mission to make every shot difficult. Malcolm Hill, who had a game high 39 for Illinois, had several shots altered by Dickerson and had a hard time getting much going late. There was also a play where a Nittany Lion defender was beat and Dickerson sent the shot several rows deep. He set the tone on defense and helped propel his team to victory in what could be his last game at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Stock Up: Josh Reaves
The freshman guard has been a difference maker this season when healthy and has a bright future ahead of him in Happy Valley. Reaves put in an all-around performance with 13 points and seven rebounds. He also added two steals and three blocks to once again show he is a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end. Reaves also capitalized on a pivotal inbounds pass to Garner in overtime to help him run free and waste valuable clock time. With a potential three years to come, this young guard has show he can be a real force for a Pat Chambers team and brings the toughness that he looks for in a guard.
Stock Up: Shep Garner
This late season run Shep Garner has gone on has to have fans excited for what we can do as the primary scorer next season. Garner put up 22 points, including the game-tying basket in regulation to send the game to the first of two overtimes. Garner was also instrumental in putting Illinois in the bonus, attacking the basket on multiple plays and not settling for long jump shots.
Garner is a dynamic guard who is the Nittany Lions biggest threat shooting the basketball and doing everything that was needed Sunday for Coach Chambers’ squad. In the last few games, Garner has been above and beyond the best player on this team and has finally found a consistency that fans had been hoping for all season.
Stock Up: Donovon Jack
Donovon Jack represented the only spark off of the bench with his 10 point performance and would switch off late in the game with Dickerson to have a deadly one-two punch on offense and defense. Jack's contributions helped to push past an Illinois team who did not get much in the way of help for Hill. Jack will look to make the most of his final days as a member of a team he has adored playing with this season.
David Arroyo is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email arroyodavid01@gmail.com.
