The Nittany Lions head to Charleston: Furman Preview
Penn State is heading to Charleston to participate in the Charleston Classic this weekend. Its march to a tournament title begins today when it takes on a tough Furman squad.
The Nittany Lions have relied heavily on their ability to shoot the three in the first three games of the season. Coach Micah Shrewsberry loves the way his team is playing with the three ball as a weapon and expressed that point after their win last week against Loyola Maryland.
“Three’s are more than two’s,” Shrewsberry said. “If people are going to leave us open, we will shoot as many as possible.”
Shrewsberry’s squad has consistently been aggressive from the three-point game, as it has attempted 92 three’s this season. The volume of attempts has led to a majority of the points for the blue and white coming from behind the arc, as over 52% of Penn State points this season has been from deep.
Along with the elite shooting from the Nittany Lions has been unselfish play from senior captain Jalen Pickett. Pickett is averaging nine assists per game to start the season and is coming off an 11 assist performance in Penn State’s win over Butler.
Pickett recorded the second triple-double in Penn State history in the win with an impressive 15 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. The only other Nittany Lion to achieve the stat line was Calvin Booth in 1998. Side note: Calvin’s son Carey will be joining the team in 2023 as a highly-touted recruit.
If Shrewsberry’s squad wants to have success in Charleston, it will need to finish strong, which is something the team struggled to do against Butler. Shrewsberry was not pleased with the way the team finished against the Bulldogs.
“We didn’t perform well at the end,” Shrewsberry said. “I think some of that is us not playing together yet.”
Penn State turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions in the final three minutes against the Bulldogs, allowing Butler to cut into a 14-point deficit. If Penn State wants to have success, it will need to finish those close games a lot better.
The Charleston Classic will be the first time Coach Shrewsberry takes his team away from the Bryce Jordan Center, as they open up with Furman. The Paladins sit at 2-0 on the season, and have not suited up since Nov. 11, making them well-rested heading into the tournament.
Furman has looked phenomenal in its first two games, with impressive wins over North Greenville and Belmont. The Paladins are led by fifth-year senior Mike Bothwell, who comes into the Charleston Classic averaging 20.5 points.
Bothwell also gets help from another fifth-year senior in forward Jalen Slawson, who is second on the team in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. With the dynamic guard-big combo, the Paladins will present an interesting test for the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions and the Paladins will open up play on Thursday, with tip off set for 11:30 a.m.
Adam Sheetz is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ads360@psu.edu.
