Penn State Men’s Basketball vs. Wisconsin Game Grades

Story posted February 7, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Grant Sheets

On a day that was seemingly doomed from the very start, Penn State fell just short of a second consecutive upset victory, losing 51-49 against No. 11 Wisconsin on Saturday evening.

Due to travel delays, the Nittany Lions arrived at the team hotel in Madison just three hours prior to tipoff.

Despite the restless journey to the Kohl Center, a venue Penn State has never won a game in, the team still managed to put together a gritty performance against their conference rival.

Here’s a look at the game grades for Penn State in their defeat to the Badgers.

Offense: C+

Sam Sessoms’ late heroics weren’t enough to save the Nittany Lions from a dreadful 13-point first half. The senior guard led the team with 14 points and was the only Nittany Lion to go into double figures.

Penn State was held to just three points through the first 12 minutes of the game, failing to connect on 19 of its first 20 shots.

While the offense was able to get good looks on midrange and deep attempts early on, it simply couldn’t find the bottom of the net.

Wisconsin keyed in on forward John Harrar all throughout the contest, forcing him out of the paint and into more of a distributor role. By holding him to just two field-goal attempts, the Nittany Lions were reliant on a crew of cold shooters to try and carry the load.

Jalen Pickett, Myles Dread and Seth Lundy all struggled mightily, going a combined 6-for-30 from the field.

After nearly doubling its first-half scoring output, the Penn State offense cooled off in the final stages of the game and hopes of a comeback died off after Dread failed to convert on a last-second shot.

Defense: B+

Holding a ranked opponent to under 60 points is a significant achievement, especially considering the circumstances that were faced. Doing so and falling short of a victory is definitive heartbreak.

Physicality was the name of the game Saturday night, as the Nittany Lions made up for a lackluster scoring output with a tremendous defensive performance.

Seth Lundy had Badgers star Johnny Davis on lock, allowing just four points on 2-for-13 shooting. Coming into the game, the sophomore guard was averaging 21.4 points per contest.

Penn State held Wisconsin to a measly 18 points at the half, forcing eight consecutive missed shots up to the buzzer. 

Lightning can only be held in a bottle for so long, as the Badgers found their rhythm in the second half. A handful of long possessions led to some defensive breakdowns, allowing Wisconsin to shoot 52% from the field in the final 20 minutes.

Nonetheless, this Nittany Lion defense continues to hold its ground against tough competition, giving something for the team to build upon moving forward.

Coaching: B

A loss is a loss in the standings, but coach Micah Shrewsberry has to be proud of how his squad performed under the given circumstances.

Shrewsberry has been determined to build a culture around toughness, which is precisely what the Nittany Lions displayed.

While the grit and determination was there, the offense was unable to compliment the effort that put forth on the floor.

It’s clear that there was an emphasis on not passing up on looks from beyond the arc, even if they weren’t falling. However, an adjustment to get John Harrar more involved on the offensive side of the ball didn’t appear to be in the game plan.

Shrewsberry and the 9-10 Nittany Lions will look to put it all together against another conference rival on Tuesday, as they take on the Michigan Wolverines.


Grant Sheets is a first-year-majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email gcs5231@psu.edu.