Penn State senior Seth Lundy: ‘I’m the most versatile shooter in this draft’

Seth Lundy emerged as a tremendous shooter after four years at Penn State and the 23-year-old is looking to showcase that ability and more at the next level.

Lundy, who was named to the All-Big Ten honorable mention team,  averaged 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds on 40% shooting from 3-point range in 36 games. He ranked 37th in the country in 3-point percentage and was second in the Big Ten in 3s per game (2.6).

The 6-foot-6 Lundy finished his college career with 1,282 points to become the 39th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He also ranks sixth in career 3s (229), ninth in free-throw percentage (81.4) and 20th in points.

Perhaps most impressively, Lundy improved each year on campus.

He averaged career highs across the board this past season and saw a massive jump in 3-point percentage, up from 34.8% as a junior. Overall, Lundy was the second-leading scorer on a team that picked up its first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 2001.

Lundy registered a 35 1/2-inch max vertical jump at the combine. (David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)

Now, Lundy is looking ahead to the next level.

He is projected to be a second-round pick this year given his potential to develop into a 3-and-D player at the next level. He boasts a 6-foot, 10-inch wingspan and is regarded as one of the top shooters in the draft with his ability to knock down shots in a variety of ways.

Lundy was among the prospects that competed in the draft combine last month in Chicago, Illinois. He emerged as one of the standouts after averaging 15 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds on 73% shooting from 3-point range (8-of-11) in two scrimmage games.

He has worked out with 11 teams throughout the pre-draft process and is rising up mock drafts, as a result. He has received strong feedback from teams as they believe he has the potential to make an immediate impact on the court.

Rookie Wire caught up with Lundy this week to discuss his career at Penn State, training for the draft, team workouts, his potential role in the NBA and more.

Note: This interview was edited for clarity

How has everything been for you and where are you training?

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SL: Everything has been going good. Just taking it one day at a time and preparing myself as much as possible for the next level and going into every workout with that killer mindset. I was in Vegas at Impact Basketball for about 5-6 weeks but since I’ve been doing all of these workouts, I haven’t really had one destination. I’ve been traveling so much and working back-to-back so I’ve been going from city to city.

How have those workouts been going for you?

SL: The workouts have been going really good for me. I feel like I’m going into these workouts knowing who I am and that’s the biggest thing to go in there and make shots and play defense. Sometimes workouts might be all wings, sometimes it might be point guards in there and sometimes it will be forwards and centers in there. When we compete against each other, we’re going to play different positions just like in the NBA so just being able to guard every position possible (has been big).

How are you managing the constant travel from workout to workout?

SL: Honestly, it has been a little rough but everybody I’ve talked to says that’s how it is at the next level. You go from city to city during the season and you’re traveling all of the time. In a moment like this, it’s just important to keep your routine and make sure you stay hydrated. That is huge, honestly. Make sure to eat and get a lot of sleep. It sounds simple, it is the same stuff people have been telling us since we were kids but it actually makes a huge difference.

Whatever facility you’re at, try to use the resources and get treatment as much as possible because you might fly in one day, do a workout the next day and then leave right after that workout to go to another city so the travel has been crazy. Sometimes you might not get a good seat on the plane, too, so you might be cramped up for a few hours. It is definitely important to do the little things — hydrate, stretch, sleep and eat healthy. That’s actually a big part of it.

You and one of your teammates, Jalen Pickett, are going through this process. How often are you guys talking to each other?

SL: Honestly, me and Jalen talk every single day but we don’t really talk about basketball. Our relationship is so much bigger than basketball. He is like a brother to me and we’ve really built a huge relationship over the past few years. Our conversations are about life sometimes. He’ll tell me what’s going on in his family, I’ll tell him about mine.

We’ll talk about what we’re doing for draft night and stuff like that. Watching these playoff games, we talk about that, too. Our conversations will be regular conversations. Sometimes, it doesn’t even be about basketball but when it is about basketball, we usually just talk about who was in the workouts, how we did and stuff like that.

You two played a huge part in your team's success last season. How much fun was this past season?

SL: Honestly, it was a rollercoaster. There were a lot of thrills and a lot of moments where you’re just trying to figure things out. There were a lot of ups and downs but I feel like we pieced it together at the perfect time. A lot of people questioned us in the middle of the season. We had a few losses that we shouldn’t have had but then we turn around and be the team that was supposed to us, according to the media. It was always about staying ready.

It is honestly similar to, and I don’t want to compare it to Miami, but everybody questioned them and then they won at the end of the season and that’s sort of what we did. I think we won like eight out of the nine games at the end of the season before we went to the tournament, which was huge for us because I believe we needed to win around that many games to make it. Our mindsets were just so focused on each other and we weren’t worried about the outside noise in the media.

You mentioned the Heat. They are viewed as this scrappy team with the likes of Jimmy Butler and others. Did you guys relate to that mindset?

SL: Absolutely! I feel like our team at Penn State over the last couple of years, people always overlooked us. A lot of people look at us as not a basketball school and stuff like that. It is what it is but at the end of the day, we were a pretty good team. We got things done and we made things happen. We play very gritty.

A lot of times we played five guards on the court, the tallest person might have been me on the floor but we felt we got things done. Playing teams bigger than us, we tend to be scrappier or we knew we had to play faster. We just used our strengths to get to our advantage and it was as simple as that. We just played very well together so it was fun playing with each other and the results really showed.

How did Penn State and the Big Ten help prepare you for the next level?

SL: Playing in the Big Ten, I feel like it prepared me for the physicality. I know in the NBA it is even more physical and people are more athletic and stuff like that but I’d say the Big Ten prepared me for that a little bit. I kind of got an eye-opening view of how physical it is. I feel like it helped me a lot competing every single night.

I know in the NBA, every game is going to be a dogfight and the Big Ten is like that no matter what. From the top to the bottom, the Big Ten is really good competition so every game we’re going in with that mentality that we can’t overlook teams. We gotta go out there and play our basketball for 40 minutes straight. I feel like having that mindset going to the next level is definitely going to help.

What enabled you to improve your 3-point percentage this past season?

SL: I just knew that I had to be more consistent. My junior year, there were games where I’d score 20-something and then I’d come out the next game and score like eight points. I knew for us to be successful this past year that I couldn’t do that. I knew I had to be an everyday guy, even starting with practice. I had to show up every single day in practice and lead the younger guys and be a leader on the team, vocally or by example.

I put the work in every single day to a point where shots just became muscle memory. I caught the ball, there was no hesitation. It was no conscience, just shoot the ball. I had no doubt every shot was going in. I had a schedule and I had a plan for that. I knew what time I was going to work out a week ahead of that day. Just writing it down and getting a schedule together with our team was huge for me.

It seems that you can shoot it anywhere on the court in any situation. How do you think you rank among the top shooters in the draft?

SL: Honestly, with the confidence that I have, I feel like I’m the most versatile shooter in this draft. That is not being cocky, I just believe in my work. Every single shot I take in a game is a shot I practiced 1,000 times in the gym. There is not a shot I take that I don’t think is going in. I feel like I could shoot off the dribble pretty good. I feel like I can come off screens pretty well, but I feel like it is the little things, as well.

I feel like I have great footwork as of right now and I know it could even get a lot better. When I come off screens, I’m making contact with the defender and stuff like that. To be an elite shooter, you got to be aware of that stuff. I feel like I can shoot any shot on the court and feel confident that it’s going in. I know a lot of people in this draft can really shoot the ball. Some people might shoot the ball better off the dribble and some people might be better off catching and shooting but I feel like I can do both pretty well.

How important is it for your game to be able to cut and move without the ball?

SL: I feel like that is so important because that’s going to be my role at the next level and I understand it now. I’m already accepting my role right now as a 3-and-D guy. Then after a few years in the league when I establish myself, maybe I can become more. As of now, I know I’m going to be a guy that’s going to play off the ball a ton. I’ve never been a primary ballhandler and I understand that. I’m perfectly fine with being the guy people kick it out to.

I feel like it is huge being able to move without the ball. That’s 90% of the game in basketball. If you can’t play without the ball, you can be terrible with spacing and mess up the flow of the offense so just finding the open spots with whoever has the ball and being able to be a great cutter. I feel like being a great screener is also important, too, because usually great screeners are good shooters and you can get yourself open a lot in those situations.

How do you work on your conditioning to be able to get open and run around screens on the court?

SL: I look at a lot of the great shooters, not even in today’s game but also in the past. I see how well they move out the ball. They might come off a stagger, catch the ball and might not be open and they kick it back to the point guard. Then, they come off all the way around to get to the corner. To be able to move like that is huge in this game. Defenders might let up. When you catch the ball and pass it, they might stand up for two seconds or one second and in that time, I can create so much distance between us and get my shot off. I’ve been doing a lot of work with that and the time that I do have to myself, I’m only doing cardio and always making sure I’m running to be in the best shape I can.

Who are some of the guys you watch to perfect your shot?

SL: I feel like the primary person I watched was Klay Thompson. I just love his footwork when he comes off screens and when he shoots, his release is always high and fast. Making contact with a defender before they make it with you. He’s a guy that does that and I watch him all the time.

Even going back a little further, Kyle Korver shot almost 43% for his career, which is outrageous. Being able to do that is ridiculous on a consistent basis and he did that for his career. Stuff like that inspires me so I see all of the stuff they do, even with their routines. I go on YouTube to see what they do to be that consistent and apply it to my game.

How gratifying was it to be one of the standouts at the draft combine?

SL: I was just playing basketball. I’m not out there thinking about, ‘I gotta score 20 points.’ That is never my mindset. My mindset every time I step on the court is to win. The game where I had 18 points, the ball was sticking and there was a lot of 1-on-1 basketball so I started calling actions for myself. But it wasn’t in a selfish way, it was for the team to win. Everything I do is always for the team but I went out there and showcased what I can do — shoot the ball and play defense. I wasn’t thinking nothing else, I was just trying to play winning basketball.

After that performance, it still doesn't seem like a lot of people are talking about you. What is your reaction to that?

SL: I look at it and I see it. We all see it. We all see social media but I never let social media affect me. I take everything one day at a time. I’m always working on my game. I feel like I can come in my first year and have an impact on winning right away with my shooting ability and my defense and just having a winning attitude.

It is something I don’t pay much attention to because a lot of it is reporters and stuff like that. I know with the statistics and analytics and they’re really good at their jobs but at the end of the day, they’re not the ones drafting me so I don’t really pay too much attention. I know what these NBA teams need and they need shooting and versatile defenders and that’s exactly what I am.

What are your plans for draft night?

SL: I’ve been talking to my agent about that a lot. I’m most likely going go to the draft with the feedback I’ve been getting so I’m going to be there in attendance and wait for my name to get called. I also have my family around so I might have a little after-party someplace in New York. I’m excited not just for me but also for my loved ones, as well.

Does it give you gratification to see them enjoy that moment with you?

SL: For sure! I feel like me and my family have been through so much together. They understand me the best and I understand them so every moment I can, I try to bring my family. I’m a huge family person. I love them to death. All of my success is their success so I’m going to go through these emotions with them. It is fun having them on this journey because they helped me get to this point.

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire