Report Card: Grading Penn State Men’s Basketball Big Ten Tournament
The 2023 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will be seen as a turning point for the entire basketball program at State College. What they have accomplished after being predicted to finish sixth in the conference can’t be overlooked.
Did it end in a loss? Yes. Was it a disappointing loss? Not necessarily.
Penn State showed they have the makings to be a team that can bust some brackets and makes a deep run in the big tournament. They never dominated a game but that also is okay, they showed they can handle the neutral site well and play to the level of their competition without batting an eye.
One thing that was a lot of fun to watch unfold in the Big Ten tournament was the shooting of the Nittany Lions and how well they faired from beyond the arc.
Offense
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Grade: A-
Penn State shot extremely well against tough defenses and full-court pressure attacks from all four of their opponents. They shot 44.1% from the field and 34.6% from the three-point line. They would live and die by the triple but what held them back throughout was costly turnovers, especially at crucial points in the Purdue game.
All in all, this Penn State offense will be hot heading into the NCAA tournament which will be their biggest key to a run.
NEXT: Defense
Defense
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
Grade: A+
This team is so gritty, they are almost a throwback to 90’s basketball without the short shorts and elbows being thrown on every lay-up. Everyone on this team plays sound, technical defense and it allows for them to trust people to guard one-on-one and avoid losing a man on a double team.
They struggled mightily against the size of Purdue which may be an issue down the road but the effort they play with will make up for that disadvantage at times. They held opponents in the tourney to 40.7% from the field and 22.3% from three, that defense will create some March Madness.
NEXT: Coaching
Coaching
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Grade: A+
When you coach at Penn State, expectations are low but for Micah Shrewsberry, he has ushered in a new era. Whether he will be around or not is to be determined but when you do well enough that you have Notre Dame and Georgetown interested then you are doing something right.
He never panicked in any games, especially against Purdue. Never abandoned his game plan that brought them as far as it did and eventually they broke through Purdue but it was just a tad too late.
NEXT: Best Player
Best Player
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Player: Seth Lundy
Jalen Pickett will always be the talk of this team but no one gave more this tournament than Seth Lundy.
He averaged 17 ppg and 7.8 rpg while shooting 45.2% from the field and 35.3% from three. He made some big shots, including the game-winner against Northwestern, and he proved he can be relied upon heavily if teams focus on Pickett moving forward.
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