Penn State Basketball agonizingly falls to Indiana … and the refs
By Evan Smith
Penn State Basketball faces the biggest question …
Coach Jim Ferry is simply not getting the job done for the Nittany Lions thus far.
I’m willing to completely absolve the technical foul, as that ball was very likely out of bounds and the calls were not going the Lions’ way in the first half.
Having said that, Ferry did give Indiana a five point possession as they made both free throws and promptly drained a three pointer in a two point overtime Hoosier win…
This tweet pretty much sums up the Ferry experience thus far.
As every Big Ten Network announcer loves to mention, he was Pat Chambers’ “Offensive Coordinator” and perhaps that shows.
This team has lost all #attitude defensively. Yes, they get numerous steals each game and that’s a huge help. But, the constant barrage of points given up in the paint make it almost impossible to win games in conference.
Wednesday night, with 150 seconds left in the second half, Indiana was shooting over 70% from the floor. That just doesn’t win games.
Jim Ferry’s defensive schemes (remember Illinois?) are really not getting it done in the B1G.
Ferry’s not a bad coach, but there’s a reason he’s ever coached beyond the Atlantic 10. His timeout with 43 seconds left when Dread had an open 3 and make or miss would have guaranteed the last possession (using the “two for one”) was infuriating, especially with Dread’s propensity for hitting a clutch shot.
Ferry HAS to tell Brockington to stop forcing fast break layups when the Lions don’t have numbers. Ferry HAS to get our team to stop giving up the softest of and-1’s.
But, mostly between the missing spark/hustle, and the lack of schemes to mask Penn State’s inability to defend the paint, Coach Ferry is not making a strong case to return as the Nittany Lions head coach next year.