State of Penn State Basketball: 10 games in, where are we?

Coming off Penn State Basketball’s first B1G win, and with another winnable game upcoming Saturday night vs. Northwestern, it’s time to take the Nittany Lions’ temperature.

To quote the West Wing, “What’s done (winning at Virginia Tech, what’s undone  (a B1G winning streak), what’s done that we’d like to undo or do over (Seton Hall, at Michigan, at Indiana…)?

So let’s start with the team:

4-6 overall record

1-5 in conference (13th in the conference)

KenPom: 44 (10th in the conference)

NET Ranking: 45 (8th in the conference)

Points Per Game: 76.1

Opponents Points Per Game: 76.0

Analysis:  Even at 4-6, Penn State Basketball is not that far away from serious NCAA Tournament conversation.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had Penn State Basketball in his “Next Four Out” projection just a week ago.

How much higher might the Nittany Lions climb with a win Saturday?

Since Lunardi’s projection, Penn State Basketball fell to Purdue by eight,  by 14 @ #22 Illinois, and beat Rutgers by eight.

It’s not unrealistic to think a win hosting Northwestern could bring Penn State Basketball back on his radar, despite still being under .500 for the season.

So, even with a five game conference losing streak and a long COVID break, the Nittany Lions are not that far away.

Must win Saturday night.

Now, let’s look at Penn State Basketball’s individual performances thus far:

The Backcourt

Myreon Jones, currently averaging 16.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 53-132 from the field (40.2%), 25-63 from three (39.7%), 29-35 from the line (82.9%)

Analysis:

Jones started the year a little slowly, but has continually proven he can get buckets. Shooting efficiently from the field, from three-point range, and from the stripe, Jones has become one of Penn State Basketball’s most consistent scorers.

In addition to being a threat to score with the ball in his hands, Jones also has 14 steals.

I think Jones can probably be a little more aggressive driving to the basket when the Nittany Lions are in a scoring lull, but he’s played the most consistent all year.

Grade: 9.2/10

Izaiah Brockington, currently averaging 14.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 55-126 from the field (43.7%), 9-23 from three (39.1%), 22-30 from the line (73.3%)

Analysis:

Having watched every minute, I’m stunned Brockington’s shooting percentages are this high.  Shows the sometimes selective memory, as I tend to focus on his wild one-on-two drives that inevitably result in a miss.

I’d like to see Brockington shoot better from the stripe, but I can’t believe he’s almost 40% form three. Brockington has also added 11 steals.

Grade: 8.7/10

Sam Sessoms, currently averaging 10.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 42-94 from the field (44.7%), 11-28 from three (39.3%), 6-11 from the line (54.5%)

Analysis:

Sessoms is fearless. There’s no question about that.

So far, Sessoms Has has 17 steals, a positive assist to turnover ratio (24-19), and is fourth on the team in shot attempts, despite not starting a game.

I think a real disappointment has been Sessoms’ inability to get to the line when driving and then shooting poorly when he’s there. Sessoms has definitely seen an adjustment moving to the B1G from Binghamton, and I still see a lot of upside. But, Coach Ferry needs to get him to slow down just a little and be more secure with the ball.

Grade: 6.8/10

Jamari Wheeler currently averaging 4.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 17-48 from the field (35.4%), 7-24 from three (29.2%), 6-13 from the line (46.2%).

Analysis:

Wheeler started off the year with 20 points, and we all thought it was the second coming of Josh Reaves.

Unfortunately, Wheeler’s shooting in all facets has dropped drastically.

Wheeler’s good assist-turnover ratio (40-18) and 17 steals will always earn him playing time. But, if you take out the first game, he’s under 25% from three and shooting below 50% from the free throw line. Both of these numbers must rise significantly (to 33% from 3 and 67% from the stripe) for Penn State Basketball to make a real run.

Grade: 6.8/10