Penn State Basketball: 3 improvements Nittany Lions must make next season
By Evan Smith
Micah Shrewsberry must build a culture, an identity for PSU hoops
“Gritty not pretty” became a mantra of the 2021-2022 Penn State Basetball team, and watching John Harrar it makes sense, even if it’s pretty similar to the “#Attitude” slogan under the previous regime.
And with Penn State’s limited offensive options, slowing down the game and reducing the overall number of possessions made a lot of sense.
But, is this actually the style Shrewsberry wants to play moving forward?
It’s clear he doesn’t want to be risky defensively, eschewing going for blocks and steals like the team did under former head coach Pat Chambers, but is he planning a Wisconsin style of offense moving forward?
The end-of-shot-clock fadeaway shots became incredibly painful for fans to watch, even if Jalen Pickett and Sam Sessoms (is he coming back?) made their fair share.
Nittany Lion hoops fans saw the team successfully play at a higher tempo in the Big Ten Tournament, a style of play definitely better for players like Sam Sessoms. And there’s nothing slow about the incoming recruits (and what high school player is really drawn to a slow-down offense anyway?).
Yet, Shrewsberry was never truly asked what his offensive philosophy will be moving forward. The 2022-2023 season will go a long way in truly learning what the offense of this program will look like moving forward.