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Micah Shrewsberry looking for historical win at Wisconsin

This Tuesday, Penn State basketball and its head coach, Micah Shrewsberry, are chasing history vs. Wisconsin.

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2 months ago

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Dec 18, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Micah Shrewsberry looks on from the bench during the first half against the Canisius Golden Griffins at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Canisius 97-67. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State (12-5,3-3) and Micah Shrewsberry hit the road Tuesday as they travel to Madison to take on Wisconsin. Depending on your preferred rating system, the Nittany Lions are either a lower middle-tier team or a squad on the cusp of the top 25.

What is without question is that Micah Shrewsberry and company are firmly on the March Madness bubble. In his latest bracketology piece, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Penn State as the last team out of the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin poses a considerable challenge for the Nittany Lions. Frankly, it’s a game that Penn State is unlikely to win. As the calendar slowly dwindles, any game Penn State can pick up will go a long way toward enhancing its tournament hopes. But a win at Wisconsin would undoubtedly mean more than most.

A tale of two halves

Yet again, last week was an emotional rollercoaster for Penn State basketball.

The week started in Philadelphia as the Nittany Lions took on top-ranked Purdue at the Palestra. Supposedly a neutral venue, Penn State had a considerable home-court advantage as Nittany Lion fans showed up in droves for the anticipated matchup at the “Cathedral of College Basketball.”

Early on, the Penn State faithful had plenty to cheer about as the Nittany Lions led the No. 1 Boilermakers by six at halftime. However, the narrative quickly turned in the second half. Penn State was outscored 45-26 en route to a 76-63 loss. The Nittany Lions had no answer to Purdue’s big man, Zach Edey, who muscled his way to 30 points and 13 rebounds on the night. 

Penn State responded with an emphatic win of its own later in the week. The Lions toppled Indiana by 19 points on Wednesday, marking the largest win over the Hoosiers in program history. 

The Nittany Lions were spurred by a 13-3 run in the first half to take the lead. Except this time, they never looked back. Seth Lundy scored a game-high 25 points on a night he also surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career. The Nittany Lions shot the lights out in general, going 18-31 from behind the arc. The 18 made three-pointers tied the program record, which was set earlier this season. Overall, it was an impressive response to a crushing defeat for Shrewsberry’s squad.

On (to) Wisconsin

The Badgers are desperate for a win. Wisconsin started the season strong but has lost three games in a row. To make matters worse, the Nittany Lions historically struggle at the Kohl Center. Penn State has not won a game in Madison in over two decades.

Wisconsin comes into this contest averaging nearly 67 points per game. The Badgers have four players who average double-digit points, led by Tyler Wahl’s 13.2 points per game. Unlike against Purdue, the Nittany Lions will need to find an answer for the 6’9” Wahl inside. Although Wahl only averages six rebounds per game, Penn State’s biggest weakness on the defensive front this season has been size.

If the Nittany Lions can hit consistently from deep, they’ll have a shot in this game. Penn State has made 43% of its three-pointers in wins this season, compared to 33% in its losses.

However, this could be challenging as the Lions have proven to be streaky from beyond the arc on the road. While they have made 42% of their threes at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Nittany Lions have shot 37% from deep at road or neutral venues.

This game could turn out similar to last week’s matchup with Purdue. Throughout the game, Penn State will likely struggle to find answers in the post on defense. That’s pretty much baked into this one. But against the Boilermakers, the Nittany Lions shot 36% from three. To have any hope of getting his first win ever in Madison, Shrewsberry will need the Nittany Lions to get hot from deep.

A long road ahead

Even if Penn State can pull the upset at Wisconsin, the schedule doesn’t let up the rest of the season. 

After Wisconsin, seven of the remaining 13 games for Penn State are on the road. On top of that, five of those games are against Quadrant 1 opponents in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Penn State only has three more games against teams in Quadrant 3 or lower. But one of those games is against Michigan, who already bested Penn State two weeks ago.

Overall, I’m optimistic that Penn State can still be dancing come March. Even a .500 record in Big Ten play this season should be enough to get Micah Shrewsberry and crew into the tournament. However, the Nittany Lions will have to upset some teams down the stretch to do that.

While a matchup at Wisconsin is perhaps not the best candidate for one of these upsets, there would be no better place to start.

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Penn State legend Michael Mauti takes shot at Jay Paterno, defends Penn State fans

One of the best to ever wear the Blue and White took a shot at Jay Paterno this afternoon.

Published

9 hours ago

on

March 25, 2023

By

Penn State legend Michael Mauti Jay Paterno
October 6, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Michael Mauti (42) during the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Since former Penn State basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry left the program on Wednesday, there have been more rumors and suspected reasons for his departure than one can count. One of the leading rumors is that Shrewsberry left due to the Nittany Lions’ failing NIL program, which he cited as an issue back in December. Today, Jay Paterno — a PSU trustee and the son of legendary football coach Joe Paterno — fired back at fans, insisting that Penn State University met every NIL demand that Shrewsberry asked for. Penn State legend Michael Mauti thinks otherwise.

Not long after Jay Paterno made his public statement on Penn State’s NIL funding, one of the greatest to ever wear the Blue and White came in to defend Penn State fans and alumni. Here is what the two notable Nittany Lion names had to say to one another.

Penn State lagend Michael Mauti defends Nittany Lion fans, takes shot at Jay Paterno

Early this morning, Jay Paterno had this to say about the rumors surrounding Penn State University’s NIL funding:

“Fact: Dedicated Penn State fans/community & met every basketball NIL request. The latest increase exceeded in just 2 days. That’s how Penn State Alumni responded. Those spreading any counter-narrative only hurt the program’s coaching search & future.”

This was likely in direct response to Penn State fans making public calls against the school’s NIL funding, which was largely sparked by Micah Shrewsberry’s statements in late 2022.

“It’s about what you want as a program and what you’re happy with,” Shrewsberry said. “If we have a little bit more that we’re offering to our guys, or that we’re doing for our team in NIL, that top 30 class is probably top 15 in the country. Just one or two more guys.

“I can’t speak for everybody, but I would say of 14 teams in the Big Ten, we’re probably 14. Maybe 13,” Shrewsberry said. “So it’s just about who we want to be as a program. What are we willing to say is going to be our standard?”

Jay Paterno’s words were not received kindly by Nittany Lion fans, or Penn State legend Michael Mauti, who publicly fired back at Paterno, stating that, “The response from dedicated alumni is the result of you and your cronies’ definition of ‘meeting every basketball’s NIL request.’ How can continue to spit this garbage? You continue to undermine the progress and efforts being made to genuinely align and unify PSU.”

He followed up by saying, “@PennStateAlums and @GoPSUsports community deserve the best. We need all hands on deck, not a few guys brokering behind closed doors using words without deeds. Your input on this matter is toxic and your relevancy has expired in this era of collegiate athletics.”

Jay Paterno is yet to respond, but so far, Mauti’s statements have been met with thunderous applause from the Penn State community.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Jay Paterno fires back at NIL rumors sparked by Micah Shrewsberry’s comments

Jay Paterno, a Penn State trustee, fired back at the rumors being spread surrounding Penn State’s NIL funding and the basketball team.

Published

14 hours ago

on

March 25, 2023

By

Jay Paterno Penn State basketball

STATE COLLEGE, PA — The Penn State basketball team lost its head coach, Micah Shrewsberry, earlier this week when he opted to take the Notre Dame job. Since then, there has been a whirlwind of rumors surrounding his reasons for leaving — one of the top ones being that Penn State lacked NIL funding. On Saturday, Penn State trustee Jay Paterno — son of legendary football coach Joe Paterno — fired back at these rumors, stating that they are untrue and hurt the program.

Jay Paterno fires back at NIL rumors following Shrewsberry’s departure

The rumors surrounding Penn State’s issues with NIL are nothing new; however, after Micah Shrewsberry left for Notre Dame, his warning about NIL at Penn State became the talk of the town.

“It’s about what you want as a program and what you’re happy with,” Shrewsberry said. “If we have a little bit more that we’re offering to our guys, or that we’re doing for our team in NIL, that top 30 class is probably top 15 in the country. Just one or two more guys.

“I can’t speak for everybody, but I would say of 14 teams in the Big Ten, we’re probably 14. Maybe 13,” Shrewsberry said. “So it’s just about who we want to be as a program. What are we willing to say is going to be our standard?”

This morning, Jay Paterno had his own thoughts on the matter, stating, “Fact: Dedicated Penn State fans/community & met every basketball NIL request. The latest increase exceeded in just 2 days. That’s how Penn State Alumni responded. Those spreading any counter-narrative only hurt the program’s coaching search & future.”

This is the first time that we have seen anyone really push back against the narrative that Penn State has lacking NIL funding. We will see how this shakes out, though it is good to see someone confirm that the basketball team was given the NIL that it asked for to compete — hopefully, this attracts a solid new head coach for 2023-24.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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FAU to Elite 8: is Dusty May too good for Penn State Basketball?

FAU has gone on a historic run to the Elite 8 this season. But does the Owls’ on-court success put Dusty May out of reach for the Penn State basketball coaching job?

Published

1 day ago

on

March 24, 2023

By

Penn State basketball, Dusty May, FAU, Elite 8
Mar 23, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls head coach Dusty May watches from the sideline in the game against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

State College — Penn State faces a crossroads as it searches for its new basketball coach. Should it make an internal hire, shoot for a savvy veteran, or snag an up-and-comer from the mid-major level? Ultimately, the decision will shape the course of Penn State basketball for years to come. Already a hot name in coaching circles, Dusty May has shot up short lists as his FAU Owls have made a historic run to the Elite 8 this season. But as FAU continues to have on-court success, does this now make May unattainable in the Penn State coaching search?

Dusty May is already one of the most accomplished coaches in FAU history

Dusty May has experienced remarkable success in his first five years as a head coach. Previously serving as an assistant at Florida and Louisiana Tech, among other stops, May was hired to run the FAU program in 2018. Admittedly a tough challenge, May has already made the Owls a consistent winner. He recorded 30 D-1 wins by his second season on campus, becoming the fastest coach in program history to attain that milestone. May is also the only FAU coach to have four consecutive winning seasons.

This season has been the most successful year in FAU history by far. The Owls finished the regular season 28-3 and won a regular season conference title for the first time in nearly 15 years. At 20 games, FAU had the third-longest winning streak in Conference USA (C-USA) history. With a C-USA record 18 conference wins, FAU was ranked for the first time ever this year. Not surprisingly, Dusty May was named C-USA Coach of the Year earlier this month.

Has FAU’s Elite 8 run put May out of reach for Penn State basketball?

Tougher competition in post-season play has not stifled May’s success. FAU made the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history this season. A No. 9 seed in the East Region, the Owls have defeated Memphis, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Tennessee en route to the school’s first-ever Elite 8 berth. FAU will play No. 3 seed Kansas State Saturday night for the right to go to the Final 4.

As FAU keeps winning, the nation has now taken note of May. May has been a rumored candidate for several other head coaching positions. This includes Notre Dame before Micah Shrewsberry accepted the opening. In addition to Penn State, May has recently been tied to the Texas Tech coaching search.

But if FAU keeps winning, will Penn State basketball still be able to make a viable pitch to Dusty May? While he reportedly swung for the fences to keep Shrewsberry, we still don’t know how committed AD Pat Kraft is to turning Penn State basketball into a consistent winner moving forward. In his departing message to Shrewsberry, Kraft noted that Penn State is “already moving forward in a search for a new head coach and will identify and appoint a tremendous coach, teacher, and person who will take us to unprecedented heights.”

While the sentiment is there, it now comes down to brass tax. Penn State must invest in recruiting resources, facilities, and NIL opportunities to make the basketball program a consistent winner. Fans have shown that they will support basketball wholeheartedly when given the chance. 

It’ll take investment for any coach with a proven history of success to commit to the Nittany Lions long-term. It will require some upfront costs. But it’s an investment that will see a return in due time.

So, no, I don’t think Penn State basketball should be out of the running to court Dusty May, even if FAU continues its historic March Madness run. In my mind, only one thing can prevent Penn State from getting the coach it wants — itself.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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