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What can Penn State basketball do to make the NCAA tournament?

After a 13-6 start to the 2022-23 season, here is that Penn State basketball needs to do to make the NCAA Tournament in March.

Published

2 months ago

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Jan 21, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) dribbles the ball after grabbing the rebound during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Nebraska 76-65. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State basketball last officially appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2011 — that run ended just as it began as they were stunned by Temple at the buzzer in the first round. Only three Power 6 teams have a longer drought: Washington State, DePaul, and Boston College.

There is a caveat here as well: Penn State would have made the 2020 NCAA tournament had it been played. The 21-10 record posted by that team not only would have been good enough for an appearance, but would have resulted in one of the highest seeds in school history.

Alas, the record book ends on March 11, 2020, leaving Penn State with no tournament appearances since 2011. Given where the team is, the 2022-2023 iteration of the Nittany Lions are certainly in the conversation to get back to the big dance.

Where is Penn State basketball now?

Depending on where you look, you may have seen “bracketologists” around the nation starting to pay attention to the Nittany Lions. Regardless of which side of the bubble each analyst projects Penn State basketball to be, the consensus opinion is that this team is firmly on the bubble — meaning close to being in the tournament picture.

Generally speaking, a 13-6 record out of the Big Ten would be more than enough to be squarely in the tournament field; however, Penn State played a very soft non-conference schedule.

According to popular basketball analytics site KenPom.com — which is actually used by the NCAA Selection Committee — Penn State played the 287th toughest non-conference in the nation. The good news is that the Nittany Lions didn’t shoot themselves in the foot with any losses to second tier opponents like Michigan did with its loss to Central Michigan University.

The team is 10-0 in Quadrant 3 and 4 games. What could hurt the Nittany Lions on Selection Sunday is the failed opportunities they had to pick up marquee wins in the non-conference. A two-point loss to Virginia Tech and an overtime loss to Clemson were coin flip games that would have taken Penn State’s resume to a whole new level if even just one of those games went the other way.

The good news is that playing in the Big Ten gives you plenty of chances to snag quality wins. Penn State basketball has already picked up two Quadrant 1 wins in conference play by beating Illinois and Indiana. Two Quadrant 1 wins will not be enough if that is all the Nittany Lions have come March, but for now, it is plenty enough to keep them in the discussion. 

What does Penn State have to do?

Here is what Penn State basketball must do in order to have a shot at the NCAA tournament later this year.

Defend the Bryce-Jordan Center

  • Penn State has done an incredible job of defending their home court so far this year. They will need that to continue in order to stay in the conversation. The team is 10-1 at the BJC, with the lone loss to Michigan State in December. The Nittany Lions have 5 home games left; they need to go 4-1 at worst.

Don’t Lose to Bottom of the Conference

  • Minnesota and Nebraska are both having rough seasons and are the bottom two teams in the Big Ten; both teams are still on the schedule for Penn State basketball. While both those games will be played on the road, Penn State cannot afford a loss in either of them.

Steal another Quadrant 1 Win on the Road

  • Penn State has 7 road games left, and as of now, 5 of those would be a Quadrant 1 wins if the Nittany Lions are able to walk away with a victory. If Penn State basketball is able to successfully defend their home floor, they just need to steal one of these games on the road. 

Win One, Maybe Two in the Big Ten Tournament

  • Penn State will get additional cracks, likely at quality teams, during the Big Ten Tournament, which is scheduled for March 8-12th. Depending on how the last 12 regular season games end up playing out, Penn State could just need to win one of those games to go dancing. If the team struggles, especially at home, they would need a deeper run into the conference tournament.

Magic Number

  • If Penn State is able to get to 21 wins — including wins in the conference tournament — the Nittany Lions will all but be assured a spot in the tournament. That means that Penn State basketball will need to win 8 more games this season; there are 12 left on the schedule now, with potentially up to 5 more added via the conference tournament.

Penn State will have to play their best basketball down the stretch — if the team comes up short of that 21 win mark, say 18 or 19 wins, it is likely a trip back to the NIT will be in the cards for this team. Penn State will also need to improve their road performance during the stretch run.

To date, Penn State basketball has only won a single game outside the friendly confines of the Bryce-Jordan Center. If that number stays the same until Selection Sunday, the Nittany Lions won’t be hearing their name called for the 12th-straight year.

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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

15 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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