Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1420595
4 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M what I'm trying to do. Instead of mak- ing a total change, I'll try and change it in that way. BWI: What's the balance you're looking for in the backcourt with Sam Sessoms and Jalen Pickett? SHREWSBERRY: I'm all about putting the best guys out there. We need a lot of decision-makers on the floor, guys who can make plays, and they can both do it. So I'll play them together. If we've got five 5-foot-9 guys out there and they're the best five players, I'm going to find a way to make them play together. We'll figure out the shortcomings of it some other time. We're going to put the best guys out there and then grow with that group and work to put them in the best posi- tions possible. That's why I'm here. My job is to help those guys be the best that they can be, and sometimes that could be playing together, sometimes it could not be playing together. But we have to find the best group, the best players, and then the most cohesive players to fit. BWI: What have you seen from Greg Lee at forward? SHREWSBERRY: Greg Lee is as de- termined a guy as I have been around. He meets and exceeds the effort level every single time that he steps on the floor. No matter if it's a workout, no matter if it's conditioning, no matter if it's basketball practice. He's going 120 percent every single time. So he's a joy to have out there, and his game is a little bit different. He was kind of a post player for Western Michigan. He can score in the post, so let's give him some opportunities to do that, but let's also allow him to face the basket and handle the ball and use his quickness against bigger guys, but also face up and shoot. He's got a great midrange game. He can step out and make threes as well. I'm big on analytics and everything else, but I'm also big on winning and scoring points. There are going to be things that statistically might not make sense; maybe we shoot more long twos this year than we ever have before, be- cause he's got the ability to make them. And when you have that, you've got to take the best shot for your team. BWI: It's the worst shot in basket- ball, right? SHREWSBERRY: It is. Except when it goes in a lot. BWI: Between Jaheam Cornwall and Dallion Johnson, do you think you can get something out of those guards this year? SHREWSBERRY: Yeah, I think so. Jaheam is a very, very smart player. He plays under control. He plays at a great pace. He doesn't get rattled. And he makes shots. I think he'll surprise peo- ple with what he's able to do for us, and it may not be at a level that everybody recognizes. He may not be a 15-points- per-game scorer. But he's going to be an important part of how we play, because he can think the game, he can really pass the ball, he can make shots. He knows how to play. He's smart and he's old. He's a fifth-year guy, so his experience is great. Dallion has got a lot of potential. He's an explosive player. He's fast, quick twitch, he can make shots, but now it's about his confidence. He's a freshman. Last year was a wash for him. He is a freshman, so his learning curve is a lot bigger than for some of the other guys, because they've played college basketball for three or four years. He hasn't had that opportunity. But we're bringing him along, and not slowly. He's got to be able to do some really good things for us right away. We need him to be productive for us. So we're going to push him and we're going to try and help him grow as much as possible, because I think he can help us. ■ Shrewsberry has been impressed with what he's seen so far from senior forward Greg Lee, calling the Western Michigan transfer "as determined a guy as I have been around." PHOTO BY NATE BAUER