Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
4 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Funk will fit in at the three spot, as will super senior Myles Dread, who shot a career-best 40.7 percent from 3-point range last season. Also returning to the backcourt is Dallion Johnson, a third-year guard who earned extensive experience last season, eventually becoming a starter for the final 14 games of the campaign. Johnson averaged only 3.7 points per game, but his 36.5 shooting percentage from beyond the 3-point arc was third on the roster. True freshman guards Jameel Brown and Kanye Clary — a well-rounded prospect and a speedy defensive spe- cialist, respectively — will find time in the rotation, too. Frontcourt Harrar's departure creates an undeni- able hole in the Nittany Lions' roster this season. Shrewsberry doesn't necessarily intend to try to fill it, either. With their second-year coach preach- ing a team-wide approach to rebounding, the Lions are set to feature Lundy at the four and, as he did a season ago, a moon- lighting Dread. Offensively, Lundy is nearing the 1,000-point threshold in his career, while Dread could hit the mark as well in his fifth season of action. More important still, Shrewsberry also sees in Lundy one of the better defensive fours in the Big Ten. Acclimating to a sec- ond consecutive season with the same head coach — the first time that's hap- pened in his Penn State career — Lundy is poised to take the next step. "What he did when he was guarding the best of the best last year was really im- pressive," Shrewsberry said. "He's more comfortable when you watch him in prac- tice. He's more comfortable with what we're doing in our system offensively and defensively. Now you'll see the game slow down for him. I think he'll take his game to another level." Evan Mahaffey, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound freshman out of Cincinnati, will bring a new element to the floor for Penn State. Highly athletic, Mahaffey can perform on both ends of the floor, calling to mind former Nittany Lion small forward Geary Claxton. The five spot is a different story, how- ever. Having brought in Mikey Henn from Denver through the transfer portal for his seventh season of college ball, Penn State is set to count on four untested players to serve as its big men. Junior Caleb Dorsey played sparingly in his first two seasons as a Nittany Lion but has impressed during the offseason. Two true freshmen — Kebba Njie and Demetrius Lilley — will also contribute. Both stand 6-10, but they have wildly dif- ferent games. Njie is among the more ath- letic players on the team and could provide an immediate lift; Lilley, at 260 pounds, can help in defending the paint. ■ Entering his super senior season, guard Jalen Pickett is one of only six active Division I players with 1,500 career points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL P E N N S T A T E M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E Date Opponent Time (TV) Nov. 7 WINTHROP 7 p.m. (B1G+) Nov. 10 LOYOLA (Md.) 7 p.m. (B1G+) Nov. 14 BUTLER* 8:30 p.m. (FS1) Nov. 17 Furman** 11:30 a.m. (ESPNU) Nov. 18 Second Round** TBA Nov. 20 Final Round** TBA Nov. 25 LAFAYETTE 7 p.m. (B1G+) Nov. 29 at Clemson 7 p.m. (ESPNU) Dec. 7 MICHIGAN STATE 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Dec. 10 at Illinois Noon (BTN) Dec. 18 CANISIUS Noon (BTN) Dec. 22 QUINNIPIAC 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Dec.29 DELAWARE STATE 2 p.m. (B1G+) Jan. 1 IOWA 5:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 4 MICHIGAN 7 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 8 Purdue ^^ 4 or 6 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 11 INDIANA 7 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 17 at Wisconsin 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 21 NEBRASKA 2:15 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 24 at Rutgers 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 29 MICHIGAN Noon (BTN) Feb. 1 at Purdue 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 5 at Nebraska 4:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 8 WISCONSIN 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 11 at Maryland Noon (BTN) Feb. 14 ILLINOIS 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at Minnesota 7 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 23 at Ohio State 6:30 p.m. (FS1) Feb. 26 RUTGERS 6:30 p.m. (BTN) March 1 at Northwestern 9 p.m. (BTN) March 5 MARYLAND Noon (BTN) Mar. 8-12 Big Ten Tournament # TBA * Gavitt Tipoff Games ** at Charleston (S.C.) Classic ^ ACC/Big Ten Challenge ^^ at Philadelphia/The Palestra # at Chicago/United Center