Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry calls his team out: Hoops Show
On Tuesday night, Penn State basketball dropped a rough game on the road, losing to Rutgers 65-45. So how did the Nittany Lions, who have been competitive in nearly every game this season, lose by 20 points? Today on the Blue White Illustrated Hoops Show, insider Nate Bauer discusses that with host Thomas Frank Carr. On today’s show, you’ll also hear from Penn State basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry from his comments after the game.
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How did Penn State get blown out against Rutgers?
T-Frank and Bauer start the conversation by discussing the most crucial parts of the game. According to Bauer, Penn State fell on its face in the final 11 minutes or so of game action. To make his point, he reads off the shot sequence for Penn State to end the game. Next, he and T-Frank discuss how much of an anomaly the Lion’s shooting percentage was last night and why they bottomed out offensively.
Next, they discuss why Micah Shrewsberry thinks that the defense played poorly on Tuesday night and how that’s a departure from what he wants his team to be. Then, t-Frank and Bauer play clips from a pointed postgame press conference that Shrewsberry held after the game to underscore different aspects of the game. First, they evaluate a season-low offensive output before shifting to how that affected the defensive performance.
One of the emerging issues for Penn State is the lack of depth in participation outside of star Jalen Pickett and a handful of other players. Shrewsberry didn’t have a problem with how his star guard played on Tuesday night, but he does have a continuing issue with the ecosystem in which he operates. Bauer and T-Frank discuss not only how Pickett needs to get calls from officials but the potential reasons why.
Can’t win with three-on-five
Next, they discuss the lack of support Pickett is getting from his teammates. The Nittany Lions role players came up small on Tuesday night, a growing problem in big games for Penn State. Shrewsberry called out his team in a very pointed way. Check out the show to hear his fiery comments.
They discuss other elements of the game, including the officiating and the style of play for Penn State, which is an ongoing discussion this year. Finally, they take these topics and project them to the next game. The team hosts Michigan at the BJC on Sunday and hopes for a great atmosphere to help the team overcome a quality opponent. Bauer and T-Frank end the show treading over familiar territory when analyzing the big-game atmosphere at home for the team.
