Penn State hoops notes: Seth Lundy and the CBI
Penn State head basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry revealed Monday that second-leading scorer Seth Lundy had been playing through injury for a portion of this season.
Shrewsberry did not specify what exactly ailed Lundy, but the Penn State forward emerged for warmups after halftime with a back brace on during a win over Minnesota on February 17.
“Everybody’s kind of banged up, but he was hurting a little bit,” Shrewsberry said. “There was a stretch there we he didn’t do a whole lot. It was a struggle for him. He sat out a bunch of practices. He wasn’t practicing, that throws your rhythm off, just going game — rehab, rehab, rehab — game, you’re not getting the same reps, you’re not working on the same things in practice every single time.”
Lundy notched 17 points on Sunday in the defeat to Rutgers, his highest scoring total since the upset win over Michigan State on February 15. In the two games after that, he scored three and six points, respectively, but has reached double figures in the four contests since.
“We’re starting to see some better things from him,” Shrewsberry said. “I thought he attacked more under control yesterday, made some good passes, got to the lane and finished under control. “
Shrewsberry on Penn State’s postseason future
With the NIT and NCAA Tournament now all but out of reach, Shrewsberry was asked Monday if he would consider a College Basketball Invitational (CBI) bid if it came his way.
“I’d leave it up to those guys,” Shrewsberry said. “If they want to keep playing, I’d owe it to them to keep preparing and keep trying.”
The Nittany Lions partook in the CBI in 2014, besting Hampton before falling to eventual champion Siena.
Shrewsberry noted that the CBI often appeals to programs full of developing young players, and he doesn’t necessarily feel like Penn State fits that description with a roster full of seniors and fifth-years.
“This team’s a little different than other teams,” Shrewsberry said. “Some of those tournaments you play in if you want to get experience for a reason, right? Things like that. You’ve got a bunch of younger dudes like, ‘Hey, we got a chance next to be really good, let’s keep playing.
“Our team’s a little different. We’re not really in our boat.”
Still, Shrewsberry said he’d leave the choice with his veterans. John Harrar, Greg Lee, Jaheam Cornwall and Jalanni White are each out of eligibility after this season. Myles Dread, Sam Sessoms and Jalen Pickett are seniors but can return.
“If they want to keep playing, I’d love to do it for them, but our team is so different from the normal team, you kind of leave it up to the hands of those older guys,” Shrewsberry said.
