Jump to content

Penn State Pre-Game Thread


IUFLA

Recommended Posts

When: Wednesday, January 11th 7:00 pm EST 

Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA

TV: BTN

Record: 11-5 (2-3, in Big Ten)

image.png.bc84dd36236d938ca969dc18d6fd576e.png

Not included in that is a 76-63 loss to Purdue yesterday at home...

image.png.8bfb1fde94b16a02b156e5ef4795e9a8.png

Led by Jalen Pickett who's one of the best guards in the league...His 3 numbers aren't eye popping (30%) but he's a very tough cover for anybody. Likes to get a clear out and post up whoever is guarding him...And he's an excellent finisher...Lundy is a difficult matchup too, and he shoots the 3 at 40%...

Very experienced team that starts 4 seniors (Lundy, Pickett, Funk, Wynter) and one freshman (Njie). They are a good 3 point shooting team...28th overall and 2nd in the Big 10 at 38% and they shoot a high volume (28 per game). Two impact players off the bench in Myles Dread (remember him?) and freshman Evan Mahaffey who supplies energy and hustle...

Be a tough one to win on the road, but if we're ever gonna go 4 out 1 in, this is the team to do it against, as they start the 6'10 Njie and 4 guards...

 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven’t been able to watch the last two games as they aired and we lost both. It’s clearly my fault and for that I apologize. 

I will be sure to watch at 7pm on Wed. 

That said, I don’t have a whole lot of hope for a win. I’m not at “Archie-level” avoiding live games yet, but am not keen to watch the losses pile up again this year. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, IUFLA said:

Be a tough one to win on the road, but if we're ever gonna go 4 out 1 in, this is the team to do it against, as they start the 6'10 Njie and 4 guards...

Thank you for these detailed at-a-glance pre-games, IUFLA.  Much appreciated.

Here's a link to "season-so-far" team and player stats.  If I read it correctly, Anthony Leal hasn't scored a single point.  That surprised me.

https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/indiana/stats/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, BGleas said:

I have very little confidence that we can win this game. We have nobody that can guard Pickett, he will control the entire game, and then Lundy, Funk and Dread will knock down a ton of 3's off our over-helping. 

Maybe...

But they have no answer for Trayce and are 12th in DRtg in the Big 10...

So I think we have a good chance here... 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, IUFLA said:

Maybe...

But they have no answer for Trayce and are 12th in DRtg in the Big 10...

So I think we have a good chance here... 

TJD will probably get his, but they'll also mitigate him by doubling which has caused IU several problems. 

I've just watched them several times and they play hard, they play together and with purpose offensively. Pickett is a problem and we don't really have anyone to match up with him, and they surround him with shooters. 

Given that it's also on the road, I just don't see it happening for us. Would absolutely love to be wrong. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, BGleas said:

TJD will probably get his, but they'll also mitigate him by doubling which has caused IU several problems. 

I've just watched them several times and they play hard, they play together and with purpose offensively. Pickett is a problem and we don't really have anyone to match up with him, and they surround him with shooters. 

Given that it's also on the road, I just don't see it happening for us. Would absolutely love to be wrong. 

Yeah, I've watched them a few times. You give them open looks and they'll kill you. But I didn't see much of a dribble/drive game... Funk will absolutely destroy you if he starts feeling it... But he's been in kinda a... Well, funk lately 🙂 

Of course Payton Sandfort was 8 for his last 50 from 3 before our game with Iowa, and we helped bring him out of that 😁 

It'll be interesting to see if Woody tries to match up with them by playing Kopp and 3 guards, or if we stay big and start Reneau or Geronimo... 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Yeah, I've watched them a few times. You give them open looks and they'll kill you. But I didn't see much of a dribble/drive game... Funk will absolutely destroy you if he starts feeling it... But he's been in kinda a... Well, funk lately 🙂 

Of course Payton Sandfort was 8 for his last 50 from 3 before our game with Iowa, and we helped bring him out of that 😁 

It'll be interesting to see if Woody tries to match up with them by playing Kopp and 3 guards, or if we stay big and start Reneau or Geronimo... 

Agree, not much of a dribble drive game, but we're also horrible at defending the dribble drive, so we'll see what happens there. 

My big fear is that we have nobody to defend Pickett and he'll just control the entire game. He often brings the ball up for them, works his way to the block and then just controls everything from there with shooters around him. Kind of Nigel Hayes'ish for a comp. 

I just think we'll get lost in the over help trying to defend that and give up a bunch of 3's. 

I also think PSU is just a more cohesive unit at the moment that plays with more purpose. 

IU is going to have to bring the defensive energy from the jump and pressure PSU better than they have recently. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, BGleas said:

Agree, not much of a dribble drive game, but we're also horrible at defending the dribble drive, so we'll see what happens there. 

My big fear is that we have nobody to defend Pickett and he'll just control the entire game. He often brings the ball up for them, works his way to the block and then just controls everything from there with shooters around him. Kind of Nigel Hayes'ish for a comp. 

I just think we'll get lost in the over help trying to defend that and give up a bunch of 3's. 

I also think PSU is just a more cohesive unit at the moment that plays with more purpose. 

IU is going to have to bring the defensive energy from the jump and pressure PSU better than they have recently. 

When Pickett backs his defender down I would double with TJD because their big isn't great.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Question for anybody... 

So do you think Woody will start TJD, Kopp, Galloway, Bates, and JHS rather than a big in place of Galloway?

 

I hope so, but nothing would surprise me.  I'm assuming you mean in place of Geronimo.  JG got pulled early in the 2nd half Sunday and I don't believe he ever returned.  I just don't see how you start him after that.  I'm not trying to pile on the kid, but he is not bringing anything to the table right now.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Question for anybody... 

So do you think Woody will start TJD, Kopp, Galloway, Bates, and JHS rather than a big in place of Galloway?

 

Like many, I would like to see us go smaller. But for this matchup, I think Pickett would abuse Kopp. 

As IUScott mentioned, we could double with TJD but rotations and scrambling to defend the 3pt line haven't been great this year. 

While I'm down on JG, Pickett may actually be a good defensive matchup for him since Pickett operates largely from the post. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, IU Scott said:

When Pickett backs his defender down I would double with TJD because their big isn't great.

It's worth a try. What we can't do is let Pickett back his guy down and just carve us up all night. The staff has got to be creative defensively and mix up the looks on Pickett. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, BGleas said:

Like many, I would like to see us go smaller. But for this matchup, I think Pickett would abuse Kopp. 

As IUScott mentioned, we could double with TJD but rotations and scrambling to defend the 3pt line haven't been great this year. 

While I'm down on JG, Pickett may actually be a good defensive matchup for him since Pickett operates largely from the post. 

I know the Pacers in the NBA is going small ball.  They are starting Nesmith at the 4 and he is only 6'6

Turner ,6'11 

Nesmith 6'6 

Held 6'4 

Nemhard 6'3 

Haliburton 6'6

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, BGleas said:

Like many, I would like to see us go smaller. But for this matchup, I think Pickett would abuse Kopp. 

As IUScott mentioned, we could double with TJD but rotations and scrambling to defend the 3pt line haven't been great this year. 

While I'm down on JG, Pickett may actually be a good defensive matchup for him since Pickett operates largely from the post. 

I thought the same thing re Pickett-Geronimo, but Geronimo's issue are well beyond defense at this point... 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, BGleas said:

TJD will probably get his, but they'll also mitigate him by doubling which has caused IU several problems. 

I've just watched them several times and they play hard, they play together and with purpose offensively. Pickett is a problem and we don't really have anyone to match up with him, and they surround him with shooters. 

Given that it's also on the road, I just don't see it happening for us. Would absolutely love to be wrong. 

Agree. Typical vs Indiana game plan. Double Trace and force guys to shoot. Rebound and drive to the hoop in transition. EZ

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...