Nov. 13, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two days after inking the highest rated recruiting class in program history, the Nittany Lion basketball team will open its 2014-'15 season inside the Bryce Jordan Center against Morgan State on Friday (7 p.m.).
Confidence is high for the Nittany Lions enter their 119th season on the hardwood. Penn State returns four starters this season and has its eye set on taking the next step.
"We are healthy. We are getting better. Like I've said, we have a good mixture of veterans and youth," head coach Patrick Chambers said. "It's definitely been a process and a learning environment with older guys helping younger guys. It's been one of the better preseasons I've had since I've been here."
Depth will play a big role in Penn State's success this season. Led by senior D.J. Newbill, who finished second in the Big Ten in scoring last season (17.8 ppg), the Lions have the capability to utilize a deeper bench. Chambers spent the preseason evaluating how deep the rotation will go, but he expects the Lions to use upwards of nine players on any given night.
"These last couple weeks, I've played 10, easy," Chambers said. "But I think the non-conference is really going to tell our rotation and what everybody is confident with. And what we all trust. I think that is the most important thing. I feel like we should be able to go to our bench and get better. That's what I feel like. It could be eight. It could be nine. It could be 10."
Newbill enters the season as the most experience player for the Nittany Lions at the point guard spot. But the rotation for minutes at point is something Chambers will continue to evaluate to determine what will give the Lions the best chance to be successful.
"Throughout the game, there is definitely going to be times and good chunks of time that he will play the point," Chambers said. "We are just not dead set on saying that he is going to start that way...We will put together the best five that will give us the best chance."
Shooting the basketball at a higher percentage was a big point of emphasis for the Lions during the offseason. Fundamentally-speaking, Chambers indicated this week that he has seen individual growth across the Nittany Lion roster when it comes to shooting the basketball.
"We are shooting at a very good clip right now," Chambers said. "Shooting is something we worked on all spring, all summer and all fall. Brandon Taylor is shooting at a high clip. Shep Garner is shooting at a very high clip. Obviously, D.J. is...Payton Banks, John Johnson...The thing we are working on is (getting) uncontested ones. These last few years, we have taken some tough ones, contested ones and not great ones. If we can get away from those, I think percentages will go up."
That being said, the team has spent a great deal of time working on its passing, footwork and prep work leading up to shots. Focus is on the small details in hopes of creating better shooting opportunities.
"I definitely feel like as a team, we are getting the ball moving a lot more," Taylor said. "We aren't doing as many pick and rolls at the top of the key. Even if it gets late into the shot clock, we are still passing it running our sets or our motion offense."
Another big point of emphasis for the Nittany Lions this fall will be getting the ball into the post more consistently, giving the offense the look of an inside-out operation.
"As a team, one thing that we haven't been able to do as much as we have wanted to the last three years is put the ball inside as much as we would like to," senior forward Ross Travis said. "One of the changes you will probably see a lot this year is us working inside-out."
"I think, as a team, the bigs have made tremendous gains," Taylor said.
A consistent presence in the post is something that has Newbill and the guards excited about.
"It just takes pressure off the guards," Newbill said. "We can trust them with the ball to make good decisions. You try to get some easy buckets from them with their back to the basket."
Chambers has high expectations for the post players this season.
"I'm really pleased with our big men, their development and their skill," Chambers said. "Brandon Taylor, Ross Travis, Jordan Dickerson, Donovon Jack, Julian Moore and Alan Wisniewski - they make us a really good team. Something that we haven't had. It takes the pressure off the guards to make all of the plays. These guys are high IQ guys, and they are very skilled. I'm excited about them and how they are going to grow over these first two months heading into the Big Ten."
Friday's opener kicks off a busy stretch for the Nittany Lions. Penn State will play seven games in a 14-day span, including four away from the Bryce Jordan Center.