Jan. 7, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following Tuesday's 73-64 setback to Michigan in the Bryce Jordan Center, head coach Patrick Chambers' message regarding back-to-back games of the team shooting below its season average was simple.
"Keep shooting," Chambers said.
Much like they did on the road at Rutgers on Saturday, the Nittany Lions (12-4, 0-3 Big Ten) faced an early deficit against Michigan because of a slow shooting start. Against the Scarlet Knights, the Lions fell behind 11-1 after a 0-for-8 start from the floor. Penn State started 1-for-8 against Michigan and trailed 10-2 early.
In both games, Penn State clawed back in the second half to put itself in a position to win. The Lions were down just one at Rutgers in the final 30 seconds. They were tied with Michigan with 7:41 to play and down just two in the final three minutes. But in Big Ten play, every possession is critical and facing a double-digit deficit is difficult to overcome.
Penn State has the capability to be a dangerous offensive team when each member of the rotation fulfills his role. The team proved that through much of the non-conference slate and at No. 4 Wisconsin last week (53 percent shooting from the field). For Chambers, it all starts with confidence as the Nittany Lions head into an off day before getting back to work in the practice gym on Thursday.
"We need to start believing that we can make these shots," said Chambers. "I think that's what it is, I think it's a mindset. We have to believe we can make these shots and we have to believe we're really good, because we are good, we are, despite our record right now in the Big Ten, we're a good basketball team."
The team knows it can play better than it did during the last two games. While the numbers may not show it, the Nittany Lions have moved the ball well on offense and gotten good looks at the basket for the majority of the last two contests.
"I want my guys to play with great confidence on the offensive end," Chambers said. "They need to keep shooting. They have to keep taking their open shots. They need to keep posting up."
For the better part of the last two games, the frontcourt players have created high percentage shot attempts within the framework of the offense, but the good shots have just not fallen for the Lions.
"They have to come in here and earn the right to make them, though, which they're doing, which is why it's kind of perplexing," said Chambers. "I know they're getting extra shots up. I know they're doing extra things. We're in a shooting slump. It happens. We have to rely on our defense a little more."
There is a lot of basketball to be played. The Lions have 15 more contests on the regular season slate. Penn State will have seven days between games. Next on the schedule is a trip to Bloomington for a matchup against Indiana.
"We're going to give them at least one day to re-group and think about what they need to do; look one another in the mirror, look themselves in the mirror, one of those mirror checks," Chambers said. "We'll come back to work and know that we're a good team and know that we can get better and know that we're not playing our best basketball."