Oct. 6, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" On the eve of the first day of official practice, the Nittany Lion basketball team welcomed the media to the Bryce Jordan Center for its annual media day on Tuesday afternoon.
A capacity crowd filled the BJC media room to hear from head coach Patrick Chambers during an introductory press conference for the 2015-16 before the entire roster vacated the practice gym for open interviews. The Nittany Lions begin practice on Wednesday afternoon in anticipation for the season-opener against VMI on Nov. 14 in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Take a look through some sights and sounds from men's hoops media day.
Sharing the Ball
Coach Chambers knows that the team's top scorer will emerge as the Lions hit the floor. He isn't sure who that will be, but one thing is certain. The Nittany Lions are going to have success if they share the basketball. The latter stages of the 2014-15 season set the blueprint for how the Lions want to play this winter. With four players averaging in double-figures, it provides the Nittany Lions with a balanced attack.
"I think it's going to be a fun style," Chambers said. "I think the players are going to enjoy playing this way. It's going to be a little different, and not so one-player dominated. Every player is going to have an opportunity."
Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to scoring in double-digits. The same can be said about unselfish basketball. Chambers noted that offseason practices showed that guys are playing with the mindset that making the extra pass can elevate a good scoring chance into a great one.
"It's really important for us to share the basketball," Chambers said. "We need to make the extra pass, get the best shot we can and get it inside, put pressure on the paint and try to get ourselves to the free throw line."
Frontcourt Ready to Step Up
One glance at Penn State's frontcourt paints the picture that this unit is different than what Nittany Lion fans have seen in years past. The unit's sheer size speaks for itself, and it's easy to see why Coach Chambers is excited about the group and expecting big things from the bigs.
"Obviously Shep [Garner] proved himself last year to be very capable of being that go-to guy or that scorer for us in the backcourt, but I think our frontcourt is going to be really strong this year," said Chambers. "With Brandon Taylor, Jordan Dickerson, Donovon Jack, Julian Moore, and Mike Watkins, I think those guys are going to help tremendously and help take a lot of pressure off of our guards."
Standing 7-foot-1, Jordan Dickerson headlines the key pieces in the middle of the group. Dickerson had a tremendous offseason on and off the court. The Brooklyn native took big steps forward physically and has become a gym rat when it comes to learning about the game.
"I understand our defense really gets our offense flowing," said Dickerson. "That is something that I don't really feel pressure to do. I have grown to be that player. That is where I get my energy. A lot of people might think that I get excited from a dunk but I actually get more excited when I make a block. So, just to know that it helps my teammates get more energy, it just pushes me to do better."
Penn State's frontcourt has the tools to provide the Nittany Lions with shot-blocking ability on defense and scoring on offense. Chambers is just looking for the unit, which features Dickerson, 6-foot-10 Julian Moore, 6-foot-9 Donovon Jack, 6-foot-8 Mike Watkins and 6-foot-6 Brandon Taylor, to be consistent. Additionally, with so much depth up front, Chambers is eager to explore combinations of bigger lineups.
Taylor Playing with Ultimate Confidence
Senior Brandon Taylor has been knocking on the door of a breakout season, and all signs are pointing to this winter as the one where the Lions see it. The New Jersey native had a superb summer expanding his game into much more than just a perimeter game. Taylor's arsenal now includes being able to play on the wing at the small forward position or playing at the power forward spot with his back to the basket. Chambers wants to see Taylor get to the foul line more, but most importantly, the versatile senior is playing with confidence. A mismatch on the offensive end of the floor, Taylor is taking pride in playing unselfish basketball for the Nittany Lions.
Freshman Class Ready to Make Impact
After signing the program's best recruiting class ever, the Nittany Lions are excited to see the trio of true freshman on the floor when the lights come on for the season. Josh Reaves, Mike Watkins and David Zemgulis have brought a tenacious attitude to the gym since they arrived on campus, and it's a group Chambers is excited to watch grow.
"So far they're working hard," said Chambers. "Obviously there is going to be a lot of pressure on these young kids because they are part of the best class that we've brought in so far, but they're working hard, they're into our culture, they're listening to our veterans and competing at a high level. They're making mistakes and they're being coachable which is critical. They want to be coached, they want to get better, and they want to help this team be successful."
A standout at Oak Hill Academy, Reaves entered Happy Valley the day after he graduated high school. A mature freshman, Reaves is eager to make an impact.
"It is not a certain individual goal for me to reach. It is a goal as a team," said Reaves. "Meaning, everybody is just working together to become as good as we can as a team for the season and just go from there."
Looking Ahead
The Nittany Lions will play 13 non-conference games this season before Big Ten play kicks off at Maryland on Dec. 30. The non-conference slate includes seven home games (two at Rec Hall), four road games and two neutral site contests at the Las Vegas Classic in December. The season begins on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. against VMI.