UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - First-year men's basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry had one mission for his senior class this season, and it entailed building his players to succeed both on and off the court.
The seven seniors on this year's roster, who will be honored on Senior Night Friday against Northwestern, have served as the foundation of his program in Shrewsberry's first year in Happy Valley. The group has displayed resilience, along with their abundance of leadership and guidance for their younger teammates.
Shrewsberry has made a continuous effort in his first season to emphasize the group's importance on the team and what they bring to the court.
"They have all played at least four years of college basketball," he said, referencing Jaheam Cornwall, Myles Dread, John Harrar, Greg Lee, Jalen Pickett, Sam Sessoms and Jalanni White. "They have seen a lot of things and been in different game situations throughout their careers. I know that I can always lean on that group in particular to do what is right."
Four of the seven total seniors transferred to Penn State within the last year, but all of them took a chance on Shrewsberry and his coaching style through the transition phase of the program. As many of them have stated throughout this season, Shrewsberry, and their experienced teammates, have played a vital role in their development.
One of those players that has continued to develop is Harrar, who had the option to leave Penn State but stuck by his team and community. He has been one of the team's most vital players on the court this season. The forward, who is averaging 10.5 points and a team-leading 9.8 rebounds, is referred to as "the anchor" of the team by his coaches and teammates.
"He is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen, and in the league," Shrewsberry said. "It is never a question if John ever plays hard, he always gives 100 percent effort in every game and practice. After games he continues to have this incredible mindset that leads him to lift while others go into recovery mode."
In his freshman year at Penn State, Harrar was awarded the program's Lou Lamie "Most Inspirational" award at the annual banquet for preparedness and work ethic. This is something that has never left John as he continues to defy odds to push and become stronger.
Harrar currently owns 15 career double-doubles, making him one of just 17 Penn State players all-time to register double-digit double-doubles in their Penn State career. He also leads the Big Ten with 3.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Following the strong play of Harrar, Dread has proven to be a leader on the team along with having a knack for clutch shots throughout the 2021-22 season. Those clutch plays included a late game-tying triple in a 90-86 double-overtime win over Iowa, and in Penn State's January 5 win at Northwestern, Dread drilled his 200th career 3-pointer. That made him just the seventh Nittany Lion to ever reach 200 career triples. He currently has 221 career treys, tied for fifth-most all-time by a Nittany Lion.
"Myles is a great shooter who is confident in tough positions,'' Harrar said about his longtime Nittany Lion teammate. "We look to him when we need those extra 3-points to get back in a game."
Senior transfer Pickett is also known to be a powerful scoring threat for the Nittany Lions. The 2019-20 MAAC Player of the Year has made his mark in his first year in State College after transferring from Siena. Pickett is currently averaging 13 points per game, 4.1 assists and four rebounds per contest.
Pickett has a fellow senior backcourt mate that has shined this season in Sessoms. They are two ball handlers that continue to improve and make a difference for the team throughout the year. Sessoms averages 11.5 points per game, right behind Pickett who leads the team in that department. Sessoms has tallied more than 1,600 career points throughout his four years of college basketball.
While the guards have made a scoring impact, that is not the only way this senior class has made an impression.
Another addition to the strong senior group, Lee gives a different dimension to his game by using his quickness to keep spacing on the floor. He has been crucial to the success of the Penn State front court, providing support for Harrar defensively and showing up for his team on offense.
"We try to use Greg's quickness on the court as much as possible, '' Shrewsberry said about the forward averaging 7.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. "He is essential in keeping the spacing on the floor."
In total, the senior group has each played in at least 10 games and started at least one in the 24-game season. While they have not all played in every game, they average 54.7 points and 30.9 rebounds per game as a group, with five of the top six scorers and six of the top seven rebounders on the team being members of the senior class.
Under Shrewsberry, the group has shown its resilience by merging playing styles to create the strong drive and perseverance the Nittany Lions show today, and it has shown up in big ways throughout the season.
In eight of its last 11 games, Penn State has held an advantage in points in the paint despite having the smallest roster by height in the Big Ten as ranked by KenPom's average height metric. Despite this height disadvantage, Penn State has also out-rebounded its opponent or tied its opponent in rebounding in 12 of 16 Big Ten contests. The team has also erased a 10-plus point deficit to come back and win three times this season, with the resilient group of upperclassmen being a big reason why.
Sophomore Dallion Johnson credits the seniors for the team thriving in tough moments.
"I learned how to stay calm on the court especially during tough situations," said Johnson, who is looking forward to carrying the lessons he learned from the senior group with him throughout the rest of his career. "They are patient with the ball and that is something you gain with experience."
That experience has been evident throughout the season for this veteran group of seniors, and they are ready to finish their career on a high note in the Blue and White.
"I am going to hang up the Penn State jersey soon," Harrar said. "If I can leave anything behind it is to work as hard as you can and come out of every game knowing you pushed yourself the hardest."
