Hoops Notebook: Early storylines emerge for Shrewsberry, Nittany Lions

With Penn State men’s basketball practices now underway, new head coach Micah Shrewsberry met with the media this week to offer a glimpse into the program as it currently stands.

Still separated by another 36 days before the Nittany Lions tip off their season against Youngstown State at the Bryce Jordan Center, Shrewsberry and the program marked the occasion by welcoming the media back to the Bryce Jordan Center for an in-person press conference and 40 minutes of practice.

The first in-person full press conference setting for Shrewsberry in his tenure with the program, as well as the first in-person practice opportunity to view the Nittany Lions at work since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, here is a look at some of the news, notes, and observations that stood out about the session:

First impressions: Player development key for Shrewsberry at Penn State

Beginning with an opening statement to discuss the progress made by the program since his hiring late last March, Shrewsberry ultimately announced an undisclosed injury to the Nittany Lions’ 6-4, 235-pound senior guard.

“Myles Dread won't be in practice today, while you guys are there,” Shrewsberry said. “He's dealing with something, a small injury. It's day to day, nothing serious. But it's still early, it's day five, and we have a month until we play so it's better to be safe now and get him to when we need to be 100 percent healthy and that's November 10.”

Taking Sherwsberry at his word, seeing Dread only using his right arm while doing some individual drills before retreating to an exercise bike while the rest of the team worked as a group, the severity of the injury is unknown. But, for a Penn State veteran player returning with 86 games of experience throughout three seasons, starting 59 and averaging 26.6 minutes per game, Dread’s expected contributions to the team this season are not insignificant.

We’ll learn more as the preseason progresses, but on a team already limited in its returning contributors, this is an important piece for Penn State to get back at full capacity.

There is no misunderstanding of the challenge that Penn State is facing among its bigs this season.

With John Harrar returning for a fifth-year senior season thanks to the NCAA’s bonus eligibility as a result of the pandemic, the Nittany Lions got a huge boost to the frontcourt through his presence. But in losing Abdou Tsimbila, the Nittany Lions also suffered something of a blow to their much-needed depth at the position.

Tasked with getting Harrar some help in his first months on the job, Shrewsberry acknowledged that the additions of Greg Lee, Jevonnie Scott, and Jalanni White through the transfer portal are likely to give the group the help needed. The caveat being, of course, that Harrar is still the guy there for Penn State and is likely to play a ton of minutes this season.

“Yeah, I think (we got the help he needed),” Shrewsberry said. “We want John to play as much as possible. He's a big part of what we do, offensively and defensively. I think his game is expanded in terms of how he works, what he's done, how he's picked up everything we've done.

“But I think bringing some guys that aren't similar to him, but can play the same position gives you a few different options to play. We'll throw a bunch of guys out there that, we might look at some funky different lineups, but there's just kind of a plan behind it in terms of what we want to do.”

Early indications are that Lee is best poised to come in and be able to play a role for the Nittany Lions this season as a contributor behind and alongside Harrar.

But as Shrewsberry stressed, Harrar’s importance to this team this season is paramount.

“John, I need him out there. He is a great face of this program, and face of this place and this university for who he is, how hard he works, for everything that he stands for,” Shrewsberry said. “I needed to find (him help). That was one thing when I talked to him about coming back is like, I owe everything. Everything that we're doing this year is for those guys that came back and the guys we brought in fit with them, the guys we've brought in have the same competitive spirit that he has, and that's really important.”

A three-time first-team All-MAAC guard, with a conference rookie of the year and player of the year honor to his name as well, Jalen Pickett is shaping up to be the top prize of Shrewsberry’s journey through the transfer portal in the offseason.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, Pickett bolsters what Penn State has at guard alongside Sam Sessoms. And, according to Shrewsberry, his shooting is what has differentiated him since coming into the Penn State program.

“You watch video and you look at stats and you see everything, but then when you get a chance to see what they can do up close and personal, I think Jalen is so versatile as a player, that we'll use him in a lot of different ways,” Shrewsberry said. “He can really pass the ball. His vision as a playmaker is something that stood out to me when I was trying to recruit him, because of the assist numbers that he had throughout his career so far.

“But the thing that surprised me is how well he shoots it, and that's something that you don't know coming in that he makes really tough shots. Whether they're threes, whether they're post-ups or shots off the dribble, he can make tough shots and you need the guy like that. When the clock's running down, you need the tough basket, we have a few of those guys now, a few different options, guys that can make tough shots. So that's what I've been impressed by with him so far.”

In a system that is expected to deliver open shots, that element is, to not put too fine a point it, going to be essential to Penn State’s success this season.

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