What makes penn state good?

[Goku]

I remember they had a good season 2 years ago. It was the 2017-18 season. Didn't they win the nit? I remember them beating Rutgers badly at the rac and draining a bunch of threes

Then I remember the bad start last year against a good out of conference schedule. Did they lose any top players from that 2017-18 season? I could have swore that 2017-18 season was heavy with upperclassmen. I could have swore that their head coach was a bit on the hot seat at the start of the season last year too. But then they went on a run. Ended up with a better conference record than us.

They had a 1st team player in Stevens. He’s back. Please tell me he is a senior. Josh reaves was on the conference defense team. He’s still around too.

So how are they doing it? Is their run from last year just continuing this year? I know their defense is stout. It seems as if their coach built this program slowly but with a good system and now it has all come together. It’s almost like it’s a program we are trying to emulate.

Well now we have to leapfrog them. They feel like our biggest rival now. We play them twice and it would feel bitter if we lost to them twice.

Any insight on their team and their ascent would be appreciated. Or any corrections of my assumptions of their recent history too

 

[shields]

Reaves is gone.

 

[bethlehemfan]

They have good players

 

[BigEastPhil]

Stevens, Watkins, and Dredd and team are damn good. They re athletic, battle tested and best players are upper classmen

Going to be a damn tough game but it’s winnable

Penn State doesn’t have much depth. We do.

The above may be the difference along with home court.

 

[bac2therac]

Tough players...0-10 to start the season but were a ncaa team easily by years end tho their early woes snuffed out a bid

 

[G- RUnit]

What BAC said. End of year as good as anybody. Used to like when NCAA considered hot teams.

 

[kcg88]

Myreon Jones is shooting 40% on threes on 80 attempts. For comparison McConnell is shooting 44% but only on 25 attempts.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Experience, toughness, Stephens is very good, their coach gets them to play physical , again, tough

 

[tjb]

Penn State doesn’t have much depth. We do.

Penn State has an 8.5-man rotation, with freshman Seth Lundy as the 0.5.

With Watkins and Stevens in foul trouble, playing 22 and 24 minutes, bench players scored 46 of Penn State's 89 points, and had 15 of the team's 39 rebounds against Iowa.

Overall what makes Penn State good is 1. Team speed, 2. Effectiveness in transition, 3. A ball-hawking, aggressive defense, and 4., an improved half-court offense compared to previous years.