Can Nittany Lions limit guard combo?
Penn State may have fallen short of the Big Ten tournament championship, but its strong end to the season earned it a spot in the Big Dance.
The Nittany Lions earned a No. 10 seed in the NCAA tournament and travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on No. 7 Texas A&M on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 9:55 p.m. on TBS.
It’s the first time since 2011 that Penn State is making an appearance in the biggest tournament in college basketball. The Nittany Lions were supposed to attend in 2020 before the event was canceled due to COVID-19.
Top storyline
It’s going to come down to a battle of styles, with Penn State playing a guard-heavy, fast-paced game and Texas A&M having a bit more size, a slower pace and an emphasis on defense.
The Aggies are one of the best defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to 40.5% shooting overall and 32.3% from 3-point range.
Texas A&M isn’t the best shooting team, connecting on 43.5% of its shots overall and 32.8% from 3-point range. However, it does make a lot of trips to the free throw line. The Aggies force opponents to commit 20.2 fouls per game.
They tally 19.2 free throws made per game, with 25% of their points coming from the charity stripe. Penn State averages 15.7 personal fouls a game.
The Nittany Lions are a high-scoring squad. They have three guys averaging double-digit points and another right on the cusp. Penn State scores 72.3 points per game, connecting on 46.4% of its shots overall and 38.5% from 3-point range.
It is reliant on 3-point shooting, with 43.1% of its points coming from beyond the arc. Three different starters — Seth Lundy, Camren Wynter and Andrew Funk — shoot more than 40% from long range.
It’s been both a blessing and a curse for the Nittany Lions. When they’re shooting well, they’re really hard to beat, but when they aren’t, they often struggle to win.
These two teams are the antithesis of one another and it will come down to whoever can execute their style better than the other.
Players to watch
Jalen Pickett: Pickett was recently named Penn State’s first All-American in nearly 70 years due to his dominant performances this season. He is the only player in the country averaging at least 17 points (17.9), seven rebounds (7.3) and six assists (6.7) per game.
Even when he’s not scoring, he’s finding ways to help his team. He ranks in the top 10 nationally in both assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio with 6.7 and 3.04, respectively. Pickett is the leader of Penn State’s offense, which ranks fourth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (9.0).
He’s already shown a penchant for performing well against tournament teams, scoring 20-plus points in games against Illinois, Iowa, Purdue and Indiana, including a 41-point performance against the Illini.
Seth Lundy: Lundy stuck around during a coaching change and is finally getting his first NCAA tournament appearance in what has been a career-best season. He’s averaging 14.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, trailing only Pickett in both categories.
His 40.6% 3-point shooting is the best in the Big Ten and ranks top 30 in the nation. He averages 2.6 made 3-pointers per game, with many coming at key points in games for the Nittany Lions — including the shot to take the lead back for the final time against Northwestern to advance to the Big Ten semifinals.
Behind enemy lines
Texas A&M has an elite backcourt duo in Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford, who were named to first- and second-team All-SEC. They were the SEC’s top scoring guard tandem, averaging a combined 29.6 points , 8.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.7 steals in league play.
Taylor averages 16.5 points per game while leading the league in free throws made with 152 and free throw percentage at 86.9%. He’s also a key facilitator for the Aggies, averaging 4.0 assists per game and disrupting offenses with 1.6 steals per game.
Radford currently averages 13.2 points per game. He was at his best during big games, averaging 19.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in matchups against teams ranking in the AP top 25.
“I know the SEC is a really good league,” Funk said. “I haven’t watched a ton of them this year. Obviously we’ll get on that as quick as we can. I know it’s gonna be tough. I know it’s gonna be a great game. I’m excited to really get in that tournament atmosphere and compete.”