Penn State Basketball has “giant killer” potential in Big Ten Tournament

The Big Ten conference tournament is underway and people need to watch out for Penn State basketball, who could surprise some with a deep run.

As the Big Ten Tournament gets underway, fans will be checking in to see if Michigan State can continue their dominance as they are currently sporting a 12-game win streak. And outside of the Spartans, many expect one the top-four seeds to be a lock for the Big Ten’s automatic bid. But the Penn State Nittany Lions have the formula to make a shocking Big Ten Tournament run.

The Nittany Lions have nine Big Ten conference wins, the most since 2011. Year seven under Head coach Patrick Chambers has to be considered a success regardless of how the rest of the season goes. Penn State started off February by reeling off four straight wins and then concluded the month with three straight losses, including an especially tough road loss to Nebraska. Now, with their 9-9 conference record, they need to set their sights on trying to at least make the final round of the Big Ten Tourney to boost their resume.

Their first-round game pits them against No. 10 seed Northwestern. Wildcats’ guard Bryant McIntosh will have his hands full trying to contain sophomore guard Tony Carr. At 6’5″, Carr has the size to bully his way to the rim and is just as adept draining the mid-range jumper.

Because of the “pick your poison” nature of how you guard Carr, lesser teams are usually forced with trying to contain Penn State’s other scorers to minimize his effectiveness as a playmaker. Lamar Stevens went for 30 points in Penn State’s first win over Northwestern this year. In the second matchup, Penn State lost because Northwestern went to a zone defense for most of the game.

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Tony Carr has played tremendously well this season, balancing a sky-high 30.1 percent usage rate with decreasing his turnover percentage. But in those two previous games against Northwestern, he averaged 10 ppg on 30.4 percent shooting. Whether it be off-ball scoring or post-ups, Coach Chambers needs to create a way to generate easier looks for Carr against the Wildcats, especially should they go zone on defense again.

If Penn State defeats Northwestern they will go on to play No. 2 Ohio State. They swept Ohio State 2-0 in the regular season series, averaging 80.5 ppg on the fourth-best defense -according to adjusted defensive rating – in the Big Ten. Penn State lost to Michigan State in their only meeting and also recently lost to Purdue on the road by three points.

With the Nittany Lions showing the ability to hang tough with the elite of the Big Ten,  their execution of concepts is going to be a major key. Penn State is a team that plays tough defense and relies on Carr’s scoring to close out games. If Carr can’t get to the free throw line, it can spell a rough night for the team.

Mike Watkins can certainly help. Watkins is the team’s toughest rebounder, hauling in 19.8% of all rebounding opportunities when he is on the floor. Junior guard Josh Reaves brings tenacity on the defensive end. He and Shep Garner are the only players outside of Carr shooting above 35% from the 3-point line. They need to be even more aggressive on offense in terms of driving, so as to open up catch-and-shoot opportunities for Carr, who is shooting a scorching 45.8% from 3-point range.

Next: Big Ten 2018 Conference Tournament preview

In their regular season sweep of Ohio State, Penn State proved that they were a serious threat in the Big Ten. But their dramatic slip down the stretch has the put them in this position, where they have to essentially win-out to make a strong case to the selection committee. With Carr looking to bounce back, potentially with NBA scouts watching, I fully expect to see Penn State make some noise in Madison Square Garden.