Penn State Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Nittany Lions
Starting Lineup
With Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins gone, one would expect the Nittany Lions’ greatest challenge to be their roster – but it is the opposite. The expected starting lineup for next season is comprised of players who had started 15 games or more for Penn State last season, meaning these five have experience in the Big Ten and will be looked towards for the team to remain competitive.
The highlight of the returners is junior guard Myreon Jones, last year’s second-leading scorer at 13.3 points per game. Jones is one of the best shooters on the team with a 44% clip on field goals and a team-high 40% on three-pointers.
He is used to being in the spotlight – in 25 games last season, he played in 20 or more minutes in all but one. Jones will be expected to serve as Penn State’s leading scorer next season.
Jones will most likely be slotted at shooting guard and joining him in the backcourt will be Jamari Wheeler. Wheeler at point guard is not an unusual sight – he has been Penn State’s starting point guard for two years, and an effective one, at that. He led the team in assists last season with 99 while committing just 54 turnovers.
Expect the frontcourt to be comprised of Myles Dread, Seth Lundy, and John Harrar. Dread played more of a shooting guard role this past season, but primarily served as small forward his freshman year and will, more than likely, have to fill his old position after averaging 8.6 points last season.
In turn, Lundy – who traditionally was a small forward for the Nittany Lions – will most likely be moved to power forward. Lundy is a bit on the shorter side for power forwards at 6-6, but he and Harrar are two of the three tallest returners for the Nittany Lions. There are three freshmen who are taller than Lundy, but it seems like the ideal move to go with Lundy, who has had experience as a starter.
Harrar has been one of the marquee post players for the Nittany Lions for three straight seasons, and he will undoubtedly fulfill that role for his senior year. He did not receive much playing time last season – 17 minutes per game – largely due to the flourishment of Watkins, but Harrar will have an ample opportunity to dominate in the paint. He was the team’s top shooter last season at 63%.