Penn State Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Nittany Lions

Jan 29, 2020; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions associate head coach Keith Urgo (center) talks to the team during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Indiana 64-49. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

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Penn State Basketball Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

Bench

If Penn State will run into any roster issues this season, it will be on the bench. Last season, nine players played at least 459 minutes each. The closest after that was Trent Buttrick, who played 69 minutes the whole season. Of those nine players, three have graduated, and five will be slotted into the starting line-up.

That leaves Izaiah Brockington as the odd one out. Brockington played 644 minutes last season – the fifth-most on the team – and averaged 8.1 points per game. He also, despite the number of minutes, did not start a single game last season, mainly serving as the back-up to Dread at shooting guard. At 6-4, he will most likely be the primary back-up for both Jones and Dread.

Buttrick and Kyle McCloskey are two returners who played under 70 minutes but will be expected to step-up in key bench roles. Buttrick is one of the tallest Nittany Lions at 6-8, and with Lundy and Harrar carrying the load in the paint, Buttrick’s potential improvement will be crucial if Penn State hopes to dominate inside. McCloskey, meanwhile, played 27 minutes as a guard and should expect to see an uptick.

The Nittany Lions are bringing in a talented group of freshmen – some of the top talent in Pennsylvania this year – but they are not yet at the level of keeping Penn State competitive in the Big Ten themselves. Dallion Johnson, DJ Gordon, and Caleb Dorsey are all capable guards who will receive playing time behind Wheeler, Jones, and Dread, and should be set up as the future of Nittany Lions basketball.

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