Penn State Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Nittany Lions
Season Outlook
This is a Penn State team that should not, realistically, have NCAA tournament aspirations. Without Lamar Stevens and a questionable bench, there is not enough manpower to bring the same success experienced last season.
This is, however, a team that has the talent to push teams around. The combination of Jones, Dread, and Wheeler will continue to be one of the better guard trios in the Big Ten. If Lundy and Harrar can bring up their scoring average, this squad can pull off a few upsets in a top-heavy conference.
If the Nittany Lions can pull off those upsets in the Big Ten – which they are more than capable of doing – then there is real hope for an NIT berth in their future. They have qualified for the NIT twice in their program’s history, and they have won it both times. With a solid returning core, they have the talent needed to make it a perfect three-for-three.
Obviously, a lot of this season’s potential successes and failures depend on Jim Ferry’s ability to coach. Outside of his final two seasons at LIU where he led the Blackbirds to the NCAA Tournament, his other 13 seasons in Div. I have been a mixed bag.
Additionally, this is his first head coaching job at a P5 school. He has a lot to prove as a coach, and it will not be easy for him – especially when being placed into this situation so abruptly.
Most importantly, this is a team that will need each member to contribute. Nine players – and essentially, only those nine players – were key to Penn State’s success last season. If the Nittany Lions hope to have any success this year, it will have to be played out similarly.
The five starters and three bench players previously listed are the keys to success this year and losing any of them would be catastrophic to Penn State’s aspirations. Likewise, in addition to those eight, implementing the newcomers will be instrumental in setting up the future of Nittany Lions basketball.
Next. Preseason Big Ten power rankings for 2020-21. dark
Only time will tell if any of these pieces will depart with Chambers now gone. Until that potentially happens, this Penn State team should expect to be a threat to marquee Big Ten teams. They will not have the consistent success that the squads in the upper half of the Big Ten are expected to enjoy, but this is a Nittany Lion team that should have any team on their schedule on their toes.