Micah Shrewsberry reflects on Penn State's growth since November

There’s an old saying about how you can’t teach a dog new tricks. Considering Penn State is the oldest team in Division I, you’d think that phrase would apply to them more than any group in the nation. That couldn’t be less true as, after their latest win, Micah Shrewsberry said his team has grown a ton and they’re reaching their peak with the postseason upon us.

Shrewsberry shared how far the Nittany Lions have come following their exciting 65-64 victory over Maryland. He said he never wanted to put a ceiling on what his team could do but that, as of now, they’re proving him right by playing their best as they head to Chicago for the conference tournament.

“I didn’t want to put any expectations on this group. I just wanted us to go out and play as hard as possible. And be a tough team to play against, play for each other. They’ve done that,” Shrewsberry said. “What we’ve done, how they’ve come together? I feel like we’re peaking.”

“We’re playing our best basketball right now, which is what you want to do. You don’t want to peak too early. You also don’t want to be walking or limping in to the Big Ten Tournament,” said Shrewsberry. “Our guys feel good about themselves and they feel good about how they’re playing. So I’ll take it.”

Penn State has had a roller coaster of a season up in University Park. Everything seemed great when they started 11-3 but, once Big Ten play really kicked off, they fell off with a 3-8 stretch starting in early January. However, they’ve answered the call with a thrilling 5-1 stretch to get them back into the NCAA Tournament field.

The best thing you can do is be at your best when your best is required. That’s why this run from Shrewsberry’s team was important because, with their season on the line, they’ve taken control of their own destiny and now look like a low seed that could potentially cause trouble inside the United Center.