Penn State basketball loses transfer forward for beginning of season
Penn State Nittany Lions basketball will be without transfer forward Greg Lee for the beginning of the season.
New Penn State basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry said Lee is out for Wednesday’s opener against Youngstown State with an undisclosed injury.
There is no timetable for his return.
Lee, at 6-foot-9, averaged 11 points per game last season at Western Michigan, shooting 50 percent from the floor. He also contributed 7.2 rebounds per game in 27 minutes per game.
Fifth-year big man John Harrar will obviously be asked to play more minutes in Lee’s absence. Shrewsberry said 6-foot-8 Canisius transfer is another player who could be asked to do more in Lee’s absence.
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“I don’t think they have a choice,” Shrewsberry said with a chuckle. “That’s the fun part about it. It’s not like you’re looking over your shoulder and there’s a lot of people behind you. These guys, people come because they want a chance to play. If you’re ready for your opportunity, you’re going to get a chance to play.”
White averaged just over 14 minutes per game at Canisius last season, scoring 3.7 points per game and 2.2 rebounds.
“Jelanni’s a great athlete,” Penn State guard Myles Dread said. “He’s going to bring energy, he’s going to block shots. He’s going to rebound, he’s going to make plays.”
The Nittany Lions will, of course, miss Lee’s impact. Guard Sam Sessoms said Penn State misses the energy he provides on the practice floor.
“We notice the difference in practice,” Sessoms said. “Greg’s a guy that brings a lot of energy and tenacity to the floor.”
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Shrewsberry said the Nittany Lions haven’t adapted much of their scheme with Lee not available, aside from some small tweaks on the defensive end of the floor.
Penn State won’t be afraid to go small under Shrewsberry’s purview, that much is clear.
With Lee or without him, he intends to put his five best players on the floor. He’s fine with the idea of position-less basketball. The Nittany Lions won’t always field a traditional lineup.
“We’re just going to play whoever’s rolling,” he said. “If everybody’s 5-6, then you’re just going to have five 5-6 guys out there.”
Penn State will also be without Jevonnie Scott when they welcome Youngstown State on Wednesday.
Scott, a junior college transfer, is still working through some red tape from the NCAA with his transfer process.
It’s clear, though, that Shrewsberry doesn’t intend to use those missing players as an excuse.
“We’ve kind of taken on that mantra, win anyway,” he said. “Doesn’t matter who’ out there, doesn’t matter what our circumstances are. You can still win the game. That’s what our focus is on.
“Whether it’s a next man up mentality, or whatever it may be, we’re still gonna compete. We’re still gonna go out and play the exact same way.”
