Penn State falls to Michigan State in a critical game: Hoops Podcast
Penn State basketball lost a critical game against Michigan State on Wednesday night 67-58 to fall to 6-3 on the season. Despite a solid start to the game, the Nittany Lions failed to bring that momentum into the second half, shooting 1-9 from three point after the break. So what happened? Join the Blue White Illustrated hoops podcast with host Thomas Frank Carr and Nate Bauer as they break down the game and the meaning behind the loss. Subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
Penn State’s loss not a “must win” but it’s close
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Bauer, Blue White Illustrated’s basketball reporter, and insider starts with a big-picture view of the game and discusses how Penn State shot out to a 21-12 lead before surrendering a tied game at halftime. He discusses what he thinks the turning point was and how internal pressure caused a poor shooting night. You’ll also hear from Penn State basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry during the show. The Nittany Lions’ leader discussed the importance of the game and how acknowledging that fact may have led to an adverse outcome.
Next, they discuss the shooting performance that Penn State put together against the Spartans. Was it another night where teams took away the three? Or did Penn State shoot poorly? Finally, Bauer discusses what he saw and what Shrewsberry said after the game to underscore that offensive issue.
Too much pressure on Njie?
One of the other issues that Bauer and T-Frank dissect is Kebba Njie’s shooting. Bauer and T-Frank discuss the growing pains of the young big-man and how the pressure of the moment affects him. That pressure isn’t internal, either. Bauer describes a team dynamic that may be getting in the way of Njie playing confidently now.
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From there, they discuss star Jalen Pickett’s night, which nearly included another triple-double before the well went dry for the entire Penn State offense in the second half. T-Frank describes a similar scenario that the team faced several years ago when former star Lamar Stevens had to shoulder the entire offensive load for stretches in a game. Can Pickett do the same? Or will he have to find a better way to include his teammates? Bauer and T-Frank debate his performance before hearing from Shrewsberry as the final word.
Lastly, they look ahead to the rest of the Penn State basketball schedule and illuminate why this was such a big game for them to win. Bauer discusses and projects out the next ten Big Ten games to see how the Nittany Lions may to start conference play.
