Penn State senior Myles Dread delivers from deep in win over Indiana
Penn State senior Myles Dread didn’t need to jog his memory much.
Moments after helping to slay Indiana at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday, 61-58, the Nittany Lions’ veteran was asked about a particularly important late make.
Beyond just the impact on the game, Penn State’s first Big Ten win of the Micah Shrewsberry era, how had his willingness to take the shot evolved through his career?
“Freshman year, the first big shot I took was at DePaul. I shot an airball,” Dread deadpanned. “That was tough.”
A 72-70 overtime loss to the Blue Demons, the shot’s resonance made sense.
Drawing a look from deep with time set to expire, Dread’s airball assured Penn State’s fate in the Nov. 15, 2018 game.
Four years later, the circumstances were changed but the stakes were just as high. Owning a tenuous 54-53 lead with 1:50 left to play against the Hoosiers, Penn State needed a bucket.
Having missed 11 of their previous 12 shots from the floor spanning nearly eight minutes, any would do for the Nittany Lions. So when Seth Lundy, Sam Sessoms, and Jalen Pickett all missed shots in succession, Penn State’s 10-point lead evaporating gradually, Dread’s look took on particular importance.
Setting up a high screen and roll, Pickett trapped at the midcourt logo, the outlet to Harrar drew a quick recognition from the big man. Only three Hoosiers left to guard Penn State’s four in the halfcourt, Harrar found Dread on the wing with 1:52 to play and no defenders within reach.
Feet set, high release, hold the follow-through, pose, bang.
“Over time, I realized that it was good that I even had the confidence to shoot it at all,” Dread said. “That confidence never wavered, to take big shots in big moments.
“My teammates did a great job of finding me today and they found me again late in the game and I just did what I’ve done thousands and thousands of times.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Bryce Underwood
Michigan flips No. 1 QB Bryce Underwood from LSU
- 2
Portnoy reacts to Underwood flip
Barstool founder fired up over 5-star commit
- 3
Sankey fires scheduling shot
SEC commish fuels CFP fire
- 4Hot
JuJu to Colorado
Elite QB recruit Julian Lewis commits to Coach Prime
- 5
Travis Hunter
Colorado star 'definitely' in 2025 draft
Crediting Dread for returning to team practices on Sunday with a “different focus and attitude” following a weeks-long layoff due to COVID-19, Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry said the work paid off.
Along with it, so too did the Nittany Lions’ evaluation of how to best unlock Dread’s abilities.
Having missed time in the offseason and preseason due to a nagging shoulder injury, Dread’s return has been necessarily rushed. The Nittany Lions playing shorthanded with experienced players, his leadership and on-court command have stretched the wing’s minutes.
But with one truth prevailing in the off-time’s evaluation period for the program, Dread’s potential again took shape Sunday night in the win.
“His numbers we looked at too,” Shrewsberry said. “When he shoots uncontested threes, man, they go in. They go in. He got a bunch of those really good looks and a lot of that was some other guys setting him up for those looks.”
Finishing the game second on the team in points with 12, hitting 4-of-5 threes to go along with four rebounds and an assist in 22 minutes, the Nittany Lions will continue to rely on Dread’s contributions moving forward.
“We need him to keep doing it and if he keeps practicing the way he did, I think he will keep doing it,” Shrewsberry said.
