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A quick glance at Penn State's latest 87-72 stats book on North Florida at the Jordan Center might have you thinking Nittany Lion's star striker Lamar Stevens struggled in the second half. After all, Stevens was very hot early in the period, scoring 18 points on 5 shots on 9 and 8 to 8 for the free throw line. He finished with 22 points, which means that he had four in the second period.
But do not let these numbers fool you. In fact, Stevens was just as important to Penn State's offensive production in the second half as in the first half. Rather than panicking when the Osprey started teaming with him, he remained patient. His teammates took advantage of free space and allowed the Lions to roll 1-0. Stevens took only five shots in the final period, two.
"We were trying to go to him," PSU coach Pat Chambers I said. "He has to get used to being doubled, getting out of double and making the right decision. But he was very selfless and forced nothing and did not try to push anything where he needed the ball. He has now understood, he must do a little bit of everything. "
Matthew Driscoll, coach of North Florida, said even better: "I think (Penn State) understands that number 11 (Stevens) is a stud," said Driscoll. "He needs the ball, he has to score and he has to play games. Now he does not have to be a pig, but he has to do these things and I think (Penn State) has adopted and understands him. And because of this, No. 2, No. 13 and No. 23, they play so many pieces and can do a lot of things because they understand that No. 11 is the type. "
For the record, No. 2 is the real young dead man. Myles Dreadwho had 17 points and went 4 out of 8 of the arc. No. 3 is the real first year point Rasir Boltonwho had 13 points and six assists. And the No. 23, of course, is the forward advanced Josh Reaves, who had 19 points, four assists, four steals, three rebounds and a block. "
Also for the record, it was the first game of the season against an outclassed opponent. But you can already see the reasons why a Penn State team without Tony Carr – A point guard who led the team in scoring – could be better than one with him.
In other words, Stevens had 18 points in the first half and the Lions scored 40. He had four points in the second half and PSU had 47 points. By not forcing anything and keeping the ball in motion he even managed to make an impact. although he has not had help in the last 20 minutes (nor in the match).
REAVES, PSU D TOO FOR OSPREYS
Reaves made the Big Ten All-Defensive team last season. The Ospreys, struggling with sporting challenges, were clearly against him. For a period of 28 seconds in the first period, Reaves had three interceptions.
"He's so crazy, Josh Reaves"Said Chambers." … But that's what Josh does. He has a good instinct and undergoes deviations. He is one of the best supporters of the Big Ten for a reason. "
Overall, Penn State's perimeter defense was outstanding for most of the match. North Florida gets 3 points in volume. But with the Nittany Lions in the area, the Ospreys missed their first 19 triples. Driscoll attributes some of this to open fire. But it's fun to see how it goes against sports defenses.
RECRUITMENT REPORT
It was my first look in person on Dread and Bolton. To say that I was impressed would be a euphemism.
Dread's shot evokes Pete Lisicky's three-point bombs in the 1990s. That's to say that he gets up, has a good form and has a very quick release. The blow is pure. And – like Lisicky – he does not hesitate to let him go.
Bolton (below) is clearly the best leader of the team right now. Sophomore starter Jamari Wheeler is an exceptional defender but is super limited in attack. Bolton is smooth with the ball, a precise shooter (he was 2 of 3 from the bow) and can pass. He had those 13 points and six assists (and three rebounds) – in 22 minutes.
We never felt that North Florida had a chance to win this game. But the margin was 11 points (66-55) with 8:24 remaining, and neither the rookie seemed to be nervous.
"They are very confident. Very confident kids, "said Chambers, repeating himself as he often does to accentuate. "… We can not remember those two."
Penn State is in fact a good position as a leader. If the team has to stop late in the game, Chambers can use Wheeler. If he needs a bucket after a break, he can use Bolton.
STEVENS WAS SMART
A bit neglected in this match was the fact that Stevens scored his second foul with 4:33 to go in the first period. Chambers left him in the next two minutes before letting him rest towards the end of the half.
It would have been crazy when Stevens was a freshman or even at the beginning of last season. So often during these times, he was not smart when he found himself in one of the first fouls and invariably invoked a second or a third stupid foul that would send him to the bench.
"I have been in trouble for a good part of my career here," said Stevens. "I just learned watching a movie that I make small mistakes and that I can do things a little differently. I think it's (why) that they trusted me.
Stevens finished the match with three fouls. By the way, he also had 10 rebounds, so he was physical.
CENTER OF INTEREST
With departure center Mike Watkins indefinitely due to out of court problems, sophomore John Harrar (below) will get the nod in the middle for the foreseeable future. He was limited to four minutes in the first half due to fouls – the staff are not as willing to play him with two fouls as Stevens.
Harrar is still struggling to handle the ball offensively – he had three turnovers in 16 minutes on Friday. But the man, he can be a beast on the boards. He had seven rebounds in those 16 minutes.
From an analytical point of view, his rebound was ridiculous (in a good way). According to PSU statistics, Harrar took back 22.7% of the shots missed when he was on the ground.
SHORT SHOTS
• With Harrar in trouble, second student forward Trent Buttrick seen 20 minutes of action. He still does not seem completely comfortable on the floor. But he blocked three shots and made 1 of 3 3 points.
• former Penn State football player Devon Still and his daughter Leah were there. Former Still will be the honorary captain of the Nittany Lions in their match against Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
• The next game for the Nittany Lions is a home game against Jacksonville State on Monday. The contest councils at 19h
THE SCORE OF THE BOX
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