It’s often said that the best defense is a good offense.
By keeping your opponent occupied, you give them little time to plan a counterattack, thus increasing your odds of winning.
Well, George Washington, Sun Tzu, or whoever coined that term, Penn State (PSU) seems to be the exception to your philosophy.
While PSU has been efficient in the halfcourt (99th percentile at 1.12 points per possession), over a quarter of its 303 total points (25.7 percent to be exact) have come off opponent turnovers (24 turnovers and 25 points off Tuesday night). And those turnovers aren’t few and far between as PSU has forced its opponents into a 23.5 percent turnover rate (20th in the nation).
All this defensive activity and aggressiveness has led to countless fast break opportunities for the Nittany Lions, which accounts for 23 percent of their offensive production. And yes, not all fast break chances stem directly from turnovers, but the eye test makes it feel like this 94-foot stress-inducing defense has gotten more open-court opportunities than if it played more conservatively.
So far this season, Penn State has the 42nd-best defense when adjusting for opponent quality according to kenpom.com. After last night’s bout with Saint Francis, here are two players whose impact stood out on that end of the floor.
PSU needs Yanic Konan Niederhauser to complete its defensive identity
After Niederhauser exited the game with two early fouls in the first half, there was a shift in momentum for Saint Francis. While the three-ball kept the Red Flash in the game (and even helped get its only lead of the night), there was a point where it was 4-for-5 on layups alone.
With top-rated recruit Miles Goodman still out, it became evident that for Penn State’s defense to be fully actualized, having a backline presence is almost required.
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“I mean, in the press you can maybe take a couple [of] chances and he’s back there to [force] a miss, block a shot,” said Mike Rhoades post-game of Niederhauser’s impact.
And that’s true for any team in any context. When there is less of a consequence for taking gambles in passing lanes or on the ball, defensive pressure naturally ticks up.
So, for PSU to continue to be as effective as it has been with its defensive aggressiveness, Niederhauser will have to stay out of foul trouble as Goodman’s return is still delayed.
Dominick Stewart is buying in
Stewart entered this season with an established reputation as a shooter, as he set the Overtime Elite record last year for single-season three-point percentage. This year, he is 4-for-5 on threes, providing his teammates with space to operate.
However, a big part of Rhoades’ recruiting philosophy was getting players who could plug and play on both ends of the floor, and three games into the season, the 6-foot-5 Stewart looks to already be capable of doing just that.
Through three games, he has totaled five steals, but his buy-in as an on-ball defender has been tremendous, especially during Tuesday night’s game. He made multiple efforts in the full-court press, cutting off ball handlers and chasing down passes for traps to keep the pressure on at all times.
Defense ๐ offense for Dominick Stewart ๐ฅ#B1GMBBall x @PennStateMBB pic.twitter.com/Ro8c8r4hU4
โ Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) November 13, 2024
“[He’s]ย learning… we’ve been really hard on him and on his defense and it’s coming around,” Rhoades complimented Stewart postgame.
“He had a couple plays on defense off the ball that we’re like, all right, he’s getting it…”
Per statbroadcast’s stop percentage (an estimate of the rate of defensive possessions where the opposing team did not score), Stewart posted a 90 percent, the highest for any Nittany Lion.
If Stewart continues to convert at a high clip from deep and his defense progressively gets better, Penn State could have a premier 3-and-D talent.
