Last week, the Penn State men’s basketball team held an open practice and NSN was there to take it all in.
First, this team just looks strikingly different from last year’s squad.
As a team, this 14-player roster is bigger, older, longer and stronger from last year’s team.
The average age of last year’s roster was 18.85. This year it is 21.
Coach Rhoades said in his press conference afterwards with last year’s team being so young it was the “weakest, softest team he’s ever coached and that ain’t happening anymore, so it’s all about physicality, playing through physicality and being big, strong and tough.”
Having this make-up of players has also really seemed to increase the intensity and competition levels at practice, too, and this will only make everyone that much better. Talking to General Manager, Scott Pera, at the end of practice, Pera agreed that the competition at practices has greatly increased.
For example, one of the major needs that NSN said was needed at the end of last season was Ivan Juric getting some help banging around the rim. Well, he got it.
The Nittany Lions brought in 6′-11 Tim Oboh out of Buffalo and 6′-8″ Roko Prkacin from Croatia.
Both of these individuals will help take the pressure off of Juric both offensively and defensively, and Juric, by the way, has added 67 pounds of lean muscle and looks to be even more nimble on his feet.
OBOH, JURIC & PRKACIN
Another noticeable difference is the level of shooting this team exhibited at practice. As a team last year, the Nittany Lions only shot 32% from three. So the Nittany Lions brought in some much needed reinforcements to help from beyond the arc.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Brant Byers from Miami (OH), Roberts Blums of Davidson, Thomas Allard out of Alabama-Huntsville and Josh Reed can all really stroke it.
NSN did not see Blums miss all practice and Reed went 5 for 5 from three after a drill at practice with the entire team looking on.
Coach Rhoades said at his press conference that this is the best shooting team he has had since coaching at Rice (2014-2017).
BYERS, BLUMS, ALLARD & REED
Another player that stood out was freshman Andy Gemao from the Philippines. He is a 6′-1″ point guard who is very crafty, lightening-quick and has a lot of bounce off the floor. Even though there are two senior point guards on the roster in Jay Rodgers and Dasonte Bowen, Gemao could carve out some type of role into the rotation.
Rhoades said, “I think Andy is going to be a guy that is going to take peoples’ minutes and also not give them up.”
ANDY GEMAO
The last big thought that NSN took from practice was thinking about Josh Reed’s pending fifth-year of eligibility. We should find out this week if Reed wins his appeal against the NCAA. Adding the 6′-8″ glue-guy, do-it-all small forward would be huge for the Nittany Lions. Reed reminded NSN at practice how good he is and how much value and leadership he provides to the team. Last year, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game and shot 48.8% from the field.
JOSH REED
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