Texas Basketball: Analyzing 3 biggest threats Penn State poses

Penn State’s tough shot-making ability

One of the more underrated parts of Penn State’s game is its ability to make tough shots from all over the floor.

It is often spotlighted that the Nittany Lions are a great three-point shooting team that can still get it done from the mid-range and the free-throw line. But what is often overlooked is how good Penn State is at hitting contested shots.

Penn State ranks in the 94th percentile this season in points per possession on guarded jump-shots (namely made up of catch-and-shoot attempts from the field), at a mark of 1.15. That’s good for best in the Big Ten this season and tied for 21st in the country.

What’s more, Penn State makes it incredibly tough to drum up a defensive gameplan to deal with its tough shot-making ability since it can hit contested field goals from multiple levels. Penn State shoots 37 percent from deep this season on guarded spot-up three-point attempts.

Combine that with the fact that Penn State is averaging 1.01 points per possession this season on dribble jumpers, and you get a team that is able to create its own looks and hit open shots in even the most difficult situations.

It’s always dangerous to face a team that is so proficient in shooting from deep, especially when contested, in the postseason.