Danny's 5 keys for Penn State

By Danny Breslauer

1) Do not let Lamar Stevens operate freely in mid-range. He's a threat from 18 feet & in on every possession. If RU forces Stevens to take 3s or gets him in early foul trouble, it's going to be difficult for PSU to get into an offensive rhythm or score more than 65 points.

2) Running against PSU is a bad idea. They have some good transition 3-point shooters -- Dread and Reaves can kill you in those situations. I think RU is best served doing what they did in Happy Valley on Jan. 26. Operate in the halfcourt on O & force PSU to shoot from deep.

3) The matchup against Harrar must be exploited. Watkins has really woken up the last few weeks & is going to give Doorson, Johnson & Carter some fits on both sides of the ball. I love the idea of isolated a hopefully healthier Omoruyi against Harrar & letting him go to work.

4) Mathis & Harper need to take it to Bolton & Wheeler. Reaves will most likely defend both Baker & Mathis depending on the set. Whoever is able to switch away from him needs to immediately attack the basket. Geo had quite a bit of success w/ that 6 weeks ago in the game in PA.

5) Don't be afraid to let the emotions flow. It's a sell-out crowd on Senior Night. As a player, coach or fan, that should be exciting. You want to get things to a different gear in the first 5 minutes. Embrace it, go for the gut-punch early & keep the #Rutgers momentum going!

Listen to episode 25 of The Scarlet Spotlight podcast with guest Mike Greengarten by clicking the play button below.