# 2021–22 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team

The 2021–22 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry and played their home games at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania as members of the Big Ten Conference.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Nittany Lions finished the 2020–21 season 11–14, 7–12 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for 10th place. As the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they defeated Nebraska before losing to Wisconsin in the second round.
On October 21, 2020, head coach Pat Chambers resigned after an internal investigation by the school into inappropriate conduct by Chambers. It had been reported in July that former player Rasir Bolton had left the program due to inappropriate comments to him by Chambers. New allegations surfaced after a later investigation by the school that led to Chambers resigning. Assistant coach Jim Ferry was named interim coach for the season.
Following the end of the season, the school hired Purdue assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry as head coach.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Myreon Jones | 0 | G | 6'3" | 180 | Junior | Birmingham, AL | Transferred to Florida |
| Jamari Wheeler | 5 | G | 6'1" | 170 | Senior | Live Oak, FL | Graduate transferred to Ohio State |
| Kyle McCloskey | 10 | G | 6'5" | 212 | Junior | Lower Gwynedd, PA | Walk-on; transferred |
| Izaiah Brockington | 12 | G | 6'4" | 200 | RS Junior | Philadelphia, PA | Transferred to Iowa State |
| Patrick Kelly | 14 | F | 6'8" | 215 | RS Freshman | Raleigh, NC | Transferred to Fordham |
| Trent Buttrick | 15 | F | 6'8" | 240 | Senior | Bloomsburg, PA | Graduate transferred to Massachusetts |
| Taylor Nussbaum | 20 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Senior | South Salem, NY | Walk-on; graduated |
| DJ Gordon | 23 | G | 6'5" | 175 | Freshman | Pittsburgh, PA | Transferred to Fordham |
| Abdou Tsimbila | 30 | F | 6'8" | 235 | Freshman | Yaoundé, Cameroon | Transferred to Fordham |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous college |
| Irekefe Oweh | 0 | G | 6'2" | 188 | Sophomore | North Brunswick, NJ | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| Greg Lee | 5 | F | 6'9" | 217 | Graduate Student | Rockford, IL | Western Michigan |
| Jaheam Cornwall | 11 | G | 6'0" | 190 | Graduate Student | Brooklyn, NY | Gardner–Webb |
| Jevonnie Scott | 13 | F | 6'7" | 252 | Junior | Toronto, ON | South Plains College |
| Jalanni White | 14 | F | 6'8" | 205 | Graduate Student | New Haven, CT | Canisius |
| Jalen Pickett | 22 | G | 6'4" | 202 | Senior | Rochester, NY | Siena |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2021 recruiting class

There were no incoming recruits for the class of 2021.

#### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2022 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jameel Brown #23 SG | Haverford, PA | The Haverford School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Aug 23, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Kanye Clary #38 PG | Woodstock, VA | Massanutten Military Academy | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 3, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Evan Mahaffey SF | Cincinnati, OH | Archbishop Moeller High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Aug 11, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Kebba Njie #17 C | Centerville, OH | La Lumiere School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Aug 18, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

## Coaching staff

| Position | Name | Year | Alma mater |
| Head coach | Micah Shrewsberry | 2021 | Hanover (1999) |
| Associate head coach | Adam Fisher | 2021 | Penn State (2006) |
| Assistant coach | Aki Collins | 2021 | Clark Atlanta (1997) |
| Assistant coach | Mike Farrelly | 2011 | Saint Joseph's (2003) |
| Director of Basketball Operations | Nicholas Colella | 2015 | Penn State (2013) |
| Director of Recruiting | Brian Snow | 2021 | Ohio State (2007) |
| Athletic trainer | Jon Salazer | 2001 | Penn State (1993) |
| Director of player development | Mike Green | 2021 | Butler (2008) |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Greg Miskinis | 2009 | Penn State (2008) |

## Schedule and results

Games against VCU and Quinnipiac were canceled due to positive COVID-19 results within the PSU program.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 10, 2021* 8:30 p.m., BTN | | Youngstown State | W 75–59 | 1–0 | 23 – Lundy | 14 – Harrar | 8 – Sessoms | Bryce Jordan Center (7,884) University Park, PA |
| November 15, 2021* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at UMass | L 56–81 | 1–1 | 14 – Lundy | 12 – Harrar | 7 – Pickett | Mullins Center (3,022) Amherst, MA |
| November 18, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BTN+ | | St. Francis Brooklyn Emerald Coast Classic campus site game | W 74–59 | 2–1 | 26 – Sessoms | 13 – Harrar | 3 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (7,769) University Park, PA |
| November 22, 2021* 6:30 p.m., BTN | | Cornell | W 85–74 | 3–1 | 23 – Lundy | 12 – Harrar | 6 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (7,515) University Park, PA |
| November 26, 2021* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. LSU Emerald Coast Classic semifinal | L 63–68 $^{OT}$ | 3–2 | 14 – Pickett | 10 – Sessoms | 5 – Sessoms | The Arena at NFSC (2,146) Niceville, FL |
| November 27, 2021* 4:00 p.m. | | vs. Oregon State Emerald Coast Classic third place game | W 60–45 | 4–2 | 14 – Pickett | 7 – Lundy | 2 – Dread | The Arena at NFSC (1,350) Niceville, FL |
| December 1, 2021* 9:15 p.m., ESPNU | | Miami (FL) ACC–Big Ten Challenge | L 58–63 | 4–3 | 16 – Harrar | 12 – Harrar | 4 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (8,221) University Park, PA |
| December 5, 2021 7:30 p.m., BTN | | Ohio State | L 64–76 | 4–4 (0–1) | 23 – Pickett | 12 – Harrar | 4 – Sessoms | Bryce Jordan Center (9,128) University Park, PA |
| December 8, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BTN+ | | Wagner | W 74–54 | 5–4 | 16 – Tied | 7 – Harrar | 5 – Sessoms | Bryce Jordan Center (7,499) University Park, PA |
| December 11, 2021 2:00 p.m., BTN | | at No. 19 Michigan State | L 64–80 | 5–5 (0–2) | 18 – Lundy | 11 – Harrar | 5 – Pickett | Breslin Center (14,797) East Lansing, MI |
| December 18, 2021* 3:30 p.m., NBCSN | | at VCU | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Siegel Center Richmond, VA |
| December 22, 2021* 5:00 p.m., BTN+ | | Quinnipiac | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA |
| December 29, 2021* 6:00 p.m., BTN+ | | Delaware State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Penn State | Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA |
| January 2, 2022 4:00 p.m., BTN | | Indiana | W 61–58 | 6–5 (1–2) | 15 – Pickett | 12 – Harrar | 2 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (8,844) University Park, PA |
| January 5, 2022 9:00 p.m., BTN | | at Northwestern | W 74–70 | 7–5 (2–2) | 23 – Lundy | 8 – Harrar | 4 – Tied | Welsh–Ryan Arena (2,764) Evanston, IL |
| January 8, 2022 12:00 p.m., BTN | | No. 3 Purdue | L 67–74 | 7–6 (2–3) | 21 – Pickett | 8 – Harrar | 10 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (10,464) University Park, PA |
| January 11, 2022 6:30 p.m., BTN | | Rutgers | W 66–49 | 8–6 (3–3) | 17 – Sessoms | 12 – Lee | 6 – Sessoms | Bryce Jordan Center (9,063) University Park, PA |
| January 16, 2022 12:00 p.m., BTN | | at No. 16 Ohio State | L 56–61 | 8–7 (3–4) | 15 – Sessoms | 8 – Tied | 5 – Pickett | Value City Arena (13,565) Columbus, OH |
| January 22, 2022 4:30 p.m., BTN | | at Iowa | L 51–68 | 8–8 (3–5) | 14 – Pickett | 8 – Lee | 4 – Sessoms | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (15,056) Iowa City, IA |
| January 26, 2022 8:30 p.m., BTN | | at Indiana | L 57–74 | 8–9 (3–6) | 14 – Pickett | 9 – Harrar | 5 – Pickett | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) Bloomington, IN |
| January 31, 2022 7:00 p.m., BTN | | Iowa | W 90–86 $^{2OT}$ | 9–9 (4–6) | 19 – Harrar | 11 – Lundy | 3 – Dread | Bryce Jordan Center (7,977) University Park, PA |
| February 5, 2022 6:00 p.m., BTN | | at No. 11 Wisconsin | L 49–51 | 9–10 (4–7) | 14 – Sessoms | 9 – Tied | 3 – Pickett | Kohl Center (17,287) Madison, WI |
| February 8, 2022 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Michigan | L 57–58 | 9–11 (4–8) | 14 – Pickett | 7 – Harrar | 2 – Tied | Bryce Jordan Center (8,650) University Park, PA |
| February 12, 2022 8:30 p.m., BTN | | at Minnesota | L 70–76 | 9–12 (4–9) | 18 – Sessoms | 9 – Harrar | 6 – Pickett | Williams Arena (9,948) Minneapolis, MN |
| February 15, 2022 6:30 p.m., BTN | | No. 19 Michigan State | W 62–58 | 10–12 (5–9) | 17 – Lundy | 16 – Harrar | 3 – 4 tied | Bryce Jordan Center (8,390) University Park, PA |
| February 17, 2022 7:30 p.m., BTN | | Minnesota Rescheduled from January 19 | W 67–46 | 11–12 (6–9) | 20 – Pickett | 10 – Harrar | 6 – Sessoms | Bryce Jordan Center (7,726) University Park, PA |
| February 21, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Maryland | L 61–67 | 11–13 (6–10) | 17 – Sessoms | 13 – Harrar | 6 – Pickett | Xfinity Center (15,184) College Park, MD |
| February 25, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | Northwestern | W 67–60 | 12–13 (7–10) | 15 – Johnson | 20 – Harrar | 6 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (10,280) University Park, PA |
| February 27, 2022 7:00 p.m., BTN | | Nebraska | L 70–93 | 12–14 (7–11) | 12 – Lundy | 8 – Harrar | 5 – Pickett | Bryce Jordan Center (8,273) University Park, PA |
| March 3, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | at No. 20 Illinois | L 55–60 | 12–15 (7–12) | 18 – Pickett | 6 – Harrar | 7 – Pickett | State Farm Center (15,544) Champaign, IL |
| March 6, 2022 12:00 p.m., BTN | | at Rutgers | L 58–59 | 12–16 (7–13) | 20 – Lundy | 17 – Harrar | 4 – Sessoms | Jersey Mike's Arena (8,399) Piscataway, NJ |
| Big Ten tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2022 8:30 p.m., BTN | (11) | vs. (14) Minnesota First round | W 60–51 | 13–16 | 22 – Pickett | 12 – Harrar | 4 – Pickett | Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| March 10, 2022 9:15 p.m., BTN | (11) | vs. (6) Ohio State Second round | W 71–68 | 14–16 | 18 – Sessoms | 9 – Harrar | 5 – Pickett | Gainbridge Fieldhouse (13,565) Indianapolis, IN |
| March 11, 2022 9:00 p.m., BTN | (11) | vs. (3) No. 9 Purdue Quarterfinals | L 61–69 | 14–17 | 16 – Pickett | 12 – Harrar | 6 – Pickett | Gainbridge Fieldhouse (16,415) Indianapolis, IN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
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