What's Ailing Penn State Basketball?

The Lions began February filled with confidence. Four losses later, they're struggling for answers.

Penn State began the month with such promise. After closing January with a dominant 18-point win over Michigan, the Lions turned the calendar to February with fierce determination about making the NCAA Tournament.

"I know these guys," Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry said after that win over Michigan in late January. "I know this group. I know their character, their makeup, and I knew how they were going to play."

Less than two weeks later, Shrewsberry can't find that team anymore. The Lions fell 74-68 at Maryland on Saturday for their fourth straight loss and sixth in their last eight. With two road games forthcoming (even the Feb. 18 visit to Big Ten last-place Minnesota looks daunting now), Penn State is confronting an NIT reality. At best.

Yet Shrewsberry remains adamant that he will keep looking for that team.

"Everybody can leave us for dead right now," Shrewsberry told reporters after the game. "That's cool with me. I'm not. I believe in those guys. I believe in how they play. I believe in our staff and their ability to motivate us and get us ready."

FOLLOW: Penn State vs. Illinois, 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, Bryce Jordan Center

The Lions (14-11, 5-9 Big Ten) likely need to win five of their last six regular-season games, beginning Tuesday against Illinois, or make a miraculous conference tournament run, to earn their first NCAA bid since 2011. Shrewsberry knows the odds, particularly for a team that swings so wildly between binge and purge tendencies.

Over the past four games, Penn State is scoring 66.3 points per game, six points below its season average, and is allowing 76.3 per game, eight points above its average. Opponents have been averaging 52.4 percent from the field against the Lions, who normally allow a 43.4-percent scoring average.

And the Lions' scoring lulls have been dramatic. Consider the first half against Maryland.

Shrewsberry has dinged the Lions for their defensive effort recently but liked what they did Saturday. Then, the team committed 10 first-half turnovers (1.3 more than its per-game average) and made one of its first 10 shots.

A team without a strong interior offensive presence can't shoot in streaks, yet Penn State does it often. On Saturday, the Lions made just one of basket in nearly seven minutes of the second half.

After Seth Lundy's 3-pointer cut the team's deficit to one with 8:48 remaining, Penn State made just one basket until Andrew Funk's 3-pointer with 2:06 left. This team plays too many seniors to go that long with one basket.

Though the Lions clawed back from an early 11-point deficit, they slipped back into old tendencies. During a 13-2 Maryland run, the Lions went 1 for 8 from the field and missed five 3-point attempts. For a team that shot 46.2 percent from 3-point range, that stretch was debilitating.

Yet, as Shrewsberry said, they fight. Will that be enough? The Lions return home Tuesday to host Illinois, which remains the only Big Ten team Penn State has beaten on the road this season.

"I’m not hanging my head," Shrewsberry said. "I’m not a quitter. I've never been in this position before, but I know what other people are going to do. Not quit."

Regarding Tuesday's home game against Illinois, the coach added, "If nobody shows up? That's cool with me. That is cool with me. We're going to play this game."

Noteworthy

• Freshman Kanye Clary scored a career-high 17 points and did not commit a turnover in 23 minutes against Maryland. "If he keeps doing that," Shrewsberry said, "he'll play a lot more for us."

• Five Lions scored in double figures, led by Clary and Andrew Funk (14).

• Penn State shot 50.9 percent from the field, its highest rate since the win over Michigan. The Lions' 3-point percentage (46.2) was their highest in eight games.

Up Next

Penn State (14-11, 5-9 Big Ten) vs. Illinois (17-7, 8-5)

• When: 7 p.m. ET Tuesday
• Where: Bryce Jordan Center
• TV: ESPNU
• Streaming FuboTV (start your free trial)
• Series History: Illinois leads 32-20
• Last Meeting: Penn State 74-49 in December

PENN STATE FANS: SI Tickets is your one-stop shop for tickets to a variety of Penn State sporting events, from football to basketball, hockey to volleyball. Need tickets to the Penn State game? Check out SI Tickets.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.