Can Penn State Fix its Offense in Time for No. 4 Ohio State?

"If these shots are going in, we’re looking at a whole different record and a whole different situation," interim coach Jim Ferry said.

Penn State's basketball coaching staff has pored over every shot the team has taken the past four games. "Crunching all the numbers, breaking things down," interim coach Jim Ferry said of the process.

His findings? The Lions, for the most part, are getting good shots. Those shots just haven't fallen as often. So Ferry wants his team to keep shooting, continuing Thursday night against No. 4 Ohio State.

"If these shots are going in, we’re looking at a whole different record and a whole different situation," Ferry said. "But they haven’t, so we are who we are right now. To me, it’s all about building confidence in these guys, because when we play with confidence and we play well, we can play with anybody in the country."

Penn State (7-10) has lost three of its last four games since an 81-71 win over Wisconsin on Jan. 30, and a thread has worn through each outing. The Lions averaged 57.5 points per game in that stretch, topping 60 only once, in a one-point loss to Nebraska on Sunday.

That game represented the bottom of Penn State's season: a home loss to a team that hadn't won a Big Ten game in 13 months. Afterward, Ferry lamented the extended offensive lapse his team has faced.

Penn State hasn't shot 40 percent in its last four games, producing two of its worst offensive performances of the season (31.5 percent in a win over Maryland and 32.3 against Nebraska). In its previous six wins, Penn State shot 41 percent or better.

Further, the Lions have been loose from 3-point range, a primary element of their offense. Penn State has made more than six 3-pointers just once in its last four games, going 9-for-31 against Nebraska.

As a result, Penn State's shooting percentage has fallen to 41.1 percent (from 43.1) and its 3-point percentage is 33.8 (down from 36.6). Those meager numbers have overshadowed the team's defensive effort: Penn State has allowed just one opponent (Wisconsin in a 72-56 loss) to score more than 62 points in its last four games. 

"It could be a little bit of everything," Ferry said. "Could be a little bit of fatigue, could be a little bit mental. ... It's not like we're taking bad shots. It's not like we're taking ones that aren't open. Actually, I think at certain times we've passed up a couple of good ones that maybe we should have taken. So it's about shot preparation and it's about confidence."

Penn State needs to maintain its confidence, considering the stretch of games it faces. After hosting No. 4 Ohio State on Thursday, the Lions hit the road for games at Iowa on Sunday and Nebraska on Tuesday. Penn State is 1-7 on the road this season.

The recent run significantly dinged Penn State's NCAA tournament hopes. The team's NET ranking fell from 31 to 39, and there isn't much time to restore it. Further, Ferry said that Penn State hasn't been able to reschedule its game against No. 3 Michigan, removing an upset opportunity.

But the Lions certainly will get one against Ohio State. They had a chance to take down the Buckeyes in January but missed two crucial shots in the last minute. That theme has tormented Penn State all season.

Half of Penn State's losses have been decided by four points or fewer. And that doesn't include one of Penn State's two overtime losses.

"Our guys are in the gym putting in the effort," Ferry said. "Hopefully we can get a turn for the best this game coming out. But we still have to shoot them. We'd be doing an injustice if we don't shoot them."

Penn State (7-10) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (17-4)

When: 8 p.m. Thursday

Where: Bryce Jordan Center

TV: Big Ten Network

Betting line: Ohio State is a 6-point favorite

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