Penn State New Ken men's basketball team seeking consistency for stretch run

This season has been a roller-coaster ride for the Penn State New Kensington men’s basketball team. Now, as the season heads into its final three weeks, the Lions hope to find the consistency that has eluded them for much of the past two months.

“Yes, it’s definitely been up and down, but I see us definitely turning a corner,” said fifth-year forward Sammy Carey, a Burrell grad. “We’re going to go on a run here and, hopefully, get into the (Penn State University Athletic Conference) playoffs.

“All we have to do is get into the playoffs, and then we’ll be able to make some noise.”

Part of the Lions’ inconsistency — they are 8-9 overall and 6-7 in the conference — can being attributed to a lack of height. Graduation, injury and other circumstances took Jovan Kojic (6-foot-8), Jaden Stonework (6-5), Joseph Dusabe (6-6) and Senique Jenkins (6-6) off the roster.

That left Ben Cunningham (6-7) as the only legitimate in-the-paint presence. But Cunningham is more of a power forward than a post player, so third-year coach Brant Mack has had to change the Lions’ style.

He spread out the offense and counted on the Lions taking advantage of their ability to score. That has worked. To an extent.

While PSNK often has little trouble scoring — the Lions average 82.6 points per game — they struggle to keep opponents from doing the same, giving up 81.5 points per game. Lacking an interior presence on defense, the Lions are prone to giving up easy baskets in the half-court if they gamble and miss.

“It’s just a little inconsistency in our defensive effort,” Mack said. “Sometimes our effort isn’t quite up to par, in addition to getting beat up on the glass at times.”

Carey, at 6-4, has been called upon to play in the post at times. His 3.9 rebounds per game are tied for fourth on the team — Cunningham leads at 8.1 — but being out of position has been difficult at times.

“I’m more of a four than a five,” said Carey, who averages 3.5 points. “I’m doing all right. A little above average, I would say. But there’s always room for improvement, as a team, not just me.

“As a team, we’ve got to box out more. … I’ve got to hit the glass a little harder and play tougher on defense.”

When it comes to defense, Carey said the solutions aren’t complicated: stick to the fundamentals, keep the offensive player in sight, keep the energy high. He also stressed the need to defend as a team, to be able to trust that someone will be there to give help.

“I think we are definitely getting there,” he said. “It was slow, but we’re slowly getting there. I’ve seen it in practice every day. … We’re really starting to communicate, which is huge and really helps on defense. And I think the more we play together as one unit, we’re starting to develop that trust.”

On the flip side, offense hasn’t been an issue. The Lions, in fact, are second in the 14-team PSUAC in scoring.

Aubrey Feaster II, a 6-4 third-year guard from Buffalo, N.Y., averages 18.9 points while shooting 52.6% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range. Mack lauded Feaster for his maturity and his versatility, noting he is able to guard any position on the floor.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” Mack said. “But his work ethic is unparalleled. He shoots 800 to 1,000 shots a day. He’s constantly working on his craft, and he can finish so well. I think this year he’s not settling for the 3 as much, and he’s taking good shots.”

Plum grad Ta’Rasi Means ranks second on the team and ninth in the conference in scoring at 18.0 ppg. Means’ scoring us up more than six points per game from last season, when he was hampered by a pair of foot injuries.

Twice he has reached 30 points in a game this season, including 37 in a win over PS Lehigh Valley. Means shot 65.2% (15 of 23) in that game and is shooting 48.4% overall for the season.

Cunningham is averaging 11.8 points to go with his team-leading rebound figure. Two other players also are averaging in double figures: third-year guard Shyheim Flanagan (10.8) and second-year guard Jaydn Benson (10.0).

Mack also pointed to second-year guard Donaven Johnson and third-year guard Andre Hayes as key contributors.

“We’re playing 10 to 11 deep, and all these guys are important to our success,” Mack said. “It’s a complete effort for us to be successful. We have to have everybody on the same page. Everybody has to be scoring the ball. Everybody has to be able to rebound the ball.”

The Lions have six games remaining — including a nonconference matchup Feb. 13 against Westmoreland County Community College — in which to right the ship and garner a better seed for the PSUAC playoffs. They visit PS Greater Allegheny on Tuesday with a chance to make a statement against the West Division’s top team.

More pertinent are a pair of games against Penn State Fayette: Saturday in New Kensington and Feb. 23 at Fayette to close the regular season. PSNK and Fayette entered the final week of January tied at 6-6 in the division.

Mack said as long as his team makes a commitment to playing sound defense, it should be right there contending for the conference title.

“The difference between us being (undefeated) and (.500) in the conference is a consistent effort, and, mainly, that’s on the defensive end,” he said. “It comes down to being disciplined and mentally staying with it.

“We have tremendous talent on this basketball team, and sometimes it’s a blessing and a curse to be talented because you rely on talent as opposed to effort all the time.”