Tag: Sam Sessoms

Penn State fields team for annual The Basketball Tournament

Check out this roster of former Penn State basketball stars gearing up for The Basketball Tournament.

The Basketball Tournament has turned into one of the best basketball events in the United States. It’s a single elimination bracket with the majority of team rosters full of college basketball alumni from years past. The winning team of the tournament takes home $1 million. This event first started in 2014 and takes place every summer.

This year, Penn State will be represented with a roster to compete for the $1 million prize.

Happy Valley Hoopers is a team made up of all Penn State alumni of years past. It was put together by [autotag]John Harrar[/autotag] and is full of familiar faces and a program legend.

Here is the full roster.

  • Ross Condon – Head Coach
  • Austin Waggoner – Assistant Coach
  • Zach Zygmunt – Assistant Coach
  • John Harrar
  • Myles Dread
  • Shep Garner
  • Mike Watkins
  • Josh Reaves
  • Sam Sessoms
  • Jamari Wheeler
  • Trent Buttrick
  • Curtis Jones Jr.
  • Taylor Nussbaum

This is the first time a team full of Penn State alumni will compete in The Basketball Tournament. They’re in the Syracuse region and are playing The Nerd Squad in the first round.

Condon was an assistant coach and Director of Basketball Operations for Penn State on Pat Chamber’s staff. He currently is the Manager of Basketball Partnerships for Teamworks.

[autotag]Myles Dread[/autotag] is the most recent Penn State alumni coming off the magical run in March. He gets to play with his old teammates [autotag]Josh Reaves[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Watkins[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Sessoms[/autotag] and Harrar again.

Program legend [autotag]Shep Garner[/autotag] returns to represent Penn State again. He holds the record for most made three pointers in a career and in a single season.

[autotag]Jamari Wheeler[/autotag] and [autotag]Trent Buttrick[/autotag] are back with Penn State after graduate transferring to Ohio State and UMass respectively.

The Happy Valley Hoopers will play their first round game against The Nerd Squad on July 24th at 4pm Eastern Time and can be watched on the ESPN networks.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=11]

Micah Shrewsberry’s Year 2 outlook for Penn State men’s basketball

Here’s a quick look at Penn State men’s basketball’s Year 2 under Micah Shrewsberry.

We are in the bye week of Penn State football. But that also means we are in the midst of preparing for Penn State Nittany Lions men’s basketball.

Penn State is under former Purdue assistant [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag], who came into a team that was struggling immensely. Shrewsberry came in and already inked Penn State’s highest recruiting class in program history.

How will Shrews be in his second year with the Nittany Lions? Let’s take a look.

Penn State finished 14-17 (7-13) last season, which was 10th in the Big Ten.

Their biggest loss will be forward [autotag]John Harrar[/autotag], who averaged 10.6 points per game, 10.3 rebounds and a 64.0 field goal percentage with Penn State last season.

Another big loss for Penn State is guard [autotag]Sam Sessoms[/autotag], who transferred to Coppin State. Sessoms averaged 11.6 points per game last season with the Nittany Lions.

Penn State has plenty of returning players, with senior [autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] and fifth-year senior [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag]. Pickett was the team’s leading scorer last season and his coming back to Penn State is huge. He averaged 13.3 points per game in the 31 games he played.

The Nittany Lions have five talented freshmen coming in this season. One to keep an eye on is [autotag]Jameel Brown[/autotag].

Brown was a Top-100 prospect out of high school and the number five overall recruit in Penn State men’s basketball history, according to 247 Sports Composite Rankings.

One area where Penn State excelled last season was scoring defense, finishing with the Big Ten’s best scoring defense. They allowed an average of 65 points per game. That was Penn State’s best defensive season in the past 11 seasons.

If there is another area where Penn State excelled, it’s free throws. Well over half of the Nittany Lions shot over 70 percent of their free throws last season.

Now, one area where Penn State could use more consistency is its shooting. They only had four players who averaged double-digit points last season, one of them being Harrar.

Penn State brings plenty of experience to the table. If there is anyone to step up, it’s the veteran guard [autotag]Myles Dread[/autotag], who averaged just 6.2 points per game. That was Penn State’s fifth-leading scorer. Fifth. That isn’t ideal for a team that is filled with veteran experience.

In his first season, Shrews had a promising year at Penn State. He took them to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament, the first time any first-year B1G head coach has done that since 2008.

Penn State lost some key talent in Harrar and Sessoms. But, with their veteran experience still present, they are poised to pick up right where they left off from last season.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.   

Penn State basketball adds pair of guards from transfer portal

Penn State added two guards from the transfer portal to complete its roster for the 2022-23 season.

Penn State football just added a big piece to its defensive line in the transfer portal, but Thursday’s transfer portal headlines centered on the men’s basketball program. [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] managed to work the transfer portal to pad the depth on his roster for the 2022-23 season with the addition of two guards from the transfer portal.

[autotag]Camren Wynter[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag] each announced their commitment to Penn State as their transfer destination from their respective schools. Wynter will come to Penn State after being the leading scorer for Drexel. Funk was also his team’s leading scorer, doing so for Bucknell. Wynter averaged 15.8 points per game last season, while Funk led the Bison with 17.8 ppg.

Both players will have one season of eligibility left at their disposal, giving Penn State a pair of experienced and veteran guards to rely on in the upcoming season. Penn State needed that after losing [autotag]Sam Sessoms[/autotag] in the transfer portal. Sessoms has not announced where he will be moving just yet.

Penn State’s latest transfer portal additions bring Shrewsberry’s program to the roster limit of 13 scholarship players.

[listicle id=18248]

[lawrence-related id=18196,17533,17319,17286]

Myles Dread says he had shoulder surgery, will return to Penn State

Penn State guard Myles Dred confirms his plans for next season.

Penn State’s men’s basketball season ended with a glimmer of hope with a solid showing in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, but the Nittany Lions ultimately were forced to sit and watch all of the postseason action from home. But the second season under head coach Micah Shrewsberry should continue to intriguing to watch as the program grows and is developed under the second-year head coach. And on Wednesday, the program received a bit of a boost with an announcement from veteran Myles Dread.

Dread announced, via Twitter, that he will return for another season with the Penn State program. The senior guard will be making use of his extra year of eligibility provided to the NCAA as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entire sports calendar.

“I made the choice to attend Penn State with the idea of taking a team that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament in years to the Big Dance,” Dread said in his statement. “This past season I was not fully healthy, and under the guidance and supervision of the medical staff, I was able to play with a severely torn labrum in my shooting shoulder.”

This is the first time Dread has discussed his injury status for the 2021-22 season, but it does explain why he was wearing a brace.

“With that being said, I will be returning to Penn State to utilize my extra year of eligibility,” Dread said. “I look forward to leading this team and giving everything I have as we set out to accomplish our goals.”

Dread will be a nice returning piece to the Penn State roster next season. [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] has confirmed his plan to return to the Nittany Lions in 2022, but Penn State will likely be losing [autotag]Sam Sessoms[/autotag] through the transfer portal.

[mm-video type=video id=01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r/01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r-0de97427cfe5bd4623e0371bc6a15788.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=9731]

[listicle id=333]

[lawrence-related id=17954,17919,17921,17941,17908]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Key veteran Penn State basketball player enters transfer portal

Penn State basketball veteran confirms his entry to the NCAA transfer portal.

Penn State’s basketball season came to a close after a respectable effort in the Big Ten basketball tournament last week, but the time is now for figuring out what comes next. One thing that is likely to be the case is Sam Sessoms may not be a part of the plan.

Sessoms announced he has entered the NCAA transfer portal, posting a brief message on his Instagram account to confirm previous reports. Sessoms was one of the veteran leaders for the team in the 2021-22 season, the first under new head coach Micah Shrewsberry, and his potential loss will be a noteworthy one given his experience.

A player may enter his or her name in the transfer portal to go through the process of properly evaluating potential landing spots as a transfer player. Entering the transfer portal allows for players to have communication with other potential schools through a recruiting process.

It is important to remember that a player may withdraw their name from the transfer portal at any time and stay at their current school. John Harrar did just that last offseason. However, once a player enters the transfer portal, his current school no longer is required to hold their scholarship.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbNsspbL4jh/

We’ll be sure to monitor where Sessoms ends up next. As noted by his message on Instagram, Sessoms has one final year of eligibility.

[mm-video type=video id=01fycg6bctma9tkghdcg playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fycg6bctma9tkghdcg/01fycg6bctma9tkghdcg-8ebce1e701386d40a9eb2f636fcafa6c.jpg]

[listicle id=333]

[lawrence-related id=10238,17530,17504,17319]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Penn State pulls B1G upset of Buckeyes to advance in Big Ten tournament

For the second night in a row, a big second-half led Penn State to a victory in the Big Ten Tournament, this time against Ohio State.

Penn State capped off the second day of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament with a big win, pulling off a 71-68 upset of Ohio State in the second round of the conference tournament. After trailing the Buckeyes by nine at halftime, the Nittany Lions turned in an impressive second-half effort to dig out of the hole and come away with a surprising victory.

Sam Sessoms led the Nittany Lions with 18 points, and Jalen Pickett added 16 points and five assists. John Harrar and Myles Dread each contributed 12 points as well as Penn State got a fully well-balanced team effort at the best possible time. Harrar and Pickett combined for 17 of Penn State’s 29 rebounds.

Penn State is making its first appearance in the Big Ten quarterfinals for the first time since 2018.

Next up for Penn State is a third-round matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue, ranked No. 9 in the nation coming into the game, is the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament. The Boilermakers are looking to solidify at least a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament as they begin their Big Ten tournament run. The game is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET but will tip 25 minutes after.

[mm-video type=video id=01fxtsq6nkdm4cc9rvd6 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fxtsq6nkdm4cc9rvd6/01fxtsq6nkdm4cc9rvd6-c9667876e43532c45556d75d03afeb00.jpg]

[listicle id=17035]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Penn State uses second-half push to rally past Northwestern

John Harrar’s 20 rebounds helped lead Penn State to a senior night victory over Northwestern.

Penn State’s men’s basketball program honored its seniors prior to a Friday night game against Northwestern in the Bryce Jordan Center. It was only fitting that the seniors for the program in transition helped secure a victory with a strong second-half push against the Wildcats for a 67-60 victory.

Penn State struggled in the first half and went to the locker room trailing Northwestern 28-22. But they found a way to regroup and respond to the adversity on their home court by connecting on more shots and looking more in rhythm in the second half. John Harrar’s 20 rebounds and 11 points for a double-double helped change the outcome of the game in Penn State’s favor, and other seniors played a key role as well.

Myles Dread hit a pair of three-pointers in the game and Sam Sessoms added 12 points to help out in the second half. But it was sophomore guard Daillion Johnson who led the scoring for the Penn State offense with a game-high 15 points.

Penn State swept the regular-season series with the Wildcats, marking the first regular-season sweep of Northwestern since 2011.

The Nittany Lions look to close out the home schedule with one more win when they host Nebraska on Sunday evening. Penn State is now 10-4 at home in the Bryce Jordan Center. This is the only regular-season meeting between Penn State and Nebraska.

[vertical-gallery id=16538]

[listicle id=11403]

[lawrence-related id=16482,16480,16467,16464,16451,16445,16437]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

After three weeks off, Penn State basketball upsets Indiana

Penn State basketball ended a 22-day layoff with a home win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday

It had been a hot minute since Penn State men’s basketball saw the court against a live opponent. To be precise, it had been 22 days since Penn State’s last basketball game, a loss to Michigan State back on December 11, 2021. After three games had to be wiped off the schedule due to COVID-related concerns within the Penn State basketball program or with a scheduled opponent, the Nittany Lions finally returned to the court on Sunday. And it was worth the wait. Penn State won its first Big Ten game under head coach Micah Shrewsberry with a gritty 61-58 victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Jalen Pickett led Penn State in scoring with 15 points and the combination of Myles Dread and Sam Sessoms each ended the night with a +9 on the court. Dread was four-of-five from three-point range on what was a solid night for Penn State shooting the ball in key stretches.

Shrewsberry, who came to Penn State after being an assistant at Purdue, may have taken a little extra energy into the game against the Hoosiers. And during a timeout, that energy was taken out on a poor clipboard that didn’t stand a chance.

Indiana, suffering just its third loss of the season, made a strong effort to hide the result from its followers on Twitter.

Next up for Penn State is a road trip to Evanston, Illinois for a Big Ten contest at Northwestern. The Nittany Lions visit the Wildcats on Wednesday evening for a 9:00 p.m. ET tipoff. The game will air on Big Ten Network.

[vertical-gallery id=12156]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Road loss to Michigan State drops Penn State hoops to 0-2 in Big Ten

Penn State falls to 0-2 in Big Ten play after tough road contest with Michigan State

Penn State’s first road game in the Big Ten resulted in a sour loss for Micah Shrewsberry and his Nittany Lions. Penn State was overmatched in the first half by Michigan State and dug too big a hole to dig out of in the second half of an 80-64 setback on the road in East Lansing on Saturday afternoon.

If there was one thing that was painfully clear for Shrewsberry, it was how much Penn State needs to improve on the go. Michigan State obliterated Penn State in fastbreak points, and the Nittany Lions couldn’t manufacture many trips to the free-throw line. Penn State had just seven foul shots, and the three-point shooting was lagging behind what Michigan State was able to put together. Penn State was just 5-of-20 from beyond the arc while the Spartans connected on nine of 21 three-point shots.

Michigan State, led by Gabe Brown’s 15 points, took a 42-29 lead into halftime after Penn State had hung tight with Michigan State for much of the first half. But Michigan State went on a 15-4 run to turn a two-point lead into the 13-point advantage at halftime. The Spartans held Penn State at arm’s length for the entire second half.

Seth Lundy had a good game in the box score with 18 points to lead all scorers, including 3-of-5 from three-point range and seven rebounds. Sam Sessoms added 12 points off the bench. But Michigan State controlled the boards with 40 rebounds to Penn State’s 28, providing far too many second chances for the offense and important ball control on defense.

Penn State will jump back into nonconference play for their next three games to try and work out a few issues before returning to Big Ten play for the remainder of the season. Penn State will play at VCU for their next game next Saturday, giving Penn State a week to regroup from their 0-2 start to Big Ten play.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Penn State basketball uses big second-half run to take down Wagner

Penn State basketball uses full team effort to pull away from Wagner in non-conference action

Penn State is back in the column after pulling away from Wagner Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. Everybody chipped in for Penn State’s latest victory with Jalen Pickett and Sam Sessoms leading the team with 16 points each.

Penn State led Wagner 32-27 at halftime but took care of business in the second half with a big 22-4 run that allowed Micah Shrewsberry to feel a little more comfortable coming down the final stretch after seeing Penn State unable to put together a full team effort in recent games. After commenting on how his team hasn’t put together a full 40-minute effort, Shrewsberry seemed pleased with the results against Wagner. And

“We were more in control, we turned the ball over less, and we took care of the ball more,” junior forward Seth Lundy said in his postgame comments. “We were way more aggressive defensively. We didn’t allow any straight drives to the rim. Once you play better defense, you play better offense as well. We took control of the game with that.”

Penn State’s defense seems to be forming a bit of an identity as well. For the fourth time this season, Penn State held its opponent to fewer than 60 points in a game, and did so in regulation for the fifth time.

Next up for the Nittany Lions is a return to Big Ten play this weekend. Penn State travels to Michigan State for a Saturday afternoon game in East Lansing, Michigan. The game tips at 2:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on Big Ten Network.

[listicle id=9885]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.