2023-2024 Penn State men's basketball report card: Lehigh

The Nittany Lions came out on top over Lehigh 74-65 in a closely fought contest to improve their record to 2-0 on the young season.

It was a tale of two halves for Penn State, as the defense intensity picked up in the second half, but at the expense of the offense.

Here are the game grades for the victory:

Offense: B

Penn State put on 74 points, but unlike the season opener, the shots were not falling from deep.

The Nittany Lions made 30.4% of their three-point attempts, despite having numerous open looks. Three-point specialists Zach Hicks and Leo O’Boyle both struggled, with neither making a shot from beyond the arc.

Ball security was still a concern as Penn State finished with 15 turnovers, but it is still an improvement from last game’s 21 turnovers.

Regardless of these issues, the blue and white managed to put up points by attacking the rim and scoring in transition.

Kanye Clary led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Ace Baldwin Jr. with 16 and Qudus Wahab with 11.

Clary’s ability to drive and finish with a floater or dish it out to an open teammate put pressure on the defense and Wahab terrorized Lehigh in the paint all game long.

The shooting struggles and turnovers bring down the grade, but as the team chemistry builds and the shooting percentage balances out, the offense has a clear path to improve.

Defense: B-

After a stellar defensive outing in the season opener, the defense took a step back.

In the first half, the Mountain Hawks dropped 38 points and were picking apart the Penn State defense at will.

The Nittany Lions ramped up the pressure in the second half, utilizing a full-court press and forcing more turnovers.

Penn State held Lehigh to 27 points on 30% shooting in the second half, struggling to score in the paint.

Wahab and Nick Kern Jr. each had three blocks, while Clary and Baldwin Jr. had three steals each.

It was an inconsistent showing from the defense, but the improvements in the second half give signs of hope going forward.

Coaching: B+

The pressing question about the coaching from the game is about Baldwin Jr. and why he didn’t start the game.

Head coach Mike Rhoades said it was a coaching decision, but did not give any further information as to why Baldwin Jr. came off the bench.

With the reason still being unclear, it’s not fair to penalize Rhoades for the decision. However, Baldwin Jr. still logged 34 minutes on the court, which led the team.

The high grade comes from Rhoades’ adjustment to press more in the second half. The defense struggled in the first half, but the full-court press forced turnovers and led to the 14 fast break points for the offense.

The bench unit is still in flux with Favour Aire being out with a hand injury, leaving the team susceptible when Wahab isn’t on the court to lockdown the lane.

Rhoades will have to work out some kinks, but it was still an important victory in the early goings of the season.

Christopher Reynolds is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.