Cagers debut three-guard offense

With the Penn State men's basketball team's offense still missing in action, Nittany Lion coach Jerry Dunn has had to search high and low for new ways to put points on the board.

While toying with the lineup, Dunn has discovered a possible solution to stimulating the stagnant Lion O -- a three-guard offense.

"I think it's good to have that flexibility," senior Lisicky said. "I think we can get some things with us three on the floor. All of us, I believe, are good shooters and are willing to step up and take big shots."

Never was this more evident than against Michigan earlier this month. The Lions trailed by 26 points before Dunn switched to the triple threat at guard. Grays ended the game with 18 points, but his contributions were not through points alone. With Grays on the floor, the Wolverine defense was no longer able to concentrate on Lisicky and Crispin.

Lisicky and Crispin had both been shut down in the first half, going a combined 0 for 8 from the field. In the second half, when Grays played 17 minutes, his backcourt mates went 9 for 17.

There's a flip side to everything, though, and there is a very big one to Penn State's three-guard offense.

First, Grays and Crispin are freshmen, and having two rookies on the floor at the same time is something that will make any coach a little uneasy.

"There are going to be situations and nights when they're not going to get the job done as consistently as we'd like simply because they haven't been there before," Dunn said. "That's the thing that scares me about the three-guard offense and having to rely on it solely."

The other downside of having Grays and Crispin on the floor is their height, or lack thereof. The two check in at 6 feet and 6 feet 1, respectively. This means one of the guards will end up covering a taller forward on defense.

"With those guys being as vertically challenged as they are, it may cause some defensive problems for us," Lisicky said. "But so far, I think we've done pretty well because they've used their quickness to get in people."

Right now, Penn State has no choice other than to use whatever seems like it might work. The Lions have gotten no production from their small forwards in the last month. Greg Stevenson and Titus Ivory have taken turns starting at the three position.

Stevenson was effective earlier in the season but lately has been struggling. He has averaged 3.5 points per game in the Big Ten season. Ivory, known more for his defense, has averaged 1 point a game in that same time.

Until one of them scores consistently, Lion opponents can expect to see quite a bit of Penn State's three-headed backcourt.