After 22 years of success at Penn State, Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland decided to change up the formula that has brought her 508 career wins at Happy Valley.
She decided that this year's team would scrap the traditional three-guard and two-forward set in favor of what she is calling the "shell offense." The offense will feature four guards and just one forward.
The reason that this offense will be implemented is because of how deep the team is at guard. The top four returning scorers from last season are all guards or converted guards. Jessica Brungo has been converted to a full-time guard after splitting time between guard and forward last season.
"You can't tell Jess Strom, Jess Brungo, Tanisha Wright and Kelly [Mazzante]that one of you have to sit," Portland said. "And the fact that they are so close in age, we really have two years to grow on this and add more guards to it."
Joining juniors Mazzante and Brungo and sophomores Wright and Strom in the starting lineup will be sophomore Ashli Schwab. Schwab will be the only forward in the lineup for the Lady Lions.
The offense, when utilized, can be expected to look like four guards out on the perimeter with Schwab being the lone player in the post position.
Portland compared the look with that of the Oklahoma team that went to the National Championship playing four guards.
She said that rebounding will still be emphasized and this offense will still permit Mazzante to post up in different situations.
"How are you going to defend someone who can shoot the three if you have one of those big kids sitting in the lane?" Portland said. "So I think there are more advantages than disadvantages."
Brungo, who played a shade under 20 minutes a year ago, will be the player seeing the biggest increase in playing time.
She is part of the reason that the decision for Portland to switch to the four-guard offense was so easy.
"Jessica Brungo was far ahead of everybody in conditioning," Portland said. "If anyone came back with stars in her eyes, the lights on and ready to go, I would have to say that it was Jess Brungo."
Brungo gained valuable experience over the summer on the Big Ten's foreign tour team.
"We were only there for 12 days, so we didn't learn too much skills-wise, but it was a mentality we brought back," Brungo said.
Although there is a new offense implemented this season, what was done last season will still be used. Portland described it as a "tweak" to last season's system.
While Mazzante will likely still be the leading scorer, Brungo and Wright should also have increased scoring loads.
"You'll still see her [Mazzante] coming off nine million picks," Portland said. "But you also will see Brungo coming off the picks too.
But I do think that we will be a lot more dangerous and that's what got us further in the tournament than we expected because of Tanisha. We'll just be a better team because of those two getting better."
