In morphing into the mad flamethrower and shooting a scalding 8-for-10 from 3-point range in a 27-point outburst, Andrew Funk catapulted No. 10 Penn State to a 76-59 upset victory over no.7 Texas A & M in the Midwest Region First Round on Thursday night.
And while Funk's deadly shooting ended a 22-year drought, as PSU hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 2001, Funk's performance was emblematic of Nittany Lions head coach Micah Shrewsbury's success in the transfer portal.
Funk, a grad transfer who spent his previous four years at Bucknell and led the Bison in scoring with 17.6 points per game as a true senior, possessed the experience and poise to thrive on a stage of this magnitude.
Jalen Pickett, another grad student who transferred into Penn State two years ago following a noteworthy three year, bolstered the Nittany Lions with 19 points, eight assists, and seven boards.
Proven, veteran experience plays a major role in today's college basketball landscape. PSU has adapted to the times. The Texas A & M win was indicative of that.
And while Shrewsbury may soon be aggressively vetted for multiple vacant coaching vacancies (he's been linked as a potential favorite for the Georgetown job), PSU's staff has sustained a steady workload on the transfer market.
Here is a look at several guys who Penn State has already been in contact with since entering the transfer portal
Javon Small, East Carolina --The Indiana native averaged 15.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.8 boards this past season as a sophomore. It was a major jump from a pedestrian freshman season in which he averaged just 2PPG.
