Penn State men’s basketball forward Seth Lundy has taken a major step forward this year to become one of the Nittany Lions’ most impactful players.

So far this season, Lundy’s getting it done on both sides of the court. He ranks as Penn State’s leading scorer and stands at 19th in the Big Ten with a cool 14.1 points per game.

Despite his offensive prowess, Lundy’s arguably more valuable on defense. Against strong teams like LSU, Ohio State, Purdue, and Indiana, he’s turned in strong defensive showings that have limited potent scorers, forced missed shots, and ultimately helped Penn State win some games.

Lundy’s defensive skills have also earned high praise from head coach Micah Shrewsberry.

“[Lundy] has been as reliable of a defender as we’ve had this year,” Shrewsberry said in a recent press conference. “He’s taken on the challenge of guarding the best player or one of the best players on every single team. He’s rebounding the ball well, especially on defense.”

Unsurprisingly, Lundy leads Penn State with 5.9 defensive rebounds per game, ranking 23rd among Big Ten players. His contributions have largely kept the Nittany Lions in games against top opponents like Purdue.

Conversely, Lundy is sorely missed when unavailable. Penn State lost a close 61-56 matchup with No. 16 Ohio State last Sunday, but things likely could’ve turned around if Lundy had been on the court. The Buckeyes out-rebounded Penn State by nine in a close defensive battle that would’ve been right up the Nittany Lion’s alley.

Lundy limited star Ohio State forward EJ Liddell to just 14 points in the two teams’ first matchup back in December, but Liddell scored 19 points on Sunday when Lundy wasn’t there to guard him. Offensive contributions from Lundy could’ve swung the game around, too.

“Offensively is where [he] shows up the most,” Shrewsberry said. “I know he’s been very good defensively, and we could have changed some things up schematically. I think both ends missed him in terms of what he would have brought to yesterday’s game.”

Next up, Penn State will hit the road to face Iowa, which just received the most votes of any team not included in the latest AP Top 25 Poll (56). The 13-5 Hawkeyes are led by sophomore Keegan Murray, whose 23.3 points per game lead the entire Big Ten conference.

Should Lundy return to the Nittany Lions’ lineup, he should have his hands full against Iowa’s top scorer.