Late in the second half of Penn State men’s basketball’s game against Minnesota, the Nittany Lions trailed 70-68. They blew a 16-point lead, and the game was turning into a back-and-forth battle as the final minutes ticked away on the clock. With 3:16 remaining in the game, a whistle was blown and star guard Kanye Clary crumpled to the floor in pain.

Clary was subbed out of the game and didn’t return for the remainder of the contest. Penn State concluded the game with an 83-74 loss and suffered its second straight conference disaster.

After the game, head coach Mike Rhoades had no update on Clary’s condition, and during his weekly media availability, stated Clary was day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. With the Nittany Lions hitting the road to play Rutgers on Wednesday night, a quick turnaround for Clary doesn’t seem likely.

With one 18.4-point-per-game guard out for an uncertain amount of time, another has to step up in his place. That role will likely fall to D’Marco Dunn.

Like the rest of the team this season, Dunn has been an up-and-down player. When Dunn is on, he’s a consistent scorer who hits double-digit point totals with a great defensive profile. However, his low can be ugly. Inconsistent shooting and bad turnovers cause him to lose minutes as a bench piece in important games.

“He’s got to step up no matter what,” Rhoades said Monday. “He’s been inconsistent this year, and it’s hurt our team because I have high expectations of him and he has [high expectations] of himself. He’s got to have great growth here as we move along.”

Rhoades expects a lot out of his players, and that’s no different for Dunn. If he’s the man to fill in for Clary going forward, Dunn’s decision-making and ability to play smart basketball is key.

“He’s got to continue to mature and keep working and keep understanding the game to make it easier and easier,” Rhoades said. “When you grow in that one, then your instincts take over and so do the things you’re good at.”

When the entire team is healthy, there’s no doubt that Dunn should be the first man off the bench. He’s a dynamic guard who can help get a scoring run going if needed and fill in for any player having a cold night. However, when the “sixth man” is playing as poorly as other players, it becomes difficult to replace those minutes.

“We’ve seen him be able to score effortlessly at times and then you’re like, ‘Oh man, we need more of that,'” Rhoades said. “But it’s not natural to him yet. So that’s that’s what we’re pushing for. That’s what he has to demand out of himself, and if you get a more consistent D’Marco, we’re a better team.”