How to watch and what to know about Penn State men’s basketball this week
Penn State men’s basketball has two more Big Ten games this week after a tight win over a good Indiana team Sunday afternoon. The Nittany Lions will head on the road Wednesday night to take on the Northwestern Wildcats, where former Penn State great Talor Battle is an assistant coach.
Then they’ll return home where they’ll take on a team head coach Micah Shrewsberry is very familiar with — the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers — at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Here’s everything you need to know about the two home matchups.
How to watch — Northwestern
Who: Penn State Nittany Lions (6-5, 1-2) at Northwestern Wildcats (8-3, 1-1)
When: 9 p.m. (ET), Wednesday, Jan. 5 | Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena
TV: Big Ten Network | Livestream: FoxSportsGo
Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)
How to watch — Purdue
Who: Purdue Boilermakers (12-2, 1-2) at Penn State Nittany Lions (6-5, 1-2)
When: Noon. (ET), Saturday, Jan. 8 | Where: Bryce Jordan Center
TV: Big Ten Network | Livestream: FoxSportsGo
Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)
Player to watch
Senior forward Greg Lee: Penn State has needed some added size and length this season and Lee should be able to provide that as he continues getting into game shape. Due to an injury, the Nittany Lion senior didn’t make his debut until Dec. 11, which was two games ago because the program had several games canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests in their program and some of their opponents’ programs. Lee played 15 minutes against Michigan State in his debut and played 16 minutes Sunday against Indiana in the team’s first game back after a three week hiatus. The redshirt senior provides length and skill from the interior with the ability to stretch his shot beyond the three-point line. Lee was projected to be a starter entering the season prior to suffering his injury and should be able to expand his role in the coming weeks.
Matchup to watch
Penn State vs. Purdue center Zach Edey: Penn State may not be at a bigger disadvantage this season than when Edey is on the court for the Boilermakers Saturday. Edey is listed at 7-foot-4, 295 pounds and uses every bit of his size to dominate opponents on the interior. The sophomore center hauls in rebound after rebound for the Boilermakers and is one of the best rim protectors in the Big Ten. Few centers in the conference are as imposing as he is and he uses that size to be a deterrent close to the hoop. Attacking guards avoid going at Edey for fear of getting their shot blocked, and when they do, he has the ability to swallow it with one of his hands or get close enough to force shooters to alter their release. Penn State will need to pull him away from the rim by making him guard shooters and by getting him switched onto its best ball handlers Saturday afternoon.
Quotable
Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry on playing Purdue, where he spent four seasons as an assistant:
“It’s a little different. I obviously know when we play them. I’ve seen that since the schedule came out. ... But those are also my friends. I still talk to them. I still talk to (Purdue head coach Matt Painter) ... That whole staff, we’re all close. ... There’s a lot of similarities in what we do philosophically. Not necessarily from a execution standpoint, what we do and how we play offensively and defensively is actually pretty different. Philosophically, I’d be dumb not to take something from Coach Painter, being around him and seeing the success that he’s had.”
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 9:14 AM.
