How to watch and what to know about Penn State men’s basketball this week
Penn State men’s basketball continues its path through the Big Ten this week after going 1-1 last week, taking down Northwestern on the road Wednesday before falling at home to No. 3 Purdue Saturday.
The Nittany Lions will take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at home Tuesday night in an attempt to get back on track after the loss to the Boilermakers. They’ll then head back on the road for a Sunday matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Here’s everything you need to know about the two matchups.
How to watch — Rutgers
Who: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-5, 3-1) at Penn State Nittany Lions (7-6, 2-3)
When: 6:30 p.m. (ET), Tuesday, Jan. 11 | Where: Bryce Jordan Center
TV: Big Ten Network | Livestream: FoxSportsGo
Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)
How to watch — Ohio State
Who: Penn State Nittany Lions (7-6, 2-3) at Ohio State Buckeyes (9-3, 3-1)
When: Noon (ET), Sunday, Jan. 16 | Where: Schottenstein Center
TV: Big Ten Network | Livestream: FoxSportsGo
Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)
Player to watch
Senior guard Jalen Pickett: Penn State’s best player has emerged over the last month and he continued to prove his worth against one of the best teams in country in Purdue. Pickett has shown why Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry brought him in from Siena as a transfer with his play on both ends of the court. The senior guard isn’t the best athlete on the team but has the savvy and intelligence to bend a defense and create an open shot, whether it’s for him or one of his teammates. Pickett uses an off-beat tempo to meander his way into the line, getting a shot up before the defense realizes how close he is to the hoop or finding a teammate if the opponent collapses in on him. He’s been a vital component for the Nittany Lions on both ends of the court and should have the same importance this week.
Matchup to watch
Penn State vs. Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell: Penn State already played Ohio State earlier this season, falling to the Buckeyes 76-64 in the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 5. The game was the Nittany Lions’ first conference matchup of Shrewsberry’s Division I coaching career and showed his team could hang with some of the best in the Big Ten for long stretches. The group had an added level of success in stopping Liddell, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer and one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the conference. Liddell can use his 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame to get deep in the post and score, but also has the nimbleness to stretch his game beyond the arc and knock down open looks. Penn State held him to 4-of-9 shooting from the field last time around, with six of his 14 points coming from the free throw line. If the Lions can hold up down low and defend Liddell without fouling this time around, they’ll have a chance to knock off the Buckeyes on the road.
Quotable
Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry on defending Rutgers forward Ron Harper Jr.:
“Ron Harper Jr. is a really good player. I’ve been a part of, unfortunately, him torching us a few times. ... Our 3-point defense has to be good. Ron Harper can get it going from three, can shoot it from deep. We’re gonna need to defend him at the half court line. I saw him beat somebody from half court, so we need to pick our defense up and make sure he’s not euro stepping from half court to make a game winning shot like he did against Purdue. ... We’re gonna guard him as hard as possible. He needs to have more field goal attempts than points. If we’re doing that, then we’re probably doing a pretty good job defending him.”
