How to watch and what to know about Penn State men’s basketball in the next week
Penn State men’s basketball has two games this week against opponents it has yet to play this season.
The Nittany Lions will play Michigan at home Tuesday night in a 9 p.m. tip, before traveling to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers in a road matchup Saturday night.
Here’s everything you need to know about the matchups.
How to watch — Michigan
Who: Michigan Wolverines (11-9, 5-5) at Penn State Nittany Lions (9-10, 4-7)
When: 9 p.m. (ET), Tuesday, Feb. 8 | Where: Bryce Jordan Center
TV: ESPN2 | Livestream: WatchESPN
Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)
How to watch — Minnesota
Who: Penn State Nittany Lions (9-10, 4-7) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-9, 2-9)
When: 8:30 p.m. (ET), Saturday, Feb. 12 | Where: Williams Arena
TV: Big Ten Network | Livestream: FoxSportsGo
Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)
Player to watch
Senior guard Sam Sessoms: Penn State has needed a second ball handler to be a consistent force on offense behind senior guard Jalen Pickett and Sessoms is the best candidate. The senior guard is good with the ball in his hands and can create shots for himself in the mid-range and get to the rim to finish. There are games where he looks like the best scorer on the court and there are others where he fades into the background and doesn’t contribute much offensively. While Sessoms competes defensively, his size will always limit him on that end of the court, making his offensive efforts vital to his ability to add value to the Lions. Sessoms played well against Wisconsin and it would be a big boost for Penn State if he continues to build off that performance by being an offensive contributor this week.
Matchup to watch
Penn State vs. Michigan center Hunter Dickinson: The Nittany Lions will always be at a disadvantage when they face an opponent with elite size in the paint, with John Harrar being the team’s best post defender at 6-foot-9, 240 pounds and Michigan has it in Dickinson. The sophomore center is 7-foot-1 and is listed at 260 pounds, posing a huge hill for Penn State to overcome. He’s skilled in the paint and can outrebound opponents with ease thanks to his size and strength. The Nittany Lions’ best strategy may be to have Harrar be as physical as possible with the opposing center, and for the team’s ball handlers to attack him at the rim. That could get Dickinson in foul trouble, allowing the Nittany Lions to get him off the floor and forcing Michigan to play without their best big man.
Quotables
Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry on Dallion Johnson:
“He’s pretty fearless out there, in terms of, he’s not afraid to take shots. And he makes shots. He’s had the biggest area of growth from the start of the season to now. He’s still a freshman. I don’t know how many games he played last year but not very many. He didn’t really have a season last year. It’s taken him time to learn everything we want to do defensively. ... He’s trying to do what we ask him to do. He’s growing in that area. I think he’s becoming a better defender. As we keep going, that’s where you’ll see the biggest growth from him.”
