Penn State ready to experience ‘big-time atmosphere’ at MSG

The Penn State men’s basketball team plans to get to Madison Square Garden on Saturday earlier than it normally would for a game.

The extra time will give the players a chance to walk around and check everything out, hoping to get some of the nerves and excitement of playing at the World’s Most Famous Arena out of their system before the opening tip at noon against Michigan.

Penn State coach Patrick Chambers has part of his share of trips to the arena in New York. He’s seen the city buzzing for the Big East tournament during his days as an assistant coach at Villanova, and he took his Boston University team to the Garden to face Albany. Penn State center Jordan Dickerson played at the arena in high school.

But for his teammates, playing on that stage will be a new experience.

“There’s so much history and stuff that goes on at Madison Square Garden,” Penn State forward Donovon Jack said. “It’s big-time up in New York City.”

The game is part of a doubleheader, with the Penn State and Michigan men’s hockey teams set to play at 7 p.m.

It is also a return to the city where Dickerson learned a lot about the game playing at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn.

The 7-foot-1 center said his time at Lincoln molded him as a player. And as a senior, he helped Lincoln reach the PSAL championship game held at Madison Square Garden, where his team lost to Boys & Girls.

“The atmosphere’s gonna be crazy,” Dickerson said, looking ahead to Saturday.

Dickerson will have plenty of support at the game.

“I have a lot of family in New York, so it’s going to be nice to see them out in the stands rooting,” Dickerson said. “My grandmother’s going to be really excited.”

After starting the previous 12 games, the Nittany Lions center came off the bench Monday against Ohio State. Chambers made the change in an attempt to help Dickerson avoid getting in foul trouble.

Dickerson was whistled for four fouls and played just nine minutes against Wisconsin four nights before facing the Buckeyes. In Penn State’s game against Michigan State on Jan. 10, he picked up four fouls and played seven minutes.

“I brought him off the bench just for foul trouble,” Chambers said. “He doesn’t play the first four minutes of the first half, doesn’t play the first four minutes in the second half, so there’s opportunities where he’s not going to get a foul, so now he can just go play and play freely and try to block shots.”

Chambers talked with Dickerson about the lineup change before Monday’s game. He was ready to do whatever the coach asked.

“I’ve been struggling with just staying on the court, and he just came up with a plan,” Dickerson said. “He told me he needed me in the game.”

Dickerson logged 20 minutes, finishing with seven points and one block in the setback to Ohio State — the team’s second straight loss and fourth in five games.

The Nittany Lions are looking to get back on track against Michigan.

The Wolverines rolled to a 79-56 win over Penn State four weeks ago, thanks to a hot shooting effort from 3-point range. Michigan went 14 for 25 from beyond the arc that day. The Wolverines rank sixth in the country in 3-pointers per game (10.8) and seventh in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (41.7 percent).

“They shoot the heck out of the basketball,” Chambers said. “They’re gonna shoot 30 3s, they’re gonna make 10 3s. That’s OK. That’s alright. That’s what they do. That’s their style of play. And we have to be more concerned with our style of play and competing and playing hard and getting back to attitude club and earning those points and not worrying about, ‘Oh they made another 3.’”

And the coach doesn’t want his team caught up in its surroundings once the game starts.

“It’s business trip,” Chambers said, “but I also want them to have that experience of playing in a big-time atmosphere.”

Notes: Penn State’s Shep Garner will be a game-decision for Saturday’s game after injuring his ankle Monday. … Michigan’s Caris LeVert has missed the last seven games due to a lower left leg injury. … Saturday’s game will be Penn State’s first at Madison Square Garden since the Nittany Lions won the NIT in 2009.

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 10:47 PM with the headline "Penn State ready to experience ‘big-time atmosphere’ at MSG."