Oct. 23, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Oct. 22, 2008 - The Nittany Lion basketball team will open the doors to season ticket holders and Nittany Lion Hoops Club members this Saturday morning as it holds an open practice and meet and greet with the team from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the South Gym of the Bryce Jordan Center.
Season ticket holders and club members are invited to enjoy an intimate viewing of the team's practice from 10 a.m. to noon and then enjoy pizza and refreshments with the players and coaches in the Jordan Center's Founder's room following practice. Players and coaches will be available for autographs and pictures and coach Ed DeChellis and senior forward Jamelle Cornley will address those gathered.
Doors to the Jordan Center's South Gym will open at 9:45 a.m. Fans are encouraged to park in the lower fenced in parking lot on the south side of the building and enter through the doors on the west side of that lot. Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics representatives will be available to direct fans.
It's a great opportunity to watch and meet the Nittany Lions before the 2008-09 season starts. Please call 1-800-NITTANY from 9am-4pm Monday through Friday with any questions regarding the day's events.
Penn State plays its first exhibition game on Nov. 9 vs. Bloomsburg and then opens the season on Nov. 14 when it takes on William and Mary at 6:30 p.m. the Friday before the Nittany Lion football team takes on Indiana in Beaver Stadium.
Penn State returns its top two scorers and five of its top six from last season, including leading scorer Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.). Battle, a sophomore point-guard who posted 10.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.1 apg last season, also led the Lions in assists and steals and is among four of the Lions top five rebounders that also return. Battle shared team MVP honors with two-time All-Big Ten honoree Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio). Cornley averaged 12.1 ppg and 6.0 rpg last season to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors despite missing six games total and the last three of the season with a knee injury. Cornley is fully recovered from knee surgery and is among five returning seniors that include Danny Morrissey (Cleveland, Ohio), the team's leading three-point shooter in three seasons, and Stanley Pringle (Virginia Beach, Va.), a starter in 12 games who shot better than 40 percent from the arc last year.
Penn State, which won a record tying 13 home games last season including its last five vs. Big Ten competition, will play 18 home games on the season, nine against Big Ten opponents. Nittany Lion basketball tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office during regular business hours at 814-865-5555 or visiting GoPSUsports.com anytime. Penn State basketball offers the most flexible ticket package ever with the 2009 FLEX pack. For just $99 fans can receive 10 vouchers that can be redeemed in any quantity, bring one friend or nine, for any men's or women's game on any date. You pick the games, the dates and the number of tickets that work for you. The Penn State Basketball FLEX Pack - now our schedule fits yours!