Aug 28, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team will host Michigan State on Dec. 31 to open the Big Ten season, marking the first time in five years that the Nittany Lions have started the conference season at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game is one of nine Big Ten match-ups at home this season including Minnesota (Wed., Jan. 8), Indiana (Sat., Jan. 11), Nebraska (Thurs., Jan. 23), Purdue (Sun., Feb. 2), Illinois (Sun., Feb. 9), Iowa (Sat., Feb. 15), Ohio State (Thurs., Feb. 27) and Wisconsin (Sun., March 2). Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday.
Patrick Chambers' third Big Ten slate as head coach of the Nittany Lions tips-off at 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve when Michigan State, No. 3 in Andy Katz's early preseason rankings, comes to town. Penn State hits the road for a Jan. 4 meeting at Illinois before returning home against Minnesota on Wed., Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. for the first of two consecutive home contests.
The 2013 Big Ten champion Hoosiers visit the Bryce Jordan Center on Sat., Jan. 11, for a noon tilt. The contest is the first of five Big Ten weekend games at home this year for the Nittany Lions. Road contests at Michigan (Jan. 14, 8 p.m.), Katz's early preseason No. 9, and Purdue (Jan. 18, 7 p.m.) follow, with the Purdue game marking the first of seven Big Ten games the Nittany Lions have on the ESPN family of networks. The game against the Boilermakers is the first of two consecutive games that will be televised on ESPNU.
The Cornhuskers visit the Jordan Center for a Big Ten mid-week contest on Thurs., Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. (ESPNU). A match-up with Ohio State on the road (Jan. 29, 7 p.m.) precedes another home match-up for Penn State as Purdue comes to town on Sun., Feb. 2 at 11:30 a.m. The game against the Boilers is the first of three straight weekends that Penn State fans can see the Nittany Lions at home in February.
The Breslin Center will host the second match-up of the year with the Spartans slated for Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. Penn State next hosts Illinois in its second of three home weekends in February when the Illini come to the Jordan Center for a 4:15 p.m. start before heading to Bloomington to take on the reigning Big Ten champs on Weds., Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.
The Iowa Hawkeyes come to Happy Valley for their only match-up of the year with the Nittany Lions on Sat., Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. That game will be televised by ESPNU, as well as the road game at Nebraska on Thurs., Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. Penn State's final two home games come after a weekend off for the Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. (ESPN2) before the final home game of the year for Penn State on March 2. Final time and TV arrangements are still in progress for that game, and a confirmed tip time of either noon or 4 p.m. (CBS) will not be announced until mid February.
The Nittany Lions end the year with two road contests, starting with the only match-up of the season with Northwestern on March 6 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. The final game of the year for Penn State will either be played on March 8 (8:30 p.m.) or March 9 (5:15 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.). A date and time will be finalized in late February or early March for that game. The Big Ten Tournament returns to Conseco Fieldhouse from March 13-16.
Further television arrangements for both non-conference and Big Ten games will be announced in the coming weeks.
Penn State faces four Big Ten foes only once this season, including Iowa and Wisconsin at home, and Michigan and Northwestern on the road.
First-team All-Big Ten guard Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas), who ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring (18.8 ppg) and led the league in assists (6.2) in 2011-12, returns with an NCAA medical hardship waiver after playing in just four games in 2012-13. He will join 2013 All-Big Ten honorable-mention honorees D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia, Pa.) to form one of the most potent backcourts in the nation. Sophomore forward Ross Travis (Chaska, Minn.), who finished fifth in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.4 rpg) and posted double-doubles in three of his last seven games, and Brandon Taylor (Tabernacle, N.J.), who made 32 threes in his freshman season, will anchor the frontcourt.
Penn State men's basketball season tickets are on sale now for a season that will include 16 regular season games in the Bryce Jordan Center (nine Big Ten contests and seven non-conference match-ups) as well as an exhibition game. Fans can call 1-800-NITTANY to reserve their season ticket today.
Tickets for the "Return To Rec" game vs. Princeton will be reserved seating and are not included in the 2013-14 basketball season ticket package, however, Nittany Lion season ticket holders and Penn State Hoops Club members will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets for the game. Fans that are members of the Hoops Club as well as season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to buy tickets starting on Sept. 10. All basketball season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets for the contest starting on Sept. 16.
To keep up on the latest, follow Penn State men's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @PennStateMBB. The team is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.