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Nov. 10, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team opens its 2016-17 season against Albany at 7 p.m. Friday in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game, which is part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, is the first in five days for the Nittany Lions.
It will be shown on ESPN3 through WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app with Bob Piccozi and former Nittany Lion Brian Allen on the call. Listen live with Joe Putnam and Dick Jerardi calling the action through the Penn State Radio Network.
STORYLINES
- Five players are poised to make their Nittany Lion debut Friday: freshmen Nazeer Bostick, Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins, along with junior transfer Terrence Samuel.
- Payton Banks is expected to return to the lineup for Penn State after limited action in the final weeks of preseason because of a hamstring injury.
- The Nittany Lions are without sophomore guard Josh Reaves for at least the first three games of the season with a left leg injury.
- This is the first meeting between Penn State and Albany in program history. Head coach Patrick Chambers was 4-0 vs. the Great Danes while at Boston University.
- Penn State defeated Lock Haven, 91-65, Nov. 4 in exhibtion action. Five players finished in double-figures, including three freshmen. [RECAP]
PROMO PLANS
- Growing the Game Celebration
- Pregame buffet for season ticket holders (5:30-6:30 PM)
- Free food at Gate A courtesy of THE MET for Penn State Students (5:30-7 PM)
- Schedule poster giveaway
SEASON OPENERS
Penn State has won its last 11 season openers dating to 2005, including all five under Patrick Chambers. The Lions are 89-30 overall in season openers and 79-10 in home season openers.
| Openers Under | Patrick Chambers | |
| 11/14/15 | vs. VMI | W, 62-50 |
| 11/14/14 | vs. Morgan State | W, 61-48 |
| 11/9/13 | vs. Wagner | W, 74-62 |
| 11/9/12 | vs. St. Francis (Pa.) | W, 65-58 |
| 11/12/11 | vs. Hartford | W, 70-55 |
The last loss in a season opener came vs. Illinois State (92-73) at the 2004 Black Coaches Association Classic in Milwaukee. Penn State's last season opening loss at home came to Georgetown (79-78) in 2003. The Lions opened with a 70-55 victory over Hartford in Chambers' first season, marking the first season-opening win of his career after a pair of losses at Boston University in season openers.
SCOUTING ALBANY
The Great Danes enter the 2016-17 picked to finish third in the America East in a poll of league coaches. They finished 13-3 in the conference last season, earning second place in the league. Albany went 24-9 overall, matching its program Division I record in victories.
Joe Cremo returns as the leading scorer at 10.5 points per game. Mike Rowley and Greig Stire each started at least 32 games last year in the Albany frontcourt, each averaging over six rebounds a game.
CHAMBERS VS. BROWN
Although this is the first meeting for Penn State and Albany on the hardwood, Patrick Chambers faced the Great Danes and head coach Will Brown four times while at Boston University, going 4-0.
NITTANY LIONS VS. AMERICA EAST
Penn State holds a 19-2 record vs. teams in the current America East with the last meeting taking place in 2012 vs. New Hampshire (W, 72-45).
| Albany | -- |
| Binghamton | -- |
| Hartford | 3-0 |
| Maine | 1-1 |
| Maryland, Baltimore Co. | 3-0 |
| UMass - Lowell | -- |
| New Hampshire | 4-0 |
| Stony Brook | 0-1 |
| Vermont | 8-0 |
UP NEXT
Penn State continues its season-opening stretch of three games in five days when it hosts Duquesne at 6 p.m. Sunday. The event will cap off the University's Military Appreciation Week festivities with veterans and their families able to purchase $10 tickets good for both the women's basketball game at 1 p.m. and the men's matchup against Duquesne.