Jan. 2, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State looks for back-to-back Big Ten wins when it travels to Michigan for an 8:30 Wednesday night matchup in the Crisler Center. The game will be televised on BTN with Cory Provus and Shon Morris on the call.
STORYLINES
- This is the 46th all-time meeting, with Michigan holding a 33-12 advantage in the series.
- Over the last five games, six players are averaging in double figures for Penn State, led by junior captain Payton Banks and freshman Tony Carr, both with 13.4 points per game. Banks led the Lions over Rutgers Sunday with 20 points off career-high five 3-pointers.
- For the season, three freshmen are among the top five scorers and are each of top three rebounders.
- Mike Watkins leads Big Ten in total blocks (47) and is fourth in the NCAA. His 3.1 blocks per game are second in the league and seventh overall. He has had four or more blocks five times this season.
- Josh Reaves is second in the Big Ten in total steals (25), despite only playing in 10 games. He averages 2.5 per game, 0.3 more than next in line.
- The Nittany Lions are 6-0 this season when holding opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field. Penn State limited Rutgers (1/1) to 28.6 percent shooting, the lowest field-goal percentage by a Big Ten opponent since 2014.
SETTING THE SCENE
- Penn State is looking for its second win in Big Ten play after knocking off Rutgers Sunday.
- The Nittany Lions are 3-0 in true road game this season, defeating George Washington and St. John's in the non-conference and Rutgers Sunday for their first Big Ten win.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
- The Wolverines opened Big Ten play with an overtime setback on the road at Iowa, 86-83, Sunday. They are 10-4 on the season with losses to South Carolina, Virginia Tech and UCLA during the non-conference slate.
- Michigan averages 75.2 points per game, outscoring opponents by a +12.6 margin. That margin increases to +19.2 in home games with the Wolverines holding an 8-1 record in the Crisler Center.
- Zak Irvin leads Michigan with 13.9 ppg, with help from Derrick Walton Jr. (12.4 ppg) and Moritz Wagner (11.6).
SERIES HISTORY
- Michigan holds a 33-12 advantage in the series and a 19-2 mark when playing in Ann Arbor.
- Penn State's last win in the series was Feb. 27, 2013, a 84-78 victory over then-fourth ranked Michigan in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Wolverines went on to the national championship game that season.
- The last win in Ann Arbor was Feb. 20, 2010 with a 55-51 decision.
CURRENT ROSTER VS. MICHIGAN
Six players on the current roster have taken the court against Michigan, led by Shep Garner's 11.3 points per game through three career meetings. He posted a series-high scoring effort among current players with 22 points vs. Michigan in MSG last season. Josh Reaves missed the Jan. 30 game while recovering from mono.
Player | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | SERIES HIGH |
S. Garner | 3-3 | 11.3 | 3.7 | 22, , vs MICH (1/30/16) |
I. Washington | 2-0 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 9, at MICH (1/2/16) |
J. Reaves | 1-1 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 6, at MICH (1/2/16) |
D. Zemgulis | 2-0 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 5, at MICH (1/2/16) |
P. Banks | 3-2 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 11, vs MICH (1/30/16) |
J. Moore | 2-1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4, , vs MICH (1/30/16) |
LAST TIME AGAINST THE WOLVERINES
NEW YORK (Jan. 30, 2016) - Zak Irvin scored 20 points and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added 15 as Michigan swept the season series from Penn State with a 79-72 victory at Madison Square Garden. The game was part of the inaugural Big Ten Super Saturday Hoops & Hockey Doubleheader in the World's Most Famous Arena.
Derrick Walton Jr. had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Wolverines (17-5, 7-2 Big Ten), who won for the fifth time in six games. The Wolverines led throughout the game and looked to be putting it away until Penn State managed one last drive to keep it close.
Brandon Taylor had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Nittany Lions (11-11, 2-7), who have lost five of six.
NOTABLE GAMES IN THE SERIES
Feb. 27, 2013 (PSU, 84-78): Penn State outscored No. 4 Michigan 33-12 in the final 10 minutes and hit a season best 10-of-20 from three to knock off the Wolverines, 84-78, in the Bryce Jordan Center. A raucous crowd witnessed the highest ranked opponent to fall in the BJC and the second ranked foe to fall in Patrick Chambers PSU coaching tenure.
Feb. 20, 2010 (PSU, 55-51): Talor Battle did a little bit of everything for Penn State and Jeff Brooks hit one of the biggest shots of his Nittany Lion career as Penn State downed Michigan 55-51 in Ann Arbor. Brooks' big baseline jumper with 14 seconds to play broke a nearly eight-minute scoring drought for the Lions and put the seal on Penn State's first win in Ann Arbor since 1999 and just its second in 16 trips.
Feb. 19, 2000 (UM, 89-87 (ot)): Jarrett Stephens scored 33 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the Lions as they fell 89-87 in overtime to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. The point total has been matched or surpassed just twice since and the game stands as the only OT matchup in the series.
UP NEXT
Penn State is taking Big Ten basketball to Philadelphia, hosting Michigan State at Saturday in the historic Palestra. Tipoff is 1 p.m. on ESPN with Dave Flemming and Dan Dakich on the call.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Penn State's non-conference strength of schedule is currently ranked No. 33 in Division I and fourth in the Big Ten, according to ESPN. The conference strength of schedule is 39th overall, which also is fourth in the league.
- The Nittany Lions have taken on five Top 100 RPI teams.
MAN OF STEAL
- Josh Reaves is second in the Big Ten in total steals (25), despite only playing in 10 games. He averages 2.5 per game, 0.3 more than next in line.
- He had a career-high five steals at St. John's in MSG (12/18), the most for a PSU player since March 2015.
- Players must participate in at least 75 percent of their team's games to technically be included in Big Ten and NCAA stats. Reaves missed the first five games with a knee injury.
MICHAEL SWAT-KINS
- Mike Watkins has the most blocks (47) of any player in the Big Ten and the fourth-most of any Division I player. He is second in the league and is seventh (first among freshman) in the NCAA with 3.1 blocks per game.
- Watkins needs just four blocks to enter the Top 10 in season blocks at Penn State and is on pace to break into the top four. All four of the top spots are held by Calvin Booth with Booth's freshman total (101) holding the No. 2 position.
- Watkins had eight blocks vs. Wright State (12/3), which is tied for the sixth-most all-time by a Penn State player and are the most since 1999. He is the only player besides Calvin Booth to tally at least eight blocks in a game.
MONEY IN THE BANKS
- With a career-high tying five 3-pointers vs. Rutgers Sunday, Payton Banks is in the Top 3 in the Big Ten in total 3FGs (42), 3FG% (41.2) and 3FGs per game (2.8).
- Seventy percent of Banks' field goals this season (42-60) are from behind the arc.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
- Shep Garner needs just 15 points to become Penn State's 32nd 1,000-point scorer all-time. The junior guard has 985 points in his third season, averaging 12.2 points per game over his career.
HOT FROM CHARITY STRIPE
- Penn State has hit 77.6 percent (232-299) of its free throws attempts this season, including a season-high 91.7 percent effort (11-12) against Cincinnati (12/20). The season percentage is ranked 10th in Division I and second in the Big Ten.
- Four players are shooting 80 percent or higher from the FT line.
- Lamar Stevens is third in the league at 87.9 percent (58-66), scoring on the eighth-most free throws of all Big Ten players. Tony Carr is second on the team and fourth in the league with an 85.5 percent (47-55) showing.
UNDER 40 PERCENT
- The Nittany Lions are 6-0 this season when holding opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field.
- Penn State holds a 52-17 record under head coach Patrick Chambers when limiting opponents to a sub-40 percent field-goal percentage.
- Penn State limited Rutgers (1/1) to 28.6 percent shooting, the lowest field-goal percentage by a Big Ten opponent since March 6, 2014 when Northwestern shot 23.3 percent in Evanston.
KEEP THEM UNDER 70
- Penn State is 6-0 when keeping its opponents below 70 points. The opposition averages 62.8 points in games won by the Nittany Lions with a +15.0 PSU scoring margin.