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January 24, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team travels to Columbus for an 8 p.m. game on Thursday, January 25 vs. the Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
GAMEDAY
Penn State (13-8, 3-5 Big Ten) at Ohio State (18-4, 9-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, January 25
8 p.m. ET
Value City Arena (19,049)
WATCH: BTN and BTN2Go
Jeff Levering (pxp) and Shon Morris (analyst)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network, Steve Jones (pxp) and Dick Jerardi (analyst)
2017-18 Affiliates and free online at GoPSUsports.com/lionvision
LIVE STATS:
FOLLOW: Twitter @PennStateMBB & @Coach_Chambers | Facebook | Instagram
TICKETS:
Penn State men's basketball will return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday, January 27 for the annual THON game. Tipoff time against Rutgers is 4 p.m. and doors will open to the public 90 minutes beforehand. Visit for more information.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
RECORD: 13-8, 3-5 Big Ten
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Seventh year at Penn State)
2017-18 Leading Scorer:
#10 Tony Carr, So., G - 18.9 ppg
2017-18 Leading Rebounder:
#24 Mike Watkins, RSo. F - 9.9 rpg
2017-18 Assists Leader:
#10 Tony Carr, So., G - 4.8 apg
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
RECORD: 18-4, 9-0 Big Ten
Coach: Chris Holtmann (First year at Ohio State)
2017-18 Leading Scorer
#33 Keita Bates-Diop, RJr., F - 19.7 ppg
2017-18 Leading Rebounder:
#33 Keita Bates-Diop, RJr., F - 8.9 rpg
2017-18 Assists Leader:
#3 C.J. Jackson, Jr., G - 4.4 apg
NITTANY LION LAST GAME STARTERS
# / Name / Pos. / ELG. / Pts / REB / STAT / NOTES
11 / Lamar Stevens / F / So. / 15.6 / 6.5 / 2nd ppg/rpg | PS Scoring leader in January gms at 19.3 ppg
24 / Mike Watkins / F / R-So. / 13.3 / 9.9 / 5-consec dbl-dbls | January avgs: 15.5 pts/13.3 reb, 80 FG% (36-45)
5 / Jamari Wheeler / G / Fr. / 3.1 / 2.5 / 39 steals | "Instant defense;" B1G steals leader
10 / Tony Carr / G / So. / 18.9 / 4.4 / ppg 2nd in B1G | Increased scoring +7.5 ppg from 2016-17 (21 gms)
33 / Shep Garner / G / Sr. / 10.4 / 2.0 / 270 career 3s | No. 11 PS all-time pts list w/1,402 w/22 at NU
OPENING TIP
Redshirt sophomore forward Mike Watkins is 36-47 from the field in the month of January for an 80% field goal perentage. Those figures have moved him to the top spot for the season in the Big Ten (70.8) and on Penn State's single season chart.
Watkins' 70.8 field goal percentage ranks second nationally.
QUICK HITS
- The contest at Columbus will be the Nittany Lions' first Thursday game of the season.
- Penn State's current 76.9 points per game average is the highest at this point in the season and a 14.0-point difference from Chambers' first season in 2011-12.
- The current rebound margin of +3.8 ranks as Penn State's highest since the 1995-96 season when the Nittany Lions were +6.1.
- Guard Jamari Wheeler leads the Big Ten with 40 steals and has nation's fifth-highest total among freshmen in the national rankings.
- Shep Garner recorded his Big Ten career best with six 3-pointers at Northwestern and continues to move up on both Penn State's and the NCAA's career list for 3-pointers made. To date, the senior guard has 276 total for fourth on the Nittany Lion all-time list and seventh on the NCAA active career list.
SERIES RECORD VS. OHIO STATE
Ohio State has won the last five meetings overall, including a 71-70 decision at the Bryce Jordan Center on February 28, 2017, and the last two games at Value City Arena.
The two programs have played only once in each of the last two seasons.
In 2013-14, Penn State snapped an 18-game losing streak to the Buckeyes and swept the season series for the first time since 1998. The Nittany Lions' won at home 65-63 (2/27/14) and in overtime in Columbus 71-70 (1/29/14).
Overall series: Ohio State leads 37-15
at Columbus: Ohio State leads 19-5
Big Ten games: Ohio State leads 34-13
SUITS AND SNEAKERS WEEK JANUARY 22-28, 2018
Thousands of basketball coaches across the country will trade their dress shoes for sneakers to wear with their suits on gameday this week during the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week through January 28.
This event unites basketball coaches for a common cause - saving lives from cancer. Coaches and their staff across the nation wear sneakers with their suits during games to raise awareness and help save lives from cancer by raising funds and encouraging people to educate themselves about cancer prevention, screening and early detection.
Fans can also be part of the action by participating in a nationwide online auction featuring sneakers and ties signed by coaches. As an additional special promotion during Suits And Sneakers Week, and continuing through the end of the college basketball season, fans will have the opportunity to purchase an exclusive Coaches vs. Cancer tie, designed by Vineyard Vines.