UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team returns home to play host to No. 22 Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 6 in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game will be broadcast by the Big Ten Network and available on BTN2Go.com and the BTN2Go mobile app.
Penn State associate head coach Keith Urgo will coach the team vs. the Badgers on Sunday.
In the last six games vs. Wisconsin in the BJC, the games have been decided by an average margin of less than five points. In last year's Big Ten Conference season opener on Dec. 4, 2017, the Badgers took home a 64-63 win.
The 2018-19 season marks the first time since 2014-15 the two teams will play twice in the regular season. The Nittany Lions travel to Wisconsin on Saturday, March 2.
Wisconsin holds the advantage in the overall series 36-10, which consists entirely of games played in Big Ten Conference play beginning with Penn State's first season in the league in 1992-93.
TICKETS: GoPSUSsports.com, call 1-800-NITTANY or visit the Penn State Athletics Ticket Office at the Bryce Jordan Center beginning three hours before tipoff on gameday.
PROMOTIONS: Beat the Badgers buttons for first 1,000 fans, post-game autograph session
WATCH: BTN
TALENT: Dave O'Brien (pxp) & Robbie Hummel (analyst)
STREAM: BTN2go.com & BTN app (subscription)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Affiliates:GoPSUsports.com/MBBAffiliates1819
Online: GoPSUsports.com/lionvision
Sirius 135 | XM 195 | Internet 957
LIVE STATS: Wisconsin at Penn State
DIGITAL PROGRAM: Wisconsin at Penn State
SOCIAL: Twitter @PennStateMBB & @Coach_Chambers | Facebook | Instagram @PennStateMBB.
ROSTER: Penn State | Wisconsin
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Wisconsin
STATS: Penn State | Wisconsin
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Wisconsin | Big Ten
MEDIA GUIDE: Penn State | Wisconsin
WISCONSIN BADGERS
Coach: Greg Gard (Wisconsin-Platteville, 1995)
Wisconsin Record: 67-40 (4th season)
Career Record: 67-40 (4th season)
2018-19 Record: 10-4, 2-1 Big Ten
2018-19 Leading Scorer
#22 Ethan Happ, Sr., F – 16.5 ppg
2018-19 Leading Rebounder
#22 Ethan Happ, Sr., F – 10.5 rpg
2018-19 Assists Leader
#22 Ethan Happ, Sr., F – 4.7 apg
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 120-128 (8th season)
Career Record: 162-156 (10th season)
2018-19 Leading Scorer:
#11 Lamar Stevens, Jr., F – 18.8 ppg
2018-19 Leading Rebounder:
#11 Lamar Stevens, Jr., F - 8.2 rpg
2018-19 Assists Leader:
#23 Josh Reaves, Sr., G - 3.5 apg
PENN STATE STARTERS (LAST GAME)
F -- 11 -- Lamar Stevens – Jr. | 2018-19 ppg: 18.7 | rpg: 8.4
Note: Has scored 10 or more points in 21 consecutive games; recorded 6th double-double of 2018-19 and eighth of his career at Michigan (17 pts/10 rebs)
F -- 21 – John Harrar – So. | 2018-19 ppg: 3.7 | rpg: 4.4
Note: Snatched a career-best 3 steals at Michigan; Has nine starts in 18-19 and started final 8 games of 17-18
F -- 35 – Trent Buttrick – So. | 2018-19 ppg: 2.8 | rpg: 1.5
Note: Made second career start at Michigan; scored a career-best 13 pts (5-5 FG and 3-3 3-FG) with 4 rebounds at Alabama.
G – 13 – Rasir Bolton -- Fr. | 2018-19 ppg: 13.6 | rpg: 2.3
Note: Has 10 games in double-figure scoring; averaging 16.0 points per game in his seven starts
G – 23 -- Josh Reaves -- Sr. | 2018-19 ppg: 10.1 | rpg: 5.3
Note: Two-time B1G steals leader, ranks sixth on the NCAA active career steals list with 206
SERIES RECORD vs. WISCONSIN
Wisconsin holds the advantage in the overall series 36-10, which consists entirely of games played in Big Ten Conference play beginning with Penn State's first season in the league in 1992-93.The last Penn State win came in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament.
2018-19 marks the first time since 2014-15 the two teams will play twice in the regular season.
Meetings in the last 10 seasons are on page 4 of the game notes. Complete series list is on page 182 of media guide.
Series streak: Wisconsin, W10
Last game: UW 64, Penn State 62, 12/4/17
Overall series: Wisconsin leads 36-10
at University Park: Wisconsin leads 16-7
STARTING 5
Penn State associate head coach Keith Urgo (Fairfield '02), in his eighth season on the Nittany Lions' staff, will coach the Nittany Lions Sunday.
The Nittany Lions used their sixth different starting lineup of the 2018-18 season at Michigan Thursday night (14th game).
In the last six home games vs. Wisconsin since the 2011-12 season, the largest deciding margin has been eight points with a 4.83 average point differential in the six contests.
Following his double-double effort with a game-best 12 rebounds, redshirt junior Mike Watkins now has 591 career rebounds and is 21st on Penn State's career chart. He led the Nittany Lions in scoring for the first time in 2018-19 with his 19 points.
Junior forward and Julius Erving Award candidate Lamar Stevens has scored in double figures in every game this season, has six double-doubles and six games with 20 or more points in 2018-19. He has started all 86 games in his career.
No. 2 MICHIGAN HOLDS OFF NITTANY LIONS 68-55
Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens posted double-double nights, but No. 2 Michigan held off Penn State 68-55 in the Crisler Center. Watkins had with a game-high 12 rebounds and a season-best 19 points. Stevens had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Michigan, which had three turnovers in its first five possessions of the game, reversed that trend with only two in the second half compared to eight for Penn State, which finished with 18 overall. Four Nittany Lion turnovers in the first seven possessions helped the Wolverines build a double-digit lead early in the second half.
Penn State pulled within eight points, 55-47, after keeping Michigan without a field goal for three minutes. A 3-pointer by Charles Matthews, followed by a layup by Matthews on the next trip down the floor pushed Michigan back up to a 13-point lead.
After a Josh Reaves steal to set up a Stevens layup to put the score at 60-51, Michigan countered with a three by Ignas Brazdeikis and closed out its scoring with five free throws.
Michigan went up by as many as 10 points in the first half, 20-10, but Penn State held the Wolverines scoreless for over 5:44, and went on an 8-0 run during that time. The Wolverines had a 25-20 halftime, the second-lowest total they posted in any half this year.
Guards Reaves and Jamari Wheeler played only eight minutes each in the first half and went to the bench with two fouls each.
As a team, the Nittany Lions had a 37-29 advantage on the boards and 44 points to the Wolverines' 32, but gave up a 10-point difference in points off turnovers at 10-20. Both teams attempted 14 3-point field goals, but only one found the bottom of the net for PSU.
Jordan Poole led a trio of Wolverines in double figures with 17 and Ignas Brazdeikis also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Charles Matthews finished with 14 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
3 – Millions of dollars raised (net) by Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State since the organization was launched in 1995.
10 – Senior guard Josh Reaves' individual national ranking for total steals this season (36). He leads the Big Ten in both total steals and steals per game (2.6)
25 – Penn State held Michigan to only 25 points in the first half, the second-lowest for the Wolverines in any half in 2018-19.
31 – With double-doubles at Michigan by Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens, Penn State now has 31 games in which at least two players have registered double-doubles (dating back to the 1976-77 season).
501 – Number of minutes Lamar Stevens has played this season with an average of 35:47 minutes on the court, the highest average in the Big Ten.
591 – Redshirt junior Mike Watkins has 591 career rebounds, currently 21st on the Penn State chart. Only 20 Nittany Lions have collected more than 600.
$22,095 – Net funds raised for the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund by Penn State and West Virginia from exhibition game ticket sales and donations from fans.
