UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (15-5, 5-4) begins its trek across the Midwest for its Saturday, Feb. 1 game at Nebraska (7-14, 2-8). Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET for the only regular-season meeting between the Nittany Lions and Huskers. The Big Ten Network will have the broadcast from Pinnacle Bank Arena with Cory Provus and Shon Morris on the call.
In the last 11 regular-season games between Penn State and Nebraska, the home team has come away with the win.
WATCH: BTN and Fox Sports mobile app
Cory Provus (pxp) & Shon Morris (analyst)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
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ROSTER: Penn State | Nebraska
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Nebraska
STATS: Penn State | Nebraska
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Nebraska
MEDIA GUIDE: Penn State | Nebraska
NEBRASKA
Coach: Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State, 1995)
Record at Nebraska: 7-14 (First season)
Career Record: 122-70, (Sixth season)
2019-20 Record: 7-14, 2-8 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#3 Cam Mack, So., G – 14.1 ppg
Top Rebounder
#24 Yvan Ouedraogo, Fr., F – 6.0 rpg
Top Assists Leader
#3 Cam Mack, So., G – 6.8 apg
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 142-145 (Ninth season)
Career Record: 184-173 (11th season)
2019-20 Record: 15-5, 5-4 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#11 Lamar Stevens, Sr., F – 16.7 ppg
Top Rebounder
#24 Mike Watkins, Sr., F – 7.8 rpg
Top Assists Leader
#5 Jamari Wheeler, Jr., G – 2.9 apg
STARTING 5
Penn State carries a No. 23 NCAA NET ranking and is rated No. 19 by kenpom.com. The Nittany Lions have played or will play six teams (10 games) in the NET top 30 and 14 teams (20 games) ranked in the top 50.
Penn State is the only Big Ten team with nine games in February.
The last time the Nittany Lions held Big Ten opponents to less than 40 percent shooting in back-to-back games was at the end of the 2018-19 at Rutgers (37.9, 3/6/19) and vs. Illinois (34.0, 3/10/19).
Lamar Stevens has 1,994 career points, six points away from joining only two other Nittany Lions to amass that total: Talor Battle (2,213, 2007-11) and Jesse Arnelle (2,138, 1951-55). When he reaches the 2,000-point milestone, Stevens and Arnelle will be the only two with 2,000 career points and at least 800 career rebounds.
Senior forward Mike Watkins has 486 career rebounds in Big Ten play, 10 rebounds shy of tying John Amaechi for Penn State's top mark (496).
SERIES VS. NEBRASKA
The home team in this series has won each of the last 11 regular-season meetings. The Nittany Lions' only win in Lincoln came in the second game of the 1995 NIT at the Bob Devaney Center (65-59).
Sixteen of the 19 meetings have occurred since Nebraska joined the Big Ten for the 2011-12 season, Chambers' first at Penn State.
Series streak: Penn State, W1
Overall series: Penn State leads 10-9
At Lincoln, Neb.: Nebraska leads 8-1
Last game: at BJC, University Park
Penn State 95, Nebraska 71, 2/19/2020
Chambers vs. Nebraska: 8-8 (A: 0-7)
RECORD AFTER 20 GAMES
The Nittany Lions have 15 victories after 20 games, the second-highest win total at this point in the season in the last 55 years. In Penn State's Big Ten Conference era, only the 1995-96 season amassed more wins after 20 games.
Big Ten Era -- 20-Game Record
1995-96 -- 18-2
2019-20 -- 15-5
2008-09 -- 15-5
RECORD AFTER 9 B1G GAMES
There are only five seasons in Penn State's Big Ten era, including 2019-20, when the Nittany Lions have a winning record after nine conference games.
Big Ten Era -- 9-Game B1G Record
1995-96 -- 7-2
2008-09 -- 6-3
2019-20 -- 5-4
2010-11 -- 5-4
1994-95 -- 5-4
At 10-game mark, only two seasons have winning records, 1995-96 (8-2) and 2008-09 (6-4), with three seasons with marks at .500 (2017-18, 2010-11 & 1994-95).
WHEN PENN STATE IS RANKED...
Penn State is 18-13 when playing as a team ranked in the Associated Press poll, a record which includes a 4-2 mark this season.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
According to kenpom.com, Penn State plays one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten Conference. In the most recent NCAA NET rankings (thru games of 1/29/2020), Penn State owns a No. 23 NET ranking and has played or will play six opponents with NET scores in the top 30, 14 in the top 50.
BY THE NUMBERS
8 – Penn State has had eight games this season with at least 10 steals. The Nittany Lions tied their season high with a Big Ten-best 15 vs. Indiana.
9 – The Nittany Lions have a combined nine Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins,
second-highest total in the Big Ten.
9 – Penn State is the only Big Ten team with nine games in February.
15 – Penn State tied its largest margin of victory in the Indiana series
at 15 points.
64.7 – Among all players who made at least 10 field goals in January, junior forward John Harrar has the Big Ten's best field goal percentage for the month at 64.7 percent.
486 – Senior forward Mike Watkins has 486 career rebounds in Big Ten play, 10 shy of John Amaechi's top total of 496 from 1992-95.
730 – Career field goals by senior forward Lamar Stevens for second on Penn State's all-time list behind Jesse Arnelle (738).
3,978 – Career minutes of playing time by Lamar Stevens, or 66.3 hours.
LAST TIME OUT: PENN STATE TOPS INDIANA 64-49 FOR THIRD-STRAIGHT WIN
Penn State won its third-straight game 64-49 over Indiana and Lamar Stevens picked up a pair of career milestones, grabbing his 800th career rebound and moving into third place all-time on the Penn State career scoring list. Stevens led the Nittany Lions with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Penn State's defensive effort produced a season-best 15 steals, four from three different Nittany Lions, while holding the Hoosiers to 33.3 percent shooting and two 3-pointers. The Nittany Lions scored 21 points off turnovers.
The Nittany Lion bench proved to be a strength with a 31-11 advantage. Curtis Jones Jr. provided an offensive spark with 10 points in 11 minutes in the first half and Jamari Wheeler set the pace with five assists, four points, four steals and five rebounds.
Back-to-back treys by Seth Lundy and Myles Dread broke the game open from a single-point lead to 39-29. Stevens hit two-straight field goals to put Penn State up by 13, 48-35, with 8:27 to play and added another to counter a basket by Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Hoosiers were held scoreless over a three-minute stretch.
Penn State led by as many as 20, but Indiana made three of their last four baskets for the final 64-49 score.
The Nittany Lions and Hoosiers were locked in a defensive struggle in the first half, Indiana shot 34.5 percent and Penn State 34.4 percent. They combined for a 3-15 mark from beyond the arc.
Myles Dread scored just before the buzzer and tied the game at 28-28 going into the break.
Trayce Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers with 14 points and snagged seven rebounds.