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Penn State Athletics

Men’s Basketball Season Tips Off Wednesday Against Youngstown State


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The highly-anticipated 2021-22 Penn State men's basketball season presented by Highmark Health officially tips off Wednesday night inside the Bryce Jordan Center when the Nittany Lions host Youngstown State at 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. Wednesday's season opener marks the first contest of Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry's tenure in Happy Valley.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Basketball Game Day Parking
Stadium West, Jordan East, Porter North – Basketball parking map

  • No charge with a valid Penn State parking permit
  • $5.50 prepaid through ParkMobile (season packages available for each team for $5 per game) - https://psu.parkmobile.io/bryce-jordan-center
  • $10 day-of-event without a valid permit or prepayment
  • Higher rates may apply when athletics events coincide with non-athletics Bryce Jordan Center and Pegula Ice Arena events. Rates will vary and will be announced prior to each event.

 
ParkMobile prepayment availability ends at 11:59 p.m. the night before each event. Events will not be selectable on the site after that time, and payment must then be made on-site upon arrival to event parking staff (cash only). $1 per hour parking will also be available at the East Deck for most games. Non-football event parking is managed by Penn State Transportation Services. For more information on parking for this event, please email parking@psu.edu or call 814-865-1436.
 
Mobile Ticketing
Penn State Athletics has converted all tickets for the 2021-22 seasons to mobile tickets. As was the case during the 2019-20 season, print at home PDF tickets will no longer be issued or accepted for entry at the Bryce Jordan Center. Fans can access Penn State Athletics mobile ticket guide at GoPSUsports.com/mobiletickets.
 
Bryce Jordan Center Bag Policy
The Bryce Jordan Center has implemented an updated bag policy for all events including the 2021-22 men's basketball season. Fans attending events in the Bryce Jordan Center will not be allowed to bring any large bags, backpacks, totes and coolers into the facility. Small clutch purses & wallets, clear totes or (1) one gallon, zip-close style plastic bags may be carried into the arena.  Limit one bag per guest. View the full bag policy HERE.
 
Mask Policy
In alignment with University guidance, all fans will be required to wear masks in indoor areas and venues, including the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
OPENING TIPS

  • A new era officially begins Wednesday night when the Nittany Lions open the 2021-22 season against Youngstown State in the first game under head coach Micah Shrewsberry.
  • Shrewsberry will lead a new-look Nittany Lion squad that features seven returners from last year's team and eight new faces.
  • Fans are allowed back in the Bryce Jordan Center to cheer on the Nittany Lions for the first time in 617 days when the season tips off on Nov. 10.
  • Penn State has age and experience on its side this season, as the Nittany Lions' average age on the season start date is 21.61 years old and 11 of Penn State's 15 rostered players are upperclassmen.

 
IF PENN STATE BEATS YOUNGSTOWN STATE

  • Micah Shrewsberry would earn his first-career Division I head coaching victory.
  • Penn State would win its season opener for the fifth-straight year.
  • The Nittany Lions would improve to 2-0 all-time against the Penguins.

 
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS

  • Youngstown State was picked to finish seventh in the Horizon League preseason poll after finishing the 2020-21 season at 15-12 overall and 8-10 in league play.
  • YSU returns three starters from last season's squad. Garrett Covington, Michael Akuchie and Shemar Rathan-Mayes combined to start 74 games in 2020-21.
  • The Penguins added five transfers to the program in seniors Tevin Olison and Collen Gurley, and juniors Dwayne Cohill, Chris Shelton and Owen Long.
  • Garrett Covington is the team's returning leading scorer as he averaged 12.5 ppg a season ago. Michael Akuchie led the squad on the boards with 8.3 rpg.

 
AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE

  • Penn State and Youngstown State have met once before, an 82-71 PSU win inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Nov. 23, 2011.
  • The Nittany Lions got out to a 44-26 halftime lead and never looked back as Penn State shot 56.5 percent (26-46) from the field and 50.0 percent (11-22) from deep en route to the win. Tim Frazier led PSU with a game-high 26 points.

 
SHREWSBERRY ERA BEGINS

  • A new era in the 126-year history of Penn State Men's Basketball officially begins Wednesday as the Nittany Lions enter their first season under Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry.
  • Shrewsberry was announced as the 14th men's basketball head coach in Penn State history on March 15, 2021. He came to Penn State after two years as the associate head coach at Purdue, his second stint with the Boilermakers, that followed a six-year run as assistant coach with the Boston Celtics under head coach Brad Stevens. During his tenure, the Celtics reached the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, including back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017 and 2018.
  • Shrewsbery's first stint at Purdue came during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, in which he helped the Boilers reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, he spent four seasons at Butler under Stevens, helping guide the Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments and two Final Four appearances.

 
CORE RETURNEES

  • Penn State returns a number of familiar faces for the 2021-22 season. Graduate student John Harrar returns to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Harrar earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last season after leading the Nittany Lions with 8.8 rebounds per game and a 54.9 field goal percentage.
  • Junior Seth Lundy is the team's returning leading scorer from a season ago. Lundy tallied 10.1 points per game, including two 30-plus point contests in his sophomore campaign.
  • Seniors Myles Dread and Sam Sessoms will play large roles in the backcourt once again. Dread ranked first or second on the team in three-pointers made in each of his three years as a Nittany Lion. Sessoms is set for his second season at Penn State after playing two years at Binghamton. The Philadelphia native ranked second on the team in steals a season ago and tallied nine double-digit scoring games.
  • Sophomores Caleb Dorsey, Dallion Johnson and Andy Christos also return looking to make a jump in their second year in Happy Valley.

 
NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES

  • Eight new faces will pair with seven returners to comprise Penn State's 15-man roster.
  • Five new Nittany Lions joined the team via the transfer portal in Jaheam Cornwall (Gardner-Webb), Greg Lee (Western Michigan), Jalen Pickett (Siena), Jevonnie Scott (South Plains College), and Jalanni White (Canisius). Three others joined as walk-ons, two of whom have played college basketball in previous years, in Dan Conlan (Dickinson), Irekefe Oweh (St. Thomas Aquinas) and Ishaan Jagiasi.

 
JUMPIN' AT THE JORDAN CENTER

  • Fans return to cheer on the Nittany Lions at the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time in 617 days when the 2021-22 season tips off Wednesday.
  • The Nittany Lions last played in front of their home crowd pre-COVID-19 pandemic on March 3, 2020 when 13,437 fans crowed the BJC to see the Nittany Lions take on Michigan State.

 
PALPABLE BUZZ

  • With fans set to return to the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time in 617 days, and the excitement surrounding first-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry, the buzz on campus is palpable.
  • Penn State sold nearly 2,800 student season tickets, the most ever sold in the history of Penn State Basketball student season ticket sales.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State hits the road for its first away game of the 2021-22 campaign Monday when the Nittany Lions travel to take on Massachusetts. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.


The 2021-22 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.