Nittany Lions Host Michigan in Wear White Game Tuesday NightNittany Lions Host Michigan in Wear White Game Tuesday Night
Mark Selders

Nittany Lions Host Michigan in Wear White Game Tuesday Night


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team returns to Happy Valley for just its second home game in the last 27 days Tuesday night when the Nittany Lions host Michigan in a 9 p.m. tipoff on ESPN2. The 2021-22 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

OPENING TIPS

  • Penn State returns home for a much-needed home game Tuesday night after a stretch of four of five on the road.
  • The Nittany Lions have won four of their last five home games, with the only loss being a narrow defeat to then #3 Purdue.
  • Four Nittany Lions are averaging double-digit points, led by Seth Lundy's 13.0 ppg. Jalen Pickett (12.8 ppg) and Sam Sessoms (11.4 ppg) follow, while John Harrar is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.3 ppg and 9.5 rpg.

IF PENN STATE BEATS MICHIGAN

  • The Nittany Lions would improve to 8-3 inside the Bryce Jordan Center this season.
  • Penn State would earn its third win over Michigan in the last four tries.
  • Penn State would even its season record at 10-10.

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES

  • The Wolverines have had an up-and-down 2021-22 season after earning a No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament.
  • Michigan is 11-9 overall and 5-5 in conference play. The Wolverines are 7-2 at home and 2-6 in true road games.
  • Michigan has lost two of its last three games, both road contests at nationally-ranked squads #4 Purdue and #13 Michigan State.
  • The Wolverines are led by All-American center Hunter Dickinson, who averages 18.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
  • Eli Brooks (11.7 ppg) and Caleb Houstan (10.5 ppg) also average double-digit points.

AGAINST MICHIGAN

  • The Wolverines own a 37-14 advantage in the all-time series, but Penn State has won two of the last three meetings.
  • Penn State and Michigan haven't met in Happy Valley since Feb. 12, 2019 when an unranked Nittany Lion squad stunned sixth-ranked Michigan 75-69 behind 26 points and 12 rebounds from current Cleveland Cav Lamar Stevens.
  • The two teams met just once last season, with Michigan earning a tight 62-58 win in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions outscored the Wolverines 31-26 in the second half as the back-and-forth battle went until the final buzzer.

HOME SWEET HAPPY VALLEY

  • Penn State has played four of its last five games on the road, and now returns home to open a stretch of five of the next seven in the Bryce Jordan Center.
  • The Nittany Lions have found much more success at home, sitting at 7-3 inside the Bryce Jordan Center compared to their 1-6 record in true road games.
  • The home court advantage has been friendly to the Nittany Lions, as Penn State is 72-32 (.692) when playing inside the Bryce Jordan Center since the start of the 2015-16 season.
  • Penn State's only three home losses this season came against teams that are currently ranked or receiving votes in the latest AP Poll - Purdue (currently #4), Ohio State (currently #16) and Miami (RV).

RECENT SUCCESS VS. MICHIGAN

  • Penn State and Michigan meet inside the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time since the Nittany Lions pulled off a stunning 75-69 upset of the #6 Wolverines on Feb. 12, 2019. 
  • The Nittany Lions entered that game at 1-11 in the Big Ten, and rode Lamar Stevens' 26 points and 12 rebounds to an upset of the sixth-ranked Wolverines and a post-game court storm in Happy Valley.
  • A season later, the Nittany Lions picked up just their third-ever win in Ann Arbor, taking down the Wolverines 72-63 on the road.
  • Last season's lone meeting was a nailbiter, as the then-undefeated Wolverines earned a 62-58 win in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions trailed 60-58 with 24 seconds to play, and after a pair of missed free throws by Michigan, saw the Wolverines escape with the win after a layup attempt rimmed out. Michigan added two free throws for the 62-58 final.

DE-FENSE!

  • Penn State's defense has held 12 of its last 16 opponents at least 10 points under (in regulation - not including OT periods) their season scoring averages entering the game.
  • Penn State has held its opponents to a dismal average of 61.6 points per game in its nine wins. Nittany Lion opponents have shot just 38.2 percent (207-542) from the floor and 31.7 percent (64-202) from 3-point range in Penn State's nine wins.
  • The Nittany Lions allow just 65.8 points per game overall, the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten.
Team Season Avg. Vs. PSU Margin
Wisconsin 72.1 51 -21.2
Iowa (Jan. 31) 82.6 66 ( -16.6
Iowa (Jan. 22) 83.9 68 -15.9
#16 Ohio St. 75.6 61 -14.6
Rutgers 70.4 49 -21.4
#3 Purdue 85.9 74 -11.9
Indiana 77.2 58 -19.2
Wagner 69.0 54 -15
Miami 73.3 63 -10.3
Oregon State 69.2 45 -24.2
LSU 85.4 58  -27.4
Cornell 87.8 74 -13.8

 
LOCKDOWN LUNDY

  • Junior Seth Lundy is the team's leading scorer and averaging 13.0 points per game. But it's his defense that has stolen the show as he proves himself as a legitimate two-way player in the Big Ten. Take a look at the work he's done on some of the nation's best that he has been tasked with guarding:
Team – Player Guarded by Lundy Season Average Vs. Penn State
Wisconsin – Johnny Davis 20.6 ppg, 42.1 FG% 4 points, 2-13 FG
Rutgers – Ron Harper Jr. 15.9 ppg, 43.0 FG% 7 points, 2-9 FG
Purdue – Jaden Ivey 17.3 ppg, 47.7 FG% 12 points, 5-15 FG
Ohio State – EJ Liddell 19.9 ppg, 47.7 FG% 14 points, 4-9 FG
Miami (Fla.) – Kam McGusty 17.6 ppg, 47.7 FG% 12 points, 5-10 FG
LSU – Darius Days 13.3 ppg, 41.7 FG% 8 points, 4-14 FG

 
 
PICKETT'S POP

  • Senior transfer Jalen Pickett is averaging 14.6 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per Big Ten contest.
  • Pickett has played 112.5 minutes over the last three games with 10 assists and just one turnover during that three-game stretch. Pickett's 37.35 minutes per conference game ranks second in the Big Ten.
  • Pickett secured the first points-assists double-double by a Big Ten player in a conference game this season when he went off for 21 points and 10 assists against #3 Purdue on Jan. 8.

 
B1G JOHN

  • Penn State graduate student John Harrar owns season-long marks of 10.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. His 9.5 rebounds per game rank second in the Big Ten and 20th nationally. as of Sunday, Feb. 6.
  • The Wallingford, Pa. native has tallied six double-doubles thus far, pulled down double-digit rebounds in nine contests, and is shooting 64.3 percent (72-112) from the field. Harrar owns 12 career double-doubles, making him one of just 17 Penn State players all-time to register double-digit double-doubles in their Penn State career.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State returns to the road Saturday night when the Nittany Lions travel to Minnesota for an 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT tipoff on Big Ten Network.