UPDATE as of 2 p.m. 12/21: Thursday's game has been moved to a 4:30 p.m. tipoff. It will still be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team welcomes Quinnipiac for a non-conference matchup at the Bryce Jordan Center Thursday at 4:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
FOLLOW ALONG
- TICKETS: Tickets
- PROMOTIONS: Kids under 12 get in free offer available on day of game only at Gate A, Gate B or main ticket office
- TV: Big Ten Network – Jason Ross Jr. (pxp) & Rapheal Davis (analyst)
- RADIO: Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones & Dick Jerardi
- NATIONAL RADIO: SiriusXM Ch. 389 | SXM App. Ch. 979
- LIVE STATS: Live Stats | StatBroadcast
- GAME NOTES: Penn State Notes
OPENING TIPS
- Penn State continues its holiday homestand Thursday when the Nittany Lions host Quinnipiac in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
- Penn State is 8-3 on the season and coming off back-to-back wins at #17 Illinois (74-59) and against Canisius (97-67).
- Jalen Pickett leads PSU in scoring (16.2 ppg), rebounds (7.3 rpg) and assists (7.6 apg) and is the only player in Division I averaging 16/7/7. Seth Lundy (13.7 ppg), Andrew Funk (11.4 ppg) & Camren Wynter (10.0 ppg) also average double-digit points.
IF PENN STATE BEATS QUINNIPIAC
- Penn State would win its third-straight game.
- The Nittany Lions would improve to 6-1 at home this season.
- Penn State would improve to 18-6 all-time against current members of the MAAC.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
- The Bobcats are 9-3 on the season and coming off a tough 56-63 road loss at Saint Peter's Sunday in their most recent action.
- Quinnipiac started the season 7-0 and has since lost three of its last five games to Hofstra (70-72), Niagara (60-64) and Saint Peter's (56-63).
- Four Bobcats are averaging double-digit points in the balance Quinnipiac attack. Matt Balanc leads Quinnipiac with 11.3 points per game, while Ike Nweke follows with 11.0 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per contest. Luis Kortright (10.7 ppg) and Dezi Jones (10.3 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers.
AGAINST QUINNIPIAC
- Penn State and Quinnipiac are set to meet for the first time in program history.
- The Nittany Lions are 17-6 all-time against current members of the MAAC.
FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
- Penn State's offense is vastly improved from a season ago as the Nittany Lions' strong and experienced backcourt has led it to becoming one of the more efficient offenses in the country.
- Here's a look at Penn State's offensive metrics thus far this year compared to the 2021-22 season:
| Stat | 22-23 | 21-22 | Difference |
| Points/game | 76.7 | 64.6 | +12.1 |
| FG% | 47.3% | 43.2% | +4.1% |
| 3FG% | 41.5% | 34.2% | +7.3% |
| 3FG made/game | 11.8 | 8.0 | +3.8 |
| Assists/ game | 16.0 | 11.9 | +4.1 |
| Turnovers/game | 9.1 | 11.8 | -2.7 |
STOUT D
- Penn State's stout defense has held 10 of its 11 opponents this season under 70 points, including three under 60 points. The Nittany Lions have held five of their opponents to more than 10 points under their season-long scoring average:
| Team | PPG | Vs. PSU | Difference |
| Butler | 72.6 | 62 | -10.6 |
| Furman | 82.6 | 68 | -14.6 |
| Virginia Tech | 76.3 | 61 | -15.3 |
| Colorado State | 77.3 | 56 | -21.3 |
| #17 Illinois | 78.1 | 59 | -19.1 |
BALL SECURITY
- Penn State leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.76) and ranks second in the country in fewest turnovers per game (9.1).
- The Nittany Lions are coming off a stellar performance against Canisius Sunday in which Penn State dished 22 assists compared to just three turnovers.
NATIONAL NUMBERS
- Penn State and Nittany Lion players rank in the top 25 in the nation in a number of statistical categories as of Dec. 20:
| Team Stat | Value | National Rank |
| Assist-to-turnover ratio | 1.76 | 1 |
| Fewest turnovers/game | 9.1 | 2 |
| 3FG made/game | 11.8 | 3 |
| 3FG% | 41.5% | 7 |
| Effective FG% | 0.573 | 20 |
| Player Stat | Value | National Rank |
| Assist-to-turnover radio – Jalen Pickett | 4.20 | 3 |
| Assists/game – Jalen Pickett | 7.6 | 4 |
| 3FG% - Myles Dread | 48.3% | 15 |
| 3FG made/game – Andrew Funk | 3.0 | 33 |
THE THREE IS KEY
- Penn State ranks third in the nation with 11.8 3-pointers made per game. The Nittany Lions are shooting the long ball at a 41.5 percent (130-313) clip, a mark that ranks seventh in the country.
- Penn State has made double-digit 3-pointers in nine of its 11 games this season.
THE MAESTRO
- Preseason All-Big Ten selection Jalen Pickett is the only player in the country currently averaging at least 16 points per game, 7 rebounds per game and 7 assists per game. The point guard is averaging 16.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game while shooting 48.0 percent (73-152) from the field through the first 11 games of the season.
- Pickett ranks third in the country with a 4.20 assist-to-turnover ratio, and his 7.6 assists per game rank fourth in the nation.
- The Rochester, N.Y. native is the only guard in the Big Ten that ranks in the top 10 in scoring (6th), rebounding (9th) and assists (1st) amongst conference players. He's recorded a triple-double and three double-doubles through 11 games this season.
1-2 PUNCH
- Penn State's duo of Myles Dread and Andrew Funk have provided a lethal 1-2 punch on the perimeter as they both rank first and second in the Big Ten in both 3-point field goal percentage and 3-pointers made per game.
- Myles Dread (2.6 3-pointers/game) leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage, converting his looks from deep at a 48.3 percent clip that is 15th in the nation. Andrew Funk has made a Big Ten-best 3.0 3-pointers per contest at a 44.0 percent clip, the second-best 3FG% in the Big Ten behind only Dread.
ELITE EFFICIENCY FOR LUNDY
- Senior Seth Lundy is producing at an elite level on both ends of the floor through the first 11 games of the season. The Paulsboro, N.J. native is the only player in the Big Ten that is averaging more 10 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting at least 60% from 2-point range, 40% from 3-point range and 75% from the charity stripe.
- Lundy is averaging 13.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 67.6% from two, 44.2% from three and 78.0% from the free throw line.
- Lundy has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 games this season. In addition to his offensive consistency, Lundy serves as one of the team's top defenders and is consistently tasked with guarding the opposing team's best players.
UP NEXT
- Penn State will have a week break for the holidays before returning to action in the non-conference finale on Dec. 29 against Delaware State at 2 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan. Center.
The 2022-23 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.