UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team carries a three-game win streak into Thursday's non-conference finale when the Nittany Lions host Delaware State at 2 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
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
- VIDEO: B1G+
- RADIO: Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones & Dick Jerardi
- NATIONAL RADIO: Sirius XM Ch. 381 | SXM App. Ch. 971
- LIVE STATS: Live Stats | Stat Broadcast
- GAME NOTES: Penn State Notes | Delaware State Notes
OPENING TIPS
- The Nittany Lions return to action following holiday break Thursday afternoon when Penn State hosts Delaware State in the non-conference finale at the BJC.
- Penn State is 9-3 on the season and riding a three-game win streak into Thursday's game.
- Jalen Pickett leads PSU in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounds (7.7 rpg) and assists (7.8 apg) and is the only player in Division I averaging 16/7/7. Seth Lundy (13.7 ppg), Andrew Funk (11.8 ppg) & Camren Wynter (10.2 ppg) also average double-digit points.
IF PENN STATE BEATS DELAWARE STATE
- Penn State would win its fourth-straight game.
- Penn State would wrap up non-conference play with a 9-2 record.
- The Nittany Lions would improve to 7-1 at home this season.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
- The Hornets will be looking for their first win against a Division I opponent this season when Delaware State travels to Happy Valley Thursday.
- DSU is 1-11 on the season with its lone win coming in the form of a 104-67 victory over Immaculata on Nov. 10.
- The Hornets will be playing for the first time since Dec. 20 when Delaware State fell 58-51 at home to Wagner.
- Brandon Stone leads the team with 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
- Khyrie Staten follows with 10.2 points per game.
AGAINST DELAWARE STATE
- Penn State and Delaware State are set to meet for the fourth time in program history. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 all-time against the Hornets.
- The two teams last met on Dec. 15, 2012, an 80-76 overtime win for the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley.
9-3
- Penn State is off to a 9-3 start to the 2022-23 season, its best since the 2019-20 slate.
- Four of the Nittany Lions' nine wins have come over teams currently ranked in the top 100 of the KenPom rankings, and Penn State's only three losses were a two-point neutral-site defeat to Virginia Tech, a double-overtime road loss at Clemson, and a loss to Michigan State in a game that was a one-possession contest until the final two minutes.
BALL SECURITY
- Penn State leads the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.87).
- The Nittany Lions are coming off back-to-back games in which they turned the ball over just three times against Canisius and Quinnipiac. In the two games combined, Penn State dished 39 assists compared to just six 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. 27:
| Team Stat | Value | National Rank |
| Fewest turnovers per game | 8.6 | 1 |
| Assist-to-turnover ratio | 1.87 | 1 |
| 3FG made per game | 11.3 | 4 |
| 3FG% | 39.8% | 15 |
| FT% | 76.9% | 20 |
| Effective FG% | 0.562 | 27 |
| Player Stat | Value | National Rank |
| Assist-to-turnover ratio – Jalen Pickett | 4.65 | 1 |
| Assists per game – Jalen Pickett | 7.8 | 3 |
| 3FG% - Myles Dread | 46.9% | 18 |
THE THREE IS KEY
- Penn State ranks fourth in the nation with 11.3 3-pointers made per game. The Nittany Lions are shooting the long ball at a 39.8 percent (136-342) clip, a mark that ranks 15th in the country.
- Penn State has made double-digit 3-pointers in nine of its 12 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 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 46.9 percent (82-175) from the field through the first 12 games of the season.
- Pickett leads the country with a 4.65 assist-to-turnover ratio, and his 7.8 assists per game rank third in the nation.
- The Rochester, N.Y. native is the only guard in the Big Ten that ranks in the top 10 in scoring (5th), rebounding (8th) and assists (1st) amongst conference players. He's recorded a triple-double and four double-doubles through 12 games this season.
- Pickett earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors Tuesday after finishing one assist shy of a triple-double in last week's win over Quinnipiac with 21 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and zero turnovers.
DREAD NEARING 1,000
- Myles Dread needs just 15 points to reach the 1,000 career point milestone. Dread would become the 38th all-time member of Penn State's 1,000-point club.
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 in the top four in the Big Ten in both 3-point field goal percentage and 3-pointers made per game.
- Myles Dread (2.5 3-pointers/game) leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage, converting his looks from deep at a 46.9 percent clip that is 18th in the nation. Andrew Funk has made a Big Ten-best 2.9 3-pointers per contest at a 42.2 percent clip, the second-best 3FG% in the Big Ten behind only Dread.
UP NEXT
- Big Ten play begins in earnest Sunday evening when the Nittany Lions host Iowa for a New Year's Day conference battle inside the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. and the game will air nationally on the Big Ten Network.
The 2022-23 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.