Nittany Lions Host Ohio State in Big Ten Home Opener SaturdayNittany Lions Host Ohio State in Big Ten Home Opener Saturday
Penn State Athletics

Nittany Lions Host Ohio State in Big Ten Home Opener Saturday




UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team hosts Ohio State in the Nittany Lions' Big Ten home opener Saturday night inside the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will air nationally on the Big Ten Network.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
OPENING TIPS

  • The Nittany Lions host their first conference game of the season Saturday when Ohio State travels to Happy Valley.
  • Penn State started the season 4-0 but is looking to get back in the win column after a five-game skid.
  • Kanye Clary is averaging a team-best 16.2 points per game, while Ace Baldwin Jr. has contributed 14.6 points and a Big Ten-best 2.3 steals per game.

 
IF PENN STATE BEATS OHIO STATE

  • The Nittany Lions would beat Ohio State for the third-straight time, a feat that has only been accomplished twice in series history.
  • Penn State would snap a five-game losing streak.

 
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES

  • The Buckeyes are off to a strong 8-1 start this season and come to Happy Valley with a 1-0 record in conference play.
  • Ohio State earned a home win over Minnesota, 84-74, in its Big Ten opener last weekend.
  • Saturday's game at Penn State will be Ohio State's first true road game of the season. The Buckeyes are 2-0 in neutral site matchups.
  • Guard Bruce Thornton leads OSU with 18.7 points per game as well as 4.2 assists per contest. Roddy Gayle Jr. (14.7 ppg), Jamison Battle (13.9 ppg) and Zed Key (10.0 ppg) are also averaging double-digit points in the balanced Buckeye attack.

 
AGAINST OHIO STATE

  • The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes meet in Happy Valley for the first time since Dec. 5, 2021 on Saturday.
  • The Buckeyes own a 43-21 advantage in the all-time series, but 10 of Penn State's wins over Ohio State have come in Happy Valley.
  • Penn State has won the last two meetings: a 75-71 road win in last season's lone matchup between the two teams and a 71-68 Big Ten Tournament victory in March 2022.

 
TURN UP THE PRESSURE

  • The Nittany Lions have forced their opponents into 16.67 turnovers per game, a mark that leads the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the nation. Penn State forced a season-high 29 turnovers in its win over Morehead State on Nov. 17.
  • The Nittany Lions have scored an average of 17.9 points off turnovers per game thus far this season.

 
CAN'T STOP CLARY

  • With a roster full of new faces, its a returning sophomore that has asserted himself for the Nittany Lions through the first nine games of the season in Kanye Clary.
  • Clary has scored 146 points through the first nine games of his sophomore season, already outdoing his freshman year total of 117 points that was accomplished in 32 games. The Virginia Beach, Va. native played limited minutes as a freshman behind Penn State's veteran 2022-23 backcourt that included two 2023 NBA Draft picks and five 1,000-point scorers.
  • Clary's 16.2 points per game leads the team. He has scored in double figures in seven games this season, including four 20-plus point efforts.

 
GOT AN ACE UP OUR SLEEVE

  • Senior point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. earned well-deserved preseason recognition as a preseason top 20 finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year award as well as being ranked as the No. 40 player on The Almanac's list of Top 100 Players entering the 2023-24 season.
  • Baldwin Jr. has stuffed the stat sheet through his first nine games as a Nittany Lion, averaging 14.6 points per game, 3.4 assists per contest and a Big Ten-best 2.3 steals per game.

 
BIG Q

  • Graduate student Qudus Wahab owns career marks of 1,124 points and 821 rebounds, making him one of just 15 active Division I players with upwards of 1,000 points and 800 rebounds.
  • Wahab is shooting a team-best 68.8 percent from the field. He is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

 
HOME SWEET HAPPY VALLEY

  • The Bryce Jordan Center home court advantage has been friendly to the Nittany Lions, as Penn State is 67-31 (.684) when playing inside the BJC dating back to the 2017-18 season.

 
UP NEXT

  • The Nittany Lions take on Georgia Tech inside Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, Dec. 16. Tipoff is slated for noon on the Big Ten Network.

 
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.