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PSU Athletics/Selders

Men’s Basketball Returns to BJC Sunday Night to Host Rutgers

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team has won its last three games and returns to the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday night to host Rutgers in a key late-season matchup at 6:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. All fans are encouraged to WEAR WHITE.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
TEAM REAM

  • Penn State will raise awareness for Team Ream during Sunday's game against Rutgers. The Team Ream Foundation is a not–for–profit organization established to preserve the memory, to grow the legacy, and to carry on the fight, the will and determination of Brandon Ream for future generations. A lifelong resident of Happy Valley and Penn State graduate, Brandon Ream played football at Penn State where he met his wife, Samantha, a Penn State volleyball player. In November, 2011, Brandon was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Through his life and his journey with cancer, Brandon recognized the value and the importance of a solid support system and the availability of quality resources.
  • The mission of the Team Ream Foundation is to assist the everyday lives of financially disadvantaged individuals in State College and surrounding areas who have been affected by cancer and serious medical conditions.

 
OPENING TIPS

  • Penn State looks to keep its momentum going Sunday night when the Nittany Lions return to the Bryce Jordan Center to host Rutgers.
  • The Nittany Lions have won three-straight games, led by reigning National and Big Ten Player of the Week Jalen Pickett's 96 points & 20 assists in the last three games.
  • Pickett leads PSU in scoring (18.8 ppg), rebounds (7.3 rpg) and assists (6.9 apg) and is the only player in the country averaging 18/7/6. Seth Lundy (14.6 ppg) and Andrew Funk (12.1 ppg) are also averaging double-digit points.

 
IF PENN STATE BEATS RUTGERS

  • The Nittany Lions would win their fourth-straight game.
  • Penn State would improve to 13-2 in games played at the Bryce Jordan Center this season.
  • The Nittany Lions would even their conference record at 9-9 heading into the final week of the regular season.
  • Penn State would win four-straight Big Ten games for the first time since the 2019-20 team won eight straight from Jan. 18-Feb. 15, 2020.

 
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

  • The Scarlet Knights are 17-11 overall and 9-8 in Big Ten play.
  • Rutgers has lost four of its last five games, including a 45-58 home loss to Michigan Thursday night in its most recent game.
  • Rutgers owns the Big Ten's best scoring defense, allowing just 60.6 points per game. The Scarlet Knights allow their opponents to shoot just 32.3 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from 3-point range.
  • Clifford Omoruyi leads Rutgers with 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while Cam Spencer chips in 12.6 ppg.

 
AGAINST RUTGERS

  • The Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights meet for the second time this season, this time in Happy Valley where Penn State owns a 29-10 all-time edge against the Scarlet Knights.
  • The home team has won each of the last six meetings between the two teams.
  • Rutgers took advantage of a cold-shooting Penn State night in the season's first meeting on Jan. 24 in Piscataway as the Scarlet Knights earned a 65-45 win. Penn State shot a season-low 15.4% (4-26) from 3-point range in the loss.
  • Jalen Pickett led Penn State with 15 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Funk and Seth Lundy contributed 12 points apiece.

 
THE RESUME

  • Penn State owns three Quad 1 wins, two of which have been double-digit victories.
  • The Nittany Lions earned a regular-season sweep of Illinois (currently 32 in NET rankings), first beating the Illini 74-59 on Dec. 10 in Champaign. Penn State handed Indiana (currently 20 in NET rankings) its largest loss of the season on Jan. 11, an 85-66 thumping for the Nittany Lions' largest win over the Hoosiers in program history. The Nittany Lions earned their most recent Quad 1 victory Thursday night with a 75-71 road win at Ohio State (currently 71 in NET rankings). 
  • The Nittany Lions also own four Quad 2 wins in home victories over Illinois, Iowa and Michigan, in addition to a neutral site win against Furman.
  • Penn State is 10-0 in Quad 3/4 games. The Nittany Lions have only lost one game to a team outside of the NET top 90, with that loss coming on the road at Nebraska (88 in NET) on Feb. 5.

 
OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

  • Penn State has opportunities ahead to grab more quality wins, as two of Penn State's three remaining regular-season games are currently Quad 1 opportunities.
Date Opponent Quad (NET)
Feb. 26 Rutgers 2 (37)
March 1 at Northwestern 1 (38)
March 5 Maryland 1 (22)

 
 
THREE STRAIGHT

  • Penn State's offense has fueled its current three-game winning streak as the Nittany Lions are averaging 81.3 ppg while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range in the last three games combined.
  • Reigning National and Big Ten Player of the Week Jalen Pickett has been the catalyst and is averaging 32.0 ppg, 6.7 apg and 4.7 rpg during the stretch. He is shooting 66.7% (34-51) from the field, 57.9% (11-19) from 3-point range and 94.4% (17-18) from the FT line in the last three games. His last three have included a 41-point game, a 32-point game and a 23-point game. The 23-point game at Ohio State included Penn State's final 14 points.

 
HOME COOKIN'

  • Penn State is 12-2 when playing inside the Bryce Jordan Center this season. The Nittany Lions' only two losses in Happy Valley this season were the Big Ten opener against Michigan State (58-67) on Dec. 7 and an overtime loss to Wisconsin (74-79, OT) on Feb. 8. 
  • The Nittany Lions are averaging 79.1 points per game inside the BJC, while shooting 49.8% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range.

 
NATIONAL NUMBERS

  • Penn State and Nittany Lion players rank in the top 10 in the nation in a number of statistical categories as of Feb. 25:
Team Stat Value National Rank
Fewest turnovers per game 8.6 1
Assist-to-turnover ratio 1.67 3
3FG made per game 10.8 4
3FG% 39.2% 8
Effective FG% .563 10
Player Stat Value National Rank
Assists per game – Jalen Pickett 6.9 4
Assist-to-turnover ratio – Jalen Pickett 3.22 4
3FG% - Seth Lundy 44.4% 8

 
 
THE THREE IS KEY

  • The 2022-23 Penn State team (28 games played) has already set the program single-season team record for 3-pointers made in a season (currently at 303). The previous school record stood with the 2017-18 team's 294 treys (39 games played, NIT Champions). The Big Ten record for 3-pointers in a season is 365, which was set by Purdue in 2018-19 (36 games, Elite 8) while Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry was an assistant coach on Purdue's staff.
  • Penn State ranks fourth in the nation with 10.9 3-pointers made per game. The Nittany Lions are shooting the long ball at a 39.2 percent (303-773) clip, a mark that ranks eighth in the nation.
  • Penn State has made double-digit 3-pointers in 18 games this season, including a program-record 18 triples in two games. Penn State's worst shooting night of the season was at Rutgers on Jan. 24, as the Nittany Lions shot a season-low 15.4% (4-for-26) from downtown.

 
18/7/6

  • Jalen Pickett is the only player in the country averaging at least 18 points (18.8) per game, seven rebounds (7.3) per game and seven assists (6.9) per game.
  • Only two men's college basketball players in the last 30 years (since 1992-93 season) have finished the season averaging 18/7/6 or better: Michigan State's Denzel Valentine (19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.8 apg - 2015-16) and Memphis' Penny Hardaway (22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg - 1992-93).

 
THE MAESTRO

  • Point guard Jalen Pickett is the engine that makes Penn State go. Pickett ranks in the top five nationally in both assists per game (6.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.22) while engineering a Penn State offense that leads the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.6) and ranks 10th in effective field goal percentage (.563).
  • Pickett and Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis are the only two Big Ten players that rank in the top 10 of the conference statistical standings in scoring, rebounding and assists. Pickett ranks fourth in scoring, eighth in rebounding and first in assists.
  • The six-foot-four guard has played his best in Big Ten play, averaging 20.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and 6.4 assists per game.
  • The Rochester, N.Y. native's season highlights include a 41-point game, a 32-point game, 12 20-point games, six double-doubles and one triple-double. Pickett put together the second triple-double and first points-rebounds-assists triple-double in Penn State history Nov. 14 against Butler with his 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
  • Pickett was named the National Player of the Week by every major award service this week. He also has picked up several mid/late season honors including Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Team, Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List, Top 10 candidate for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List.

 
THE BIG TEN'S BEST SHOOTING DUO

  • Penn State's duo of Andrew Funk and Seth Lundy have provided a lethal 1-2 punch on the perimeter as they both rank first and second in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game and 3FG%.
  • Andrew Funk has made a Big Ten-best 2.93 3-pointers per contest at a 41.2 percent clip. Seth Lundy leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the nation with a 44.4% 3-point shooting percentage while ranking second in the conference, behind only Funk, with 2.78 triples per game.

 
ELITE EFFICIENCY FOR LUNDY

  • Senior Seth Lundy is producing at an elite level. Lundy is one of only seven Division I players to be averaging double-digit points (14.6) and six-plus (6.1) rebounds per game while shooting at least 55% from two (55.7%), 40% from three (44.4%) and 75% from the free throw line (77.9%).
  • Lundy is having his most consistent year in the Blue & White and has scored in double figures in all but three 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.

 
WYNTER IS COMING

  • Camren Wynter has kicked it up a notch over the last two games. He's averaging 16.0 points per game while shooting 60% (12-20) from the field and 85.7% (6-7) from 3-point range over the last two games combined.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State travels to #21 Northwestern Wednesday night for its final road game of the regular season. The Nittany Lions then host Maryland Sunday at noon for Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association.

 
The 2022-23 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.