UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The 5-0 Penn State men’s basketball team faces a strong early-season test Saturday afternoon when the Nittany Lions take on Providence in the Hall of Fame Showcase inside Mohegan Sun Arena. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. and the game will air nationally on truTV.
FOLLOW ALONG
- TICKETS: Tickets
- TV: truTV – Brandon Gaudin (pxp), Robbie Hummel (analyst) & Jared Greenberg (sideline)
- RADIO: Penn State Sports Network – Preston Shoemaker (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
- NATIONAL RADIO: SXM App. Ch. 967
- LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
- GAME NOTES: Penn State Notes | Providence Notes
OPENING TIPS
- The 5-0 Nittany Lions put their undefeated record on the line Saturday when Penn State faces Providence in the Hall of Fame Showcase from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
- Penn State is off to a 5-0 start to the season for the second-straight year and the Nittany Lions are coming off an 84-80 home win over Harvard Tuesday night.
- Freshman Kayden Mingo leads the team in points (17.0 ppg), rebounds (4.8 rpg) and assists (4.4 apg). Melih Tunca (14.4 ppg, 4.2 apg) and Freddie Dilione V (12.4 ppg) follow.
IF PENN STATE BEATS PROVIDENCE
- The Nittany Lions would start the season 6-0 for the second-straight year and just the second time in the last 26 years.
- Penn State would win its 10th-straight non-conference game dating back to last season.
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
- The Friars are 3-2 on the young season and coming off a 98-66 home win over New Hampshire Tuesday night.
- Providence has yet to win a game away from their home arena as the Friars' two losses came to Virginia Tech (101-107 OT) at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off on Nov. 8 and on the road at Colorado (88-97) on Nov. 14.
- The Friars are averaging 96.4 points per game, a mark that ranks 14th in the nation, but Providence also gives up 86.0 points per contest.
- Six Friars are averaging double-digit points, led by Jason Edwards' 20.4 points per game. Jaylin Sellers (16.6 ppg), Stefan Vaaks (14.8 ppg), Corey Floyd Jr. (12.0 ppg), Ryan Mela (11.0 ppg) and Jamier Jones (10.0 ppg) follow.
AGAINST PROVIDENCE
- Penn State and Providence meet for the fourth time in program history Saturday inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
- The two teams last met on Nov. 16, 2012 at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Bayamon, P.R. The Nittany Lions edged out a 55-52 overtime win after rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit behind a 19-point performance from Tim Frazier.
- Penn State defeated Providence 69-59 in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament inside the Superdome in New Orleans. The Nittany Lions advanced to the Sweet 16 that season.
5-0
- Penn State is off to a 5-0 start for the second-straight year and looking to improve to 6-0 for just the second time in the last 26 years. The Nittany Lions have won nine-straight non-conference games dating back to last season.
- Penn State is averaging 82.0 points per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from 3-point range.
DISCIPLINED
- Penn State’s young squad has shown tremendous discipline as the Nittany Lions lead the nation in fewest turnovers per game (7.2) and rank second in the country in fewest fouls per game (12.6) through games on Nov. 19.
DEPTH ON DISPLAY
- The Nittany Lions have showcased their depth through the first five games of the season, as Penn State's 36.00 bench points per game ranks second in the Big Ten and is a top-50 mark in the nation.
- The Penn State bench has outscored the opponent bench by an eye-popping total of 180-52 through five games this season.
DYNAMIC DUO
- Penn State is one of just three schools in Division I to have two freshmen both averaging 14 or more points per game through games on Nov. 19.
- Penn State: Kayden Mingo (17.0 ppg) & Melih Tunca (14.4 ppg)
- Illinois: David Mirkovic (16.8 ppg) & Keaton Wagler (15.6 ppg)
- Arkansas: Maleek Thomas (19.4 ppg) & Darius Acuff Jr. (18.2 ppg)
- Mingo leads the Nittany Lions in points (17.0 ppg), rebounds (4.8 rpg) and assists (4.4 apg). Tunca ranks second on the squad in both points (14.4 ppg), assists (4.2 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).
NATIONAL NUMBERS
- The Nittany Lions currently rank in the top 30 in the country in a number of statistical categories (rankings listed thru games on Nov. 19):
|
Team Stat |
Value |
Rank |
|
Fewest turnovers/game |
7.2 |
1 |
|
Fewest fouls/game |
12.6 |
2 |
|
Assist/turnover ratio |
2.08 |
12 |
|
Turnover margin |
6.8 |
16 |
|
FG% |
52.6% |
20 |
LOOK OUT FOR THE ROOKS
- Penn State's freshmen class has combined for the following through the first five games of the year:
|
Stat |
Freshmen (Total) |
Freshmen % |
|
Points |
223 (410) |
54.4% |
|
Rebounds |
81 (158) |
51.3% |
|
Assists |
52 (75) |
69.3% |
|
Steals |
17 (40) |
42.5% |
|
Minutes |
524.25 (1000) |
52.4% |
- The Nittany Lion rookies have combined to shoot 58.1 percent (89-153) from the field through the first five games of the season.
BURSTING ONTO THE SCENE
- Rookie Kayden Mingo is the 14th highest-scoring freshman in the country and the Big Ten's highest-scoring freshman with his 17.0 points per game.
- Mingo leads the team in points (17.0 ppg), rebounds (4.8 rpg) and assists (4.4 apg) through the first five games of the season. He is shooting 50.0 percent (33-66) from the field and is coming off a career-best 24-point performance in Wednesday night's win over Harvard.
- Mingo, the highest-ranked recruit in program history, was named an ESPN Top 50 Impact Newcomer in late October. He was ranked as the No. 34 recruit nationally per 247Sports & No. 39 recruit nationally per ESPN out of high school. He was named the 2025 New York Gatorade Player of the Year following standout senior season at Long Island Lutheran.
OH MY MELIH
- Istanbul, Turkey native Melih Tunca has been on fire to start the season, scoring in double figures in all five of Penn State's game while shooting 63.4 percent (26-41) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-11) from 3-point range.
- Over the past two games (vs. La Salle & Harvard), Tunca has shot 80 percent (12-15) from the field and 80 percent (4-5) from 3-point range while averaging 15.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.
STEADY FREDDIE
- Redshirt junior Freddie Dilione V, Penn State's only returning starter from a season ago, has been a consistent presence for the Nittany Lions thus far this season. Dilione is averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game with just three total turnovers in 127 minutes of playing time. He has scored in double figures in each of the last four games.
DOM FROM DEEP
- Sophomore Dominick Stewart leads the team with 12 triples this season and his 54.5 3FG% (12-22) is tied for the team lead and tied for second in the Big Ten. Stewart has made multiple triples in three of Penn State's five games, including a stellar 6-for-8 showing from beyond the arc on Nov. 8 at New Haven.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions return home to kick off a three-game homestand Tuesday night when Penn State hosts Boston University inside the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. on Peacock.