Penn State Basketball: Nittany Lions To Take On Talented Boilermakers Team Tonight

The Penn State men’s basketball team will play its first home conference game at 8 tonight, taking on the Purdue Boilermakers (12-3, 2-0). Traditionally one of the grittier and more physical teams in the league, Purdue’s blueprint to success and its style of play is something that Nittany Lions coach Pat Chambers hopes to see in his teams someday soon.

‘No question,’ Chambers said. ‘There is nothing wrong with mirroring Purdue. To play tough, hard-nosed gritty basketball, that’s something that we’re definitely trying to set up here. We want to set up the culture and bring along with it a positive attitude and a winner’s mentality.’

At 0-2 in Big Ten play, Penn State’s biggest challenge will be finding the opportunity to pick up that first victory against some of the best teams in the nation. In both of the Lions’ losses, their biggest issues came from shooting struggles and unforced turnovers. Penn State will have to improve in both areas tonight in order to have a chance to defeat a talented team led by two of the conferences most experienced players, Robbie Hummel and Lewis Jackson.

Hummel, who has battled injury his entire career, is finally back and healthy making him once again a crucial part of the Boilermakers’ success. His 16 points per game average leads Purdue, and his six rebounds per game is also a team high.

For Penn State, the Big Ten’s leading offensive rebounding team, keeping Hummel off the glass will be essential for staying close against a Purdue team that shoots over 45 percent from the field. Much of the Nittany Lions’ success in rebounding comes from the number of missed shots they have each game. If Penn State is able to shoot the ball better and still win the battle on the glass, it should greatly increase its chance of victory.

Jackson, a small but talented guard, will also give the Nittany Lions plenty to deal with tonight. At only 5-foot-9, he should prove to be an intriguing matchup against Tim Frazier, but much like Frazier, his small stature is far from an indication of his ability to hurt teams around the basket. Jackson’s team-high four assists per game makes him not only a threat to score but also a threat to find the open man. Penn State will need to contain Jackson and stay disciplined defensively so that it doesn’t give Purdue any open looks or underestimate Jackson’s skills around the hoop.

The game is a key moment in Chambers’ early tenure at Penn State, and while a victory against Purdue is not essential, a good showing could go a long way heading into the thick of conference play.

Related Content:

StateCollege.com’s Penn State basketball page