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Another difficult road test awaits.
Penn State travels to Minnesota to try and reach .500. It’s been a month since the Gophers defeated the Nittany Lions by nine, and both teams are certainly not the same.
Scouting the Opposition
The Gophers return to the confines of home after two road losses to Nebraska and Illinois. Dalton Garcia continues to lead Minnesota in both scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding (6.4 per game). Garcia scored 20 points in January’s comeback victory over the Nittany Lions. Elijah Hawkins is the team’s other big playmaker, averaging 7.5 assists per game. Both Hawkins and Garcia will be on the floor the longest, with both men averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
What to Watch For
Can Ace shut down Hawkins?
- Hawkins only had five assists in the last matchup and also fouled out, but did also have six rebounds in just 26 minutes. If Mr. Baldwin cannot slow down Hawkins and disrupt his ability to create opportunities for Minnesota, it will be a long afternoon.
Wahab v. Garcia
- Forgive me for stating the obvious, but Penn State’s post players (I’m mentioning Qudus Wahab specifically because Favour Aire has had difficulties recently after showing a momentary spark, and we haven’t seen much from Demetrious Lilley) will have their hands full with Garcia. The matchup down low will unquestionably determine the game. With that said...
Make it a two-man game on defense
- In the last matchup, while Garcia did score 20 points, it was the production of guard and second-leading scorer Cam Christie (17 points, eight rebounds and five assists), and forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (14 points and five rebounds) that doomed the Nittany Lions. Baldwin and Wahab will need help from teammates like D’Marco Dunn, Nick Kern, and Zach Hicks if they want to come away with a road win.
Prediction
Penn State has lost their last three on the road after winning two in a row. Make it four in a row.
Minnesota 80, Penn State 72
YAY HOOPS
Please use this as your open thread for the game. As always, open thread rules apply. No illegal streams, no NSFW content, and for the love of all things cute, be nice to each other, the players, and the staff!
Here’s to a victory! We Are!
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By: LndoBSD
Title: Penn State vs. Minnesota Preview, Open Thread: Nittany Lions Look to Get Back to .500
Sourced From: www.blackshoediaries.com/2024/3/2/24087212/penn-state-basketball-vs-minnesota-preview-and-open-thread-bsd-ace-baldwin-qudus-wahab
Published Date: Sat, 02 Mar 2024 13:04:00 +0000
