Coach Pat Chambers and Penn State will look to move to 2-0 on the season Monday night when Radford visits Happy Valley for a 7:00 p.m. matchup at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game is Penn State's first in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament, which will conclude in Connecticut this weekend.
The Nittany Lions defeated Hartford 70-55 on Saturday afternoon in their season debut thanks to 17 points from true freshman Trey Lewis, 16 points from junior point guard Tim Frazier and 14 points from senior guard Cammeron Woodyard off the bench. The team will look to keep that momentum going in its first-ever meeting with the Highlanders. Here are some keys to the game.
When Penn State Has The Ball
-If Lewis and Woodyard can continue to establish themselves as a secondary threats in the back court for Penn State, that will do a lot to take pressure off Frazier moving forward. Frazier is by far the team's most established scoring threat, and defenses will likely be keying on him a lot in the early going, but if Lewis and Woodyard can continue the success they had in the opener, it'll really open up the floor for Frazier to do serious damage.
-Penn State dominated the offensive glass against Hartford, 14-5, a development that led to a lot of extra possessions and more scoring. Maintaining that kind of margin will be difficult, but for a team still trying to find its offensive identity, anything that leads to more opportunities is welcomed.
-Guards dominated the score sheet for the Lions against Hartford, so you can bet the front court will be looking to even things out a little bit in this one. Keep and eye on Jonathan Graham, Sasa Borovnjak and Billy Oliver to see if they can get more involved.
When Radford Has The Ball
-Penn State forced 26 turnovers against Hartford, the most it has forced at the BJC since 2005. Like offensive rebounds, forced turnovers offer extra possessions, and for this offense, those opportunities are precious for its growth. We'll see if the Lions can maintain that intensity on defense.
-Forward Jonathan Edwards is Radford's leading scorer here in the early game, averaging 13.0 points per game. While the Highlanders have some dangerous guards in Jareal Smith and R.J. Price, both averaging double figures, if the Lions' front court can shut down Edwards, Penn State should be in a good position to win.