Tag: Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament

Penn State’s Big Ten Tourney run ends in championship game

Furious rally comes up short for Penn State vs. Purdue in Big Ten championship game

Penn State had one of the most exciting March runs in recent program history. Coming into the tournament, they were firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They put themselves into the tournament with wins over Illinios and Northwestern on their way to their semifinal appearance. But they weren’t satisfied by just playing in the game. They beat Indiana to play in their second ever conference championship game and cement themselves in NCAA Tournament.

That run ended on Sunday after falling to Purdue 65-67.

Penn State made a flurry at the end of the game to come within one possession and a shot to win the game. They failed to get a shot off as [autotag]Camren Wynter[/autotag] was called for a travel before the shot attempt.

It was going to be a tall task to beat the Boilermakers who had beat them twice during the regular season. The best team in the Big Ten all season, Purdue is also expected to be a one seed when the bracket is released.

Penn State hit their first two buckets of the game to lead 4-0, but missed their next six shots. This got them into an early hole and they trailed by their largest margin of the entire tournament.

The Nittany Lions were fighting an uphill battle the entire first half as they tried to stay in the game. They were able to keep the margin close and went into halftime down 27-35.

The uphill battled continued all second half as Purdue kept pounding them in the paint and on the offensive glass. The Boilermakers pulled down 13 offensive rebounds and kept possessions alive they ultimately capitalized on.

With six and a half minutes to go, it looked like Purdue was going to run away with the game. They were up 17 points and had Penn State out of sorts.

But Penn State would not go away. They started chipping away at the lead with basket after a basket from their seniors.

After a dunk from freshman [autotag]Evan Mahaffey[/autotag] with just under three minutes remaining, Penn State trailed 58-64.

[autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] cut the lead to four points after two made free throws, but Big Ten Player of the Year, [autotag]Zach Edey[/autotag], made a layup through a triple team to put the lead back up to six.

After [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag] missed a three, Purdue was fouled and on free throw line looking to put the game away for good.

Freshman guard [autotag]Fletcher Loyer[/autotag] missed both free throws and Penn State senior guard [autotag]Myles Dread[/autotag] hit a three to cut the lead to three points.

The ending got crazy after Purdue turned the ball over in the backcourt on the steal from Mahaffey. Wynter hit a layup to unbelievably cut the lead to one point with seven seconds remaining.

Loyer was on the line again for Purdue. He made the first one but missed the second giving Penn State an opportunity to win or tie the game.

They advanced the ball into the front court and called a timeout to set up the potential game-winning shot.

When Pickett inbounded the ball, it was tipped and created a scramble play to get up a shot.

Dread came up with the ball and found Wynter who has hit clutch shots for Penn State all season. He pump-faked once and then shuffled his feet when trying to get a clean look.

Travel. Game over.

[autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] led the Nittany Lions with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Wynter added 14 points and Pickett finished with 11.

Probable NCAA Player of the Year, Edey, finished with a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds. [autotag]David Jenkins Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Gillis[/autotag] joined him in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.

It was definitely a tough loss to stomach for Penn State and all its seniors. The magical postseason tournament run ended in heart breaking fashion.

But what a run it was!

Head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] did an excellent job getting all the players to buy in and believe they could make this run. After coming into the tournament with questions about their March Madness hopes, they left no doubt they are a tournament team.

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Report Card: Grading Penn State Men’s Basketball Big Ten Tournament

After a great run, let’s grade Penn State basketball’s performance in the Big Ten tournament.

The 2023 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will be seen as a turning point for the entire basketball program at State College. What they have accomplished after being predicted to finish sixth in the conference can’t be overlooked.

Did it end in a loss? Yes. Was it a disappointing loss? Not necessarily.

Penn State showed they have the makings to be a team that can bust some brackets and makes a deep run in the big tournament. They never dominated a game but that also is okay, they showed they can handle the neutral site well and play to the level of their competition without batting an eye.

One thing that was a lot of fun to watch unfold in the Big Ten tournament was the shooting of the Nittany Lions and how well they faired from beyond the arc.

Offense

(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Grade: A-

Penn State shot extremely well against tough defenses and full-court pressure attacks from all four of their opponents. They shot 44.1% from the field and 34.6% from the three-point line. They would live and die by the triple but what held them back throughout was costly turnovers, especially at crucial points in the Purdue game.

All in all, this Penn State offense will be hot heading into the NCAA tournament which will be their biggest key to a run.

NEXT: Defense

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Where is Penn State in Joe Lunardi’s Selection Sunday bracket update?

One final look at Joe Lunardi’s updated bracketology before Penn State plays in the Big Ten championship game

Penn State was already in a comfortable spot on the eve of Selection Sunday before beating Indiana in the Big Ten tournament semifinal on Saturday. The win over the Hoosiers, however, has put the Nittany Lions as close to a lock for the tournament as they have been in a long time.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi upgraded Penn State’s tournament status slightly following a 77-75 victory over the Hoosiers before taking on Purdue in the Big Ten championship game on Sunday afternoon, just before the official NCAA bids are finalized.

A day ago, Lunardi had Penn State among his last four teams in the tournament that would not have to play in an opening-round game. But the win over the Hoosiers, Penn State’s third win in as many days in the Big Ten tournament, has elevated Penn State in Lunardi’s bracket one more time. Lunardi still has Penn State with a No. 10 seed in the tournament, but the Nittany Lions no longer are among the last four teams receiving a bye. That would seem to suggest Penn State is a lock to get in the tournament as if there was any remaining doubt about that outlook the way the past week has gone.

Penn State entered the Big Ten tournament with some serious momentum following regular-season wins at Northwestern and against Maryland at home. It upset Illinois in its first Big Ten tournament game, going 3-0 against the Illini this season. That was followed by an overtime victory over Northwestern on Friday night and a tense win against Indiana that saw the Nittany Lions fend off two serious bursts by the Hoosiers in the second half.

Penn State was 0-2 against Purdue in the regular season, and the Nittany Lions are an underdog in the Big Ten championship game. However, the work that needed to be done in Chicago appears to have been accomplished for the program that looks to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

A loss to Purdue, no matter the final score, will not knock Penn State out of the tournament on the final day before the bracket is set. A win over Purdue, however, could give Penn State one last push in the seeding, and the Nittany Lions could grab a single-digit seed with the first Big Ten title in program history.

As it stands right now, Lunardi has Penn State paired with Missouri in a 7-10 matchup in Des Moines, Iowa, as part of the South. Alabama has the top seed in the South and a victory over Missouri could set up a matchup with Big 12 champion Texas in the second round. Maryland would join Penn State as the only Big Ten schools in the South according to Lunardi. The Terrapins are a No. 9 seed in Lunardi’s bracket, with a drop in tournament stock while Penn State is trending up.

Selection Sunday is Sunday, and Penn State will watch the selection announcements in Chicago following its appearance in the Big Ten championship game.

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Penn State vs. Purdue, Big Ten Tournament: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for championship

How to watch the Big Ten basketball championship game on Sunday

The Big Ten championship all comes down to one final game, and Penn State is hoping to do something it has never done before; win a Big Ten title. Penn State’s run to the Big Ten Championship Game, just its second appearance in the conference’s title game in program history, included three wins in the underdog role against Illinois, Northwestern, and Indiana. It will once again be the underdog against one of the best teams in the country, the Purdue Boilermakers.

Purdue won each of the two regular-season meetings with the Nittany Lions, including a game played at the Palestra in Philadelphia in which Penn State held the upper hand in the first half before Purdue took control in the second half. Penn State hung tight with Purdue in the second meeting before the Boilermakers once again established their dominance and pulled away for another win.

Purdue’s Zach Edey will be a big force to reckon with for the Penn State defense. Penn State’s [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] is coming off his best game of the tournament with 28 points in the semifinal victory over Indiana.

Here’s how to catch all of the action on championship Sunday in the Big Ten as Penn State takes on Purdue in Chicago.

Penn State holds off Indiana to advance to Big Ten Championship game

Jalen Pickett leads Penn State over Indiana and into the Big Ten championship game

It’s been a magical ride for Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament so far. After beating Illinois and Northwestern in close games, they faced their toughest test on Saturday against Indiana.

Indiana came into the tournament with hopes of winning it for the first time in program history. Penn State had those same aspirations, although they were certainly a longshot to pull it off.

It was Penn State who prevailed in the semifinal, winning 77-73, advancing to their second ever championship game.

The Nittany Lions got off to a slow start early and was down by six points four minutes into the game. After the media timeout, Penn State went on an 8-0 run to take a 14-12 lead after a [autotag]Myles Dread[/autotag] three.

They never relinquished their lead in the first half was dominating the game.

In the previous two games of the tournament, [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] had been very quiet on the offensive end. He wasn’t hitting his scoring averages and looked to be running out of gas.

He put that notion to bed early in this game. Pickett scored 13 points in the first half and was a big reason why Penn State was explosive on the offensive end.

They went into the locker room leading 34-26 at halftime.

After the Nittany Lions stifled Indiana’s offense in the first half, it was only a matter of time before the Hoosiers made their run.

Penn State did a good in the early minutes of the second half, extending their lead to 10 points. But right around the 17 minute mark, the Indiana run started.

Indiana tied the game at 47 with just over ten minutes left after a big [autotag]Trayce Jackson-Davis[/autotag] dunk. It looked like the momentum was swinging towards the Hoosiers and the game was getting away from Penn State.

The seniors for Penn State took over the game. Pickett made a layup, [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag] buried a three and [autotag]Camren Wynter[/autotag] assisted freshman [autotag]Kebba Njie[/autotag] for a dunk during their immediate 7-0 run.

From that point on, it was all Penn State. It looked like Funk put a dagger into Indiana when he drilled a 30 foot three point shot as the shot clock was expiring. That shot put them up by 11 points with four minutes left in the game.

But like all Penn State fans know, it’s not a Penn State basketball game unless it’s a nail biter.

With two minutes remaining in the game and the Nittany Lions up 13 points, it looked like the game was over.

That was certainly not the case.

Four turnovers and missed free throws kept Indiana in the game. They clawed at the lead possession by possession, capitalizing on all the late game mistakes given to them.

With 33 seconds left in the game, it was all of a sudden Penn State winning 74-73. [autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] was fouled and hit two clutch free throws to put them up three points. Indiana’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year, J[autotag]alen Hood-Schifino[/autotag], missed the game tying three and Nittany Lions players, coaches and fans let out a loud exhale in unison.

Pickett finished with a game high 28 points while adding eight rebounds and four assists. Lundy was the only other Penn State player in double figures with 16 points.

It was going to be difficult for Penn State to stifle consensus All-American Jackson-Davis. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. They did a good job on Hood-Schifino holding him to 11 points on 4-13 shooting.

Penn State now advances to the Big Ten Championship game for the second time in school history. In their only previous appearance, they lost to one seed Ohio State during the 2010-11 season.

This is the third time a double digit seed has made the championship game. Illinois did it twice in 1999 and 2008.

They’ll be facing a one seed again in Purdue who has already beaten the Nittany Lions in convincing fashion twice this season. Probable Player of the Year winner [autotag]Zach Edey[/autotag] has been a major problem for Penn State to contain and will have their hands full on Sunday.

The championship game will tip at 3:30pm ET on CBS.

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2023 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Tracker: Full schedule, all results, updated bracket

Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament tracker: Full schedule, TV times, updated results, and matchups.

The Big Ten is looking to fill a good number of spots in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but it first must crown a conference champion. The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament returns to Chicago’s United Center this week for a multi-day extravaganza with the purpose of determining who will get the conference’s automatic spot in the big dance, but there should be plenty on the line for a number of schools that will not be holding the Big Ten trophy at the end of the weekend.

Penn State and Michigan are two teams floating in bubble conversation as the Big Ten tournament gets underway, and picking up a couple of wins in Chicago would go a long way toward helping the cause of getting into the NCAA tournament.

Purdue is the top seed in the tournament, but the Boilermakers suffered all five of their losses this season in conference play, so they know nothing is guaranteed this week. Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan State also have a double-bye and will not have to step on the court for a game until Friday. There could be a lot of drama in the days leading up to then.

Penn State is a double-digit seed in the Big Ten tournament, but they are matched up with an Illinois team the Nittany Lions have beaten twice this season. Michigan and Rutgers are each looking to make a final push for a spot in the tournament, and they’ll open the Big Ten tournament facing each other on Thursday.

The fun will officially begin with two games on Wednesday as Ohio State and Wisconsin play in the first game of the Big Ten tournament, a bit of an oddity given where these two programs have typically been in recent seasons. And Nebraska and Minnesota will close the first day with the second game on Wednesday evening.

Here is the updated Big Ten Men’s Basketball tournament schedule with updated matchups, start times, and how to watch each game on TV. The entire tournament will air on Big Ten Network until the conference semifinal round and championship game over the weekend. CBS will air the conference semifinals and the conference championship game.

Updated Big Ten tournament championship odds can be found here.

Twitter reacts to Penn State’s semifinal win over Hoosiers

Twitter was buzzing over Penn State advancing to the Big Ten final

Penn State has somehow done it again! It is truly amazing as they are now in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament final after knocking off Indiana in the semifinal round of the Big Ten tournament in Chicago on Saturday.

[autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag] led the way with big-time shots and plays throughout and as a team, they cut turnovers down while making free throws.

They were projected as a 10-seed for the NCAA tournament and ironically as a ten-seed in the Big Ten tournament, they are now poised to make history if they can beat Purdue on Sunday afternoon. They would be the lowest-seeded team to ever win the Big Ten Tournament.

This has Twitter buzzing so here are some of the highlights.

Joe Lunardi’s updated bracket has Penn State in comfortable spot before Big Ten semifinal

Joe Lunardi’s updated bracket following Friday night’s games has Penn State in safe spot ahead of Big Ten semifinal

Penn State’s tournament stock continues to be rising at the perfect time, and because of it, the Nittany Lions could already be in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. According to the latest update from ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Nittany Lions will be invited to the big dance on Sunday when tournament bids are officially extended.

Penn State arrived in Chicago for the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament likely needing to get at least one win to feel better about its tournament odds. After finishing the regular season with big wins against Northwestern and Maryland, the Nittany Lions were still a bubble team looking to pad their profile just a bit. They did that with a victory over Illinois on Thursday, but things look even better after knocking off Northwestern in overtime on Friday night.

Lunardi currently has Penn State among his last four teams in the tournament that will not have to play in the opening round games. And just to provide a little bit more of a cushion, Lunardi lists Penn State as his first of four teams not having to play an opening-round game. Even if Penn State were to lose on Saturday against Indiana in the Big Ten tournament semifinal round, things look very promising for Penn State to end its tournament drought with this run it has been on.

Lunardi has Penn State facing Missouri from the SEC in the West region. Lunardi’s updated bracket has Penn State with a 10-seed, with a seven-seed for the Tigers. Houston is Lunardi’s top seed in the West region. A potential victory over Missouri could pair Penn State up with future Big Ten member UCLA in the second round. Indiana is a four-seed in Lunardi’s bracket in the West, and Illinois joins the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers as a Big Ten representative in the West with the nine-seed.

The other three teams Lunardi feels will not have to play in an opening-round game include Providence, Utah State, and Rutgers. Mississippi State, NC State, Pittsburgh, and Arizona State (in that order) are Lunardi’s last four teams in. Oklahoma State, Nevada, Clemson, and Vanderbilt are the first four teams missing the tournament according to Lunardi. Penn State lost a game earlier this season to Clemson and is 0-2 against Rutgers. Wisconsin and Michigan, in all likelihood, will also miss the tournament according to Lunardi.

Penn State has a chance to punch its own ticket to the NCAA tournament though. The champion of the Big Ten tournament will receive an automatic spot in the big dance. Penn State would have to beat Indiana on Saturday and then the winner of the Purdue-Ohio State game on Sunday. Purdue and Indiana are already locks, but Ohio State is the bid-stealer to watch out for at this point in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are looking to make history by reaching the Big Ten championship game as a 13-seed. An Ohio State Big Ten championship could be dangerous for Penn State’s tournament chances, but even that may not be enough to squeeze Penn State out at this point, especially if the Nittany Lions can take down the Hoosiers to reach the Big Ten championship game as well.

Penn State has not been in the NCAA Tournament since 2011. The drought appears to be over.

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Penn State vs. Indiana, Big Ten Tournament: Stream, injury report, and broadcast info for semifinal

How to watch Penn State take on Indiana in the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinal on Saturday

Penn State continues its run in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament on Saturday after scoring a big quarterfinal victory over Northwestern, the two-seed in the conference tournament, on Friday night. Penn State knocked off the Wildcats in overtime, its second overtime victory over Northwestern in as many weeks. The Nittany Lions are probably sitting in a much more comfortable spot for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament on Sunday, but Penn State is one game away from potentially booking its own ticket with its first Big Ten championship.

Penn State will face Indiana on Saturday afternoon following the conclusion of the Purdue-Ohio State matchup in the first Big Ten semifinal game on the schedule. Indiana capped the Friday slate with a victory over Maryland to advance to the semifinal round.

Here is how to catch all of the action as Penn State faces Illinois on Friday. The full Big Ten tournament schedule and updated tracker can be found here.

Twitter Reacts: Penn State’s upset against Northwestern in Big Ten Tournament

How Twitter reacted to Penn State’s big win over Northwestern.

The clock still has not struck midnight on the Penn State Nittany Lions as they continue to fight through the Big Ten tournament.

It took a total team effort from the male Nittany Lions but they were able to upset Northwestern in their home state for the second time this year. This win all but guarantees an NCAA tournament berth for the team and now their gritty work ethic will get to be on the big stage.

Between the big win and a questionable call at the end of the game, Twitter was buzzing throughout the game.