Tag: ESPN Events Invitational

ESPN Events Invitational: How to watch Penn State vs. VCU on Sunday

Penn State, led by a handful of former VCU Rams, will face VCU in the 7th place game of the ESPN Events Invitational.

Well, this might get a little awkward. Penn State will take on VCU in the 7th place game in the ESPN Events Invitational on Sunday morning in Kissimmee, Florida, and it will be quite the reunion.

Penn State head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] should be somewhat familiar with Penn State’s final opponent this Thanksgiving weekend in Florida as he was the former head coach of VCU before being hired by Penn State. Penn State’s roster also includes a couple of VCU transfers with [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr[/autotag].

Penn State and VCU have each lost their first two games in this holiday weekend tournament, so it is safe to say both teams would love to leave Florida with a win under their belts. This could be one of the more intriguing 7th-place games in any basketball tournament given the storyline with VCU losing its head coach and two key players to Penn State in the offseason.

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Penn State lost the opening game of the tournament to Texas A&M and was defeated by Butler in the first consolation game. VCU was defeated by Iowa State in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational and then lost to Boise State by four points in their first consolation round game. The Rams are 3-3 coming into Sunday morning’s game with Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 4-2.

Here is how to watch today’s basketball game as you fill up on some Thanksgiving leftovers and prepare for tonight’s football game between Penn State and Michigan State.

Penn State vs. VCU Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 26
  • Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPNU

Here is the full schedule of games for the entire ESPN Events Invitational.

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2023 ESPN Events Invitational: Full college basketball tournament schedule and results

Here is your updated schedule for the ESPN Events Invitational with updated matchups beginning today.

Penn State men’s basketball will ramp up the level of difficulty in non-conference play by participating in this year’s ESPN Events Invitational in Florida. The Nittany Lions are one of eight programs participating in this year’s event over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they will help get things started in the first game with a rematch with Texas A&M on Thursday afternoon.

Penn State bounced the Aggies in the first round of last season’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but a lot has happened with Penn State’s program since that meeting. Penn State went through a coaching change and a good amount of roster turnover as well. The Aggies continued to build and will arrive in Florida with a top-15 ranking in the basketball polls. A bit of revenge will be on the mind for Texas A&M in the first game of this week’s ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State could also match up with one of last season’s Final Four teams, FAU, or the former program coached by Mike Rhoades, VCU. This could make for a fun weekend for Penn State.

Penn State is making its second appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational, but the last trip did not go well. Penn State went 0-3 in the 2007 tournament with losses to South Carolina, Rider, and UCF. That year’s tournament was won by NC State with a one-point victory over Villanova. The last Big Ten team to win the tournament was Maryland in 2019. It is the only year a Big Ten school has won the tournament. The Big Ten has been represented in 13 of the 16 events.

Here is a full schedule of this year’s ESPN Events Invitational, with TV and stream information and approximate starting times for each game. This tracker will be updated with final scores, photos, and updated matchups as the tournament unfolds, so be sure to bookmark this post for future reference.

ESPN Events Invitational: Best photos of Penn State vs. Butler

Ka-chow! Butler’s mascot was entertaining fans at the ESPN Events Invitational by riding Lightning McQueen.

For the second time in as many days over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Penn State fell short in the ESPN Events Invitational. Penn State was defeated by Butler in a consolation round game of the weekend tournament at the Walt Disney World Wide of Sports complex on Friday, 88-78.

Kanye Clary scored a career-high 28 points in the losing effort as Penn State went cole with its shooting to close the first half and could not answer a critical run by Butler in the second half.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s second game in the ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State comes up short against Butler in ESPN Events Invitational

Penn State falls behind Butler and can’t make a comeback for second loss in ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State isn’t exactly feeling like they are in the most magical place on Earth after dropping a second straight game in the ESPN Events Invitational in Disney World. The Nittany Lions came up short against Butler in a consolation round game on Friday afternoon, 88-78.

[autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] led Penn State with 28 points, a new career-high for the sophomore guard, and [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] had 15 points, but Penn State went cold with its shooting to close out the first half. The cold spell allowed Butler to take a 42-39 lead into halftime after Penn State had been up by as many as 9 points.

Butler went on a solid run to start the second half to build a 10-point lead but Penn State climbed back to within three points following a three-pointer by [autotag]Leo O’Boyle[/autotag] to cap a 7-0 run midway through the second half. Butler had one more good run in them to put some separation between them and Penn State, and that allowed the Bulldogs to seize a victory in the ESPN Events Invitational’s consolation side of the weekend tournament bracket.

 

Penn State will play its final game in the ESPN Events Invitational on Sunday. The Nittany Lions will face the loser of the VCU vs. Boise State game in the other consolation game played on Friday night.

Penn State’s final game of the weekend will be played on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPNU.

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ESPN Events Invitational: How to watch Penn State vs. Butler on Black Friday

Grab a plate of leftover turkey and settle in for Penn State basketball’s game against Butler on Friday afternoon. Here is how to watch.

Penn State will continue its journey in the ESPN Events Invitational on Black Friday with a matchup against Butler on Friday afternoon. After both teams lost their opening game against a ranked opponent, the Nittany Lions and Bulldogs will square off in the consolation round at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Penn State lost to Texas A&M in the opening game of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thanksgiving, 89-77. Butler came up short against FAU, 91-86. Texas A&M and FAU will play in the semifinal game on Friday as well.

This is the second straight season Penn State and Butler will meet. The two teams played each other in State College last season as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games schedule, with Penn State winning 68-62 last November.

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Penn State will be led by [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag], who is averaging 17.8 points per game this season. [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] is adding 11.2 ppg with 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Butler had five players score in double figures in their loss to FAU, including a 19-point effort from Jahmyl Telfort.

The winner of today’s game will meet the winner of the VCU vs. Boise State matchup in the other consolation game. This leaves the possibility of a Penn State-VCU matchup on the table. Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades coached VCU before taking the Penn State job and a couple of other VCU players followed him to State College. The winners of the consolation games will meet on Sunday, as will the losing teams.

Here is how to watch today’s basketball game as you fill up on some Thanksgiving leftovers and prepare for tonight’s football game between Penn State and Michigan State.

Penn State vs. Butler Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Friday, Nov. 24
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN

Here is the full schedule of games for the entire ESPN Events Invitational.

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ESPN Events Invitational: Best photos of Penn State vs. Texas A&M

Check out the best photos from Penn State’s ESPN Events Invitational opener against Texas A&M.

Penn State came up short in the opening game of the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational down in Florida on Thanksgiving, losing to no. 13 Texas A&M by a score of 89-77. It was a good test for the new-look Nittany Lions and despite coming up with the first loss of the season, Penn State showed some good fight against the Aggies.

Penn State will take on Butler in the consolation round on Friday afternoon. Butler was defeated by FAU, a Final Four team from last season. It will also be the second year in a row Penn State will face Butler. The Nittany Lions topped the Bulldogs in last year’s Gavitt Tipoff Games

Here are some of the best photos available from Penn State’s basketball game against Texas A&M in the ESPN Events Invitational.

ESPN Events Invitational: How to watch Penn State vs. no. 13 Texas A&M on Thanksgiving

Before you completely stuff your faces with Thanksgiving dinner, here’s how to watch Penn State take on Texas A&M in the ESPN Events Invitational.

Get ready to add a little dose of Penn State basketball to your Thanksgiving menu. The Nittany Lions are down in Florida to participate in the ESPN Events Invitational for the Thanksgiving weekend, and it all begins on Thursday with a rematch with Texas A&M. Penn State and the Aggies will play in the opening game of this year’s ESPN Events Invitational with the winner moving on to play the winner of today’s FAU-Butler game, with the losing teams from each game meeting in the consolation side of the weekend tournament bracket.

Penn State comes into the game with a 4-0 record after picking up four straight wins at home in the Bryce Jordan Center. [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] is averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game and transfer [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr[/autotag]. is leading the Big Ten with 3.0 steals per game.

Texas A&M is also 4-0 coming into the ESPN Events Invitational and they come in as the highest-ranked team in the tournament. Ranked no. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, the Aggies are led by Wade Taylor IV with 17.0 ppg and has a couple of other players averaging double-digit points per game with Tyrece Radford (15.5 ppg) and Henry Coleman III (13.3 ppg).

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Penn State eliminated Texas A&M from the NCAA Basketball Tournament last March with a 76-59 victory over the Aggies in the first round of the tournament. [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag], now in the NBA’s G-League, scorched the Aggies with 27 points with eight three-pointers. [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] added 19 points with 8 assists and 7 rebounds in the win. Penn State has undergone some drastic changes since that tournament win, however, and the Aggies will have a bit of revenge on the mind.

Here is how to watch the game while stuffing your face with some turkey and mashed potatoes and whatever else is your favorite side dish on Thanksgiving.

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Thursday, Nov. 23
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN

Here is the full schedule of games for the entire ESPN Events Invitational.

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ESPN Events Invitational: Penn State vs. No. 13 Texas A&M preview

Penn State plays Texas A&M in the opening round of the ESPN Events Invitational.

[autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and the Nittany Lions are off to a hot start in State College, bringing a 4-0 record to the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida. The Nittany Lions will play three games in four days, beginning with a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament first-round game against Texas A&M at noon on Thanksgiving.

Penn State has played its first four games at the Bryce Jordan Center, making this tournament the Nittany Lions’ first real challenge of the season. The 13th-ranked Aggies also hold a 4-0 record with wins over Ohio State and Oral Roberts. Texas A&M and Penn State have similar offensive numbers, averaging 76 and 77.5 points per game, respectively. Defensively, the Nittany Lions come into the game with the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the country, only allowing 53.5 ppg. The Aggies give up 61 ppg, albeit against more challenging opponents.

Early into this season, you can already tell this squad’s calling card is its defense and ability to create turnovers, with steal artist [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] leading the way. Penn State forces opponents into 21.5 turnovers per game, good for second in the country. Against Morehead State last week, the Nittany Lions forced a whopping 29 turnovers.

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A deciding factor for Penn State on Thursday will be on the glass, especially limiting the Aggies’ second-chance points. Texas A&M is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, averaging 47 per game (11th in the nation) and 19.3 offensive rebounds (2nd in the nation). [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] and Aggie center Henry Coleman III are both in the top 15, and whoever has the better afternoon might prove decisive.

The point guard battle between Ace Baldwin Jr. and Wade Taylor IV is a storyline to watch, with both guards being terrific defenders. On the offensive side of the ball, Penn State’s [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] (17.5 ppg) and Tyrece Radford (15.5 ppg) are two scorers shooting better than 43% from the field and 35% from the 3-point line.

Another strength of the Nittany Lions’ is their 3-point defense, only allowing their opponents to shoot 19.7% (2nd in the nation) from behind the arc. The Aggies aren’t a great shooting team (29.6 3P%), but they are shutting down formidable shooters like Radford, and fellow guard Hayden Hefner will be critical.

To pull off the upset, Penn State must show up again on the defensive end, especially rebounding. Forwards [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] have struggled so far this season, and getting them going would be huge against Texas A&M.

The Nittany Lions will play Florida Atlantic or Butler on Friday, depending on the outcomes of both games. Penn State’s final game will be on Sunday, with the championship game being at 1 p.m. VCU, Iowa State, Boise State, and Virginia Tech make up the other half of the bracket. All games will air on ESPN’s network of stations.

Here is the full schedule for the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational.

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Penn State basketball gets Thanksgiving rematch with Texas A&M to open ESPN Events Invitational

Penn State basketball will get an NCAA Tournament rematch this Thanksgiving in the ESPN Events Invitational

Get ready to stuff your face with turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving while enjoying some Penn State men’s basketball. Penn State will play on Thanksgiving as they participate in the first game of the ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn Stae men’s basketball will open the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando with an NCAA Tournament rematch with Texas A&M this November. The Nittany Lions and Aggies were paired up in the opening game of this year’s ESPN Events Invitational scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 23. The winner of the game will face the winner of a matchup between Butler and Florida Atlantic. Penn State also beat Butler last season. Florida Atlantic made a surprise run to the Final Four last season.

New Penn State men’s basketball head coach Mike Rhoades could potentially face his former team, VCU. VCU will face Iowa State in another first-round matchup in the tournament. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Virginia Tech vs. Boise State matchup scheduled to wrap up the first day of the tournament.

First-round games will be played on Thanksgiving, Nov. 23. Second-round games will take place on Friday, Nov. 24 with a winners bracket and a consolation bracket to ensure every team plays at least two games. After an off day on Saturday, every team will play in a third game on Sunday, Nov. 26. The championship game will be scheduled to tip at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Penn State topped Texas A&M in the first-round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in March. Andrew Funk’s 27 points and hot three-point shooting lifted Penn State to an easy win over the Aggiues, 76-59, for Penn State’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2001. Penn State’s tournament run came to an end in the next round with a loss to Texas.

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Penn State hoops playing in Orlando for Thanksgiving tourney

Penn State basketball to play in ESPN Events Invitational this Thanksgiving.

Penn State’s conference opponents were released a few weeks ago. It’s now known what opponents the Nittany Lions will be playing in the 2023-24 season. The exact dates of each game will be released at a later date, but the schedule for the upcoming season is starting to come together.

Another piece of the puzzle was announced on Thursday. Penn State will be heading down to Florida during the Thanksgiving holiday to compete in the ESPN Events Invitational. This tournament will be composed of eight teams playing at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. The first games will be tipped on November 23rd

Besides Penn State, the other schools invited to the tournament are Boise State, Butler, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Texas A&M, VCU and Virginia Tech.

This is a really strong field. Every team made the NCAA Tournament last year except for Butler and Virginia Tech. Florida Atlantic is coming off their Final Four run.

The two teams that really stand out for potential matchups are VCU and Texas A&M. The VCU matchup would be an early re-introduction between new head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and former VCU players [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Kern[/autotag] who will be wearing Penn State jerseys this season. Texas A&M is a rematch from last year’s NCAA Tournament game that saw the Nittany Lions cruise to victory 76-59.

At this point in time, there are really no expectations for the team. Honestly, coach Rhoades might not even know what he truly has until a few weeks before the early season games. With all the transfers coming in and the returning players having never played with them before, meshing as a unit might take a while.

The ESPN Events Invitational should provide a look at to where the program is for the upcoming season. If they compete with these high caliber teams, that’s a very good sign for the conference play portion of the schedule.

There will be games before this tournament, but those haven’t been announced yet. Those games will most likely be against lesser opponents since they played Winthrop during a down year and Loyola Maryland.

The Thanksgiving stretch should give everyone an idea about how this team will play during the 2023-24 season.

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