Penn State Basketball: Nittany Lions host Temple in first round of NIT

Left out of the NCAA Tournament, Penn State basketball settled for a berth in the NIT

The NIT kicks off its first round on Tuesday night in the shadow of the true “Big Dance.” Although it’s a smaller tournament, it’s still postseason basketball and great experience for all the student athletes. Penn State was left on the bubble for the NCAA’s and then was seemingly disrespected with a No. 4 seed in the NIT.

Still, disappointment and suspect seeding aside, there’s a job to be done. Head coach Patrick Chambers and his squad will look to make a deep run in the tournament and end the season on a high note.

The run will start Wednesday night at home against the in-state Temple Owls. The two teams have met 92 times throughout history, with the last being in 2011 when the Owls beat the Nittany Lions at the buzzer during the first round of that year’s NCAA Tournament.

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Penn State will look to Tony Carr to continue his hot play. Lamar Stevens, Josh Reaves and Shep Garner will also need to play key roles. The biggest question mark for the Nittany Lions will be the health of big man Mike Watkins. Watkins, the team’s leading rebounder and a force for opponents to deal with down low, has been out since leaving the game against Michigan on February 21.

There hasn’t been an official announcement on Watkins’ status for Wednesday, but Chambers said that he is probably out for the Big Ten. With Watkins out, Julian Moore and John Harrar will have to step up in his place.

Temple struggled to a 17-15 record this year and lost three of the final four games of the season. However, sophomore Quentin Rose is a talented guard who led the team with over 15 points a game throughout the year. He’s coming off a 25-point game his last time out.

While watching the game between the Owls and the Nittany Lions — which will air live on ESPNU at 8:00 p.m. — fans will notice some major changes. The NIT announced new in-game changes for this year’s tournament.

Instead of the traditional two, 20-minute periods, games will be played as four, 10-minute periods. Also, the free throw lane will be widened from 12 feet to 16 feet. The three-point line will be moved back nearly two feet. Finally, the shot clock will reset to 20 seconds on an offensive rebound instead of the full 30.

The winner of the Owls and the Nittany Lions will move on to face the winner of Tuesday’s Notre Dame vs Hampton game.

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