Mark your calendars, Penn State Basketball fans, season-opener set

Penn State Basketball’s opening night opponent is set, and the Nittany Lions will host Youngstown State

According to sources, Penn State Basketball will open the season hosting Youngstown State.

This comes just two days after Penn State announced the 2021 Emerald Classic matchup (vs Louisiana State and then playing either the winner or loser of the Oregon State/Wake Forest match-up.  The Big Ten conference match-ups were also released earlier.

Youngstown State finished 15-12 last year, ending their season with an overtime loss in the Horizon League Quarterfinals vs Oakland.  They were 9-11 in the conference.

This game will mark the opening of the 2021-2022 season and the first under new head coach Micah Shrewsberry.  The University turned the page from the almost 10 year era of Pat Chambers last summer before turning to Pat Ferry (now the head coach of UMBC) in an interim basis last year.

Penn State had a tumultous off season, with fan favorites Jamari Wheeler and Myreon Jones (and coach Talor Battle) announcing their departure from the program right after the season ended missing out on the NIT.  Penn State also lost front court members Trent Buttrick and Abdou Tsimbila but were able to retain returning starters John Harrar and Seth Lundy.

Shrewsberry has added four players from the transfer portal.

Our current roster looks like this:

PG — Boogie Cornwall (TR), Sam Sessoms

SG — Jalen Pickett (TR)

SF — Seth Lundy, Myles Dread

PF — Jevonnie Scott (TR), Greg Lee (TR)

C — John Harrar

Other reserves:  Daillon Johnson, Caleb Dorsey, Andy Christos