UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State men’s basketball will open its 21st season of Big Ten Conference play with a road game at Wisconsin on Thursday, Jan. 3, the Big Ten announced when it revealed the 2012-13 Big Ten Conference men’s basketball schedule on Thursday (Aug. 30).
The Nittany Lions will begin 18 games of conference play on the road for the fourth straight season. The Lions fell at Michigan, 71-53, to open the 2011-12 Big Ten campaign and have gone 1-2 in the previous three years opening on the road. Penn State is 7-13 all-time in Big Ten season openers. The conference season begins on New Year’s Eve and culminates in March with the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago, March 14-17. Tip times and television arrangements will be announced at a future date by the conference.
Penn State will begin coach Patrick Chambers’ second Big Ten campaign by facing two of the conference’s six teams in the early preseason poll compiled by ESPN’s Andy Katz. The Big Ten led all conferences with six teams in that poll. Following the conference opening road date at ESPN preseason No. 22 Wisconsin, the Lions will open their Big Ten home slate by taking on Katz’s preseason No. 1 team, Indiana, on Monday, Jan. 7, at the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Indiana game will mark the first of nine conference opponents that will visit the Jordan Center in 2013, five of which appear in Katz’ preseason Top 25 poll with four of those in the top 10. Penn State’s home conference slate will also feature ESPN preseason No. 9 Michigan State (Wednesday, Jan. 16) and No. 8 Ohio State (Saturday, Jan. 26) returning to the Jordan Center for the first time in two years. ESPN preseason No. 5 Michigan (Wednesday, Feb. 27) and Wisconsin (Sunday, March 10) will also visit the Jordan Center.
Nebraska (Saturday, Jan. 19) will mark the first of three weekend conference opponents for the Lions who will also face Ohio State and Wisconsin in weekend home dates. Northwestern (Thursday, Jan. 10), Purdue (Tuesday, Feb. 5) and Iowa (Thursday, Feb. 14) will also visit the Jordan Center in 2013.
After a conference opening date at Wisconsin, Penn State will continue its 2012-13 Big Ten road campaign on Sunday, Jan. 13, at Purdue. Penn State also has road dates at Indiana (Wednesday, Jan. 23), Iowa (Thursday, Jan. 31), Nebraska (Saturday, Feb. 9), Michigan (Sunday, Feb. 17), Illinois (Thursday, Feb. 21), ESPN preseason No. 25 Minnesota (a wildcard game to be played either Saturday or Sunday, March 2 or 3) and Northwestern (Thursday, March 7).
View the full season schedule here.
Penn State will face four Big Ten opponents just once on the year, taking on Michigan State and Ohio State in home games and Illinois and Minnesota in road contests.
First-team All-Big Ten guard Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) returns for his senior season to lead a Penn State team that returns four players that started at least 16 games last year and its top two scorers in Frazier, who finished second in the Big Ten at 18.8 ppg, and junior guard Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.), who posted 10.8 ppg. Bolstering that group will be Southern Mississippi transfer D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia, Pa.), who sat out last season after posting 9.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg as a freshman for the Golden Eagles in 2010-11. Penn State will return 70 percent of its scoring, 60 percent of its rebounding and 78 percent of its assists from a team that posted a 12-20 mark overall and a 4-14 Big Ten record in Chambers’ first season.
Penn State men’s basketball season tickets and PNC Bank Flex Books are available for purchase for a 2012-2013 home schedule that will feature 17 regular season games, including nine clashes with Big Ten opponents, and one pre-season exhibition in the Bryce Jordan Center. Fans who wish to purchase tickets should call 1-800-NITTANY or visit GoPSUsports.com/tickets.
Adult Nittany Lion basketball season ticket pricing for lower bowl seats between the baselines (Sections 104-107 and 121-124) remained unchanged from the previous season at $200. All other lower bowl and upper deck season ticket seats have been priced at $180. Included in the season ticket holder benefits package this year is a season long complimentary parking pass good for all Bryce Jordan Center lots, which will begin charging $5 for parking at all Nittany Lion and Lady Lion home games this season.
PNC Flex Books are priced at $99 again this year. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions’ Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions’ Pink Zone game. New this season is a $50 youth season ticket that includes membership in the Highmark Kids Club. The youth season ticket will allow children to enjoy the benefits of the Kids Club, and sit with their parents or families at all home games. For more information on the Highmark Kids Club, please visit GoPSUSports.com/KidsClub.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Associate Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist (@PSUSTRETCH) and the official Penn State men’s basketball handle (@PennStateMBB) on Twitter and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.