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NC State gets another chance to play Penn State

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Penn State junior power forward Lamar Stevens is averaging a team-high 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
Penn State junior power forward Lamar Stevens is averaging a team-high 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. (The Associated Press)
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Game facts

NC State (8-1) vs. Penn State (5-4) in Boardwalk Classic

Game time: Saturday, Dec. 15, 2 p.m. — Atlantic City, N.J.

Television: ESPNU

Probable starters

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Jr., 12.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.2 apg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 195, R-Jr., 12.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.3 spg)

SF — 24 Devon Daniels (6-5, 200, R-Soph., 9.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg)

F — 2 Torin Dorn (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 16.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 2.0 spg)

C — 33 Wyatt Walker (6-9, 240, R-Jr., 6.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 apg)

Penn State

PG — 13 Rasir Bolton (6-2, 180, Fr., 13.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.4 apg)

SF — 2 Myles Dread (6-4, 215, Fr., 8.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 spg)

SF — 23 Josh Reaves (6-5, 214, Sr., 10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.9 spg)

PF — 11 Lamar Stevens (6-8, 230, Jr., 20.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)

C — 24 Mike Watkins (6-9, 254, R-Jr., 6.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 bpg)

Notes

Penn State

Location: College Station, Pa.

Nickname: Nittany Lions

2017-18 record: 22-13 overall, 9-9 Big Ten

2017 postseason: Defeated Utah 82-66 in double overtime to win NIT Title

Head coach: Pat Chambers 160-154 overall (10th year) and 118-126 at Penn State (8th year)

Penn State overview: The Nittany Lions won the NIT title last year after just missing out on making the NCAA Tournament.

The chances of breaking through to the Big Dance this season took a hit when star guard Tony Carr took his 19.6 points per game and entered the NBA Draft. Carr had 29 points against NC State last year, but the Wolfpack won 85-78 on Nov. 29, 2017, in Raleigh.

PSU is off to a slow start with back-to-back Big Ten losses at Maryland on Dec. 1 and vs. Indiana on Dec. 4 by a combined total of nine points. The Nittany Lions did defeat then-No. 13 ranked Virginia Tech 63-62 on Nov. 27 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

KenPom.com ranks Penn State the No. 42 overall in the country, while NC State is ranked No. 27.

Backcourt: The all-freshman backcourt has done better than expected through the first nine games, with point guard Rasir Bolton emerging as a quality scorer.

Bolton is fresh off of scoring 27 points and hitting 7 of 9 three-pointers in a 76-65 win over Colgate on Dec. 8. He is shooting an impressive 42.9 percent on three-pointers, and has scored in double figures in seven out of nine games. He also had 25 points and went 4 of 8 on three-pointers in a 76-61 victory over Jacksonville State on Nov. 12.

Myles Dread is averaging 8.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game and is a physical wing. He had 12 points in the 64-62 loss vs. Indiana, which was the fourth time he’s reached double figures this season. He had a career-high 19 points and went 5 of 10 on three-pointers in a 72-70 overtime win at DePaul on Nov. 15.

The third freshman in the backcourt is shooting guard Myreon Jones. He showed his potential with 18 points and went 4 of 8 on three-pointers in a 63-62 home win against Virginia Tech. The 6-3, 170-pounder is averaging 4.4 points in 13.3 minutes per game and shooting 30.8 percent from three-point land.

Sophomore point guard Jamari Wheeler is more of a defense-first playmaker, who is averaging 2.9 points and 2.0 assists in 22.1 minutes per game.

Frontcourt: Junior power forward Lamar Stevens has become the go-to scorer for Penn State while playing without Carr for the first time since his junior year of high school.

Stevens isn’t shooting as well from three-point land as years past, just 5 of 29 this season, but he’s elevated his play elsewhere across the board. Stevens has also been an ironman in averaging 37.0 minutes per game.

Stevens has scored at least 22 points in the first five games of the season, and has four double-doubles for points and rebounds.

NC State did a good job of containing Stevens last year, holding him to 13 points on 4 of 12 shooting, plus eight boards. He finished his sophomore year with a flourish, scoring 30 points in the NIT quarterfinal win against Marquette and 28 points and 4 of 5 shooting on three-pointers against Utah in the title game.

Redshirt junior center Mike Watkins missed the first five games (3-2 record) due to being suspended, and has been slow to get back into form. However, he had 18 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks against Colgate. That was the first time the gifted shot-blocker scored more than six points in his four games this season.

Watkins averaged 12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game last year, but he did struggle to finish in the matchup against NC State. He had eight points on 4-of-10 shooting against the Wolfpack.

Sophomore John Harrar provides depth inside. The 6-9, 243-pounder is averaging 4.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game for the Nittany Lions. He filled in when Watkins was suspended.

Sophomore Trent Buttrick, who is 6-8 and 234 pounds, is the fourth post player. He is averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.8 minutes a contest. He also has 17 fouls in 97 minutes played.

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NC State 2018-19 roster

NC State schedule/results

NC State season stats

Penn State roster

Penn State schedule/results

Penn State season stats

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