One year ago in Happy Valley, I went to this game and watched as Al Nolen led a great second-half comeback for one of the best road wins of the season. At the time, Penn State was 2-0 in the conference and poised to have a break out year. But that unraveled after losing to Minnesota because senior star Geary Claxton played just one more game after playing the Gophers last season.
Today's game is of great importance for both teams. Penn State needs a win to stay above .500 and the Gophers need another nice road win to cement an NCAA tournament bid. The team's come into this afternoon's game neck and neck in the conference, with the Gophers at 7-5 and the Nittany Lions at 6-6.
I'll be watching one match-up primarilly. Talor Battle, perhaps the Big Ten's best offensive point guard (sorry, Kalin Lucas) against Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph.
Tip is set for 12:30 central time. The game is on the Big Ten Network. This is your game thread and I'll see you in the comments section below.