Penn State heads to South Carolina this weekend to play in the Charleston Classic. The eight-team field doesn’t have any Top 25 teams attending, but it will give the Nittany Lions a few chances to notch wins that could end up being significant if they want to make a postseason tournament. Of course which team they play will be determined by how the bracket works out, but regardless of their opponents, one has to look no further than what Nebraska did last season as to how a holiday tournament like this can help teams figure things out. Despite the fact that they Cornhuskers only won one of three games in this event last season, Nebraska played eventual NCAA Tournament team UMass close and got a decent win over Georgia. Here’s a brief look at what Penn State has in store for them in this season’s edition.
Penn State will need big games from DJ Newbill this weekend in the Charleston Classic. (GoPSUsports.com)
Their first round opponent is Charlotte, a team that could contend for the Conference USA crown along with the likes of Louisiana Tech and UTEP. Both teams look to be structured similarly in terms of their size and makeup. Penn State will need to keep Mike Thorne Jr and Willie Clayton off of the boards, as the pair combined for 23 rebounds in their first game of the season, a win over Elon. Ross Travis and Brandon Taylor will need to keep them in check, especially to keep Clayton from giving the 49ers extra possessions. Florida transfer Braxton Ogbueze is Charlotte’s point guard, which will be a nice test for freshman Shep Garner. Penn State should win this one, but it will be a quality match-up.
South Carolina could be waiting if the Lions get past Charlotte. The Gamecocks lost a close game to Baylor on Tuesday, but they look to be much better in Frank Martin’s third year in Columbia. Sindarious Thornwell is his marquee player, but Penn State has more depth overall. South Carolina allowed Baylor to shoot 26 free throws in that match-up, so look for DJ Newbill to be aggressive in getting into the lane. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, Miami could be waiting in the championship game should they beat Akron in the second round. Jim Larranaga’s team just got a significant win over Florida earlier this week, and the Hurricanes appear much improved after adding transfers Angel Rodriquez and Sheldon McClellan.
Other than maybe George Washington, Penn State doesn’t have many chances in its non-conference schedule to pick up quality wins . They’ll have plenty of chances with their Big Ten schedule, of course, as they have what might be the most difficult draw in league play. If they can get through this weekend’s event unscathed, they will have a great chance to record a very good overall record before conference play starts. That would set them up to need only a 9-9 or 8-10 record in Big Ten play to have a legitimate chance at the postseason. Things will be much more difficult, however, if the Nittany Lions leave Charleston with a 1-2 or 0-3 performance.