Just five days after defeating Penn State, Minnesota travels out east for a rematch with the Nittany Lions. It's clear that Minnesota has the ability to beat this team, as they've already done it, but with a packed schedule this week things won't be easy. The game tips at 3pm central time this afternoon and is airing on the Big Ten Network. Here are three keys to the game if Minnesota hopes to replicate their success and come away with another win!
Don't Leave The Shooters
In The last meeting with Penn State, they shot over 50% from three which was one of the main reasons the game was so close. Both Seth Lundy and Myles Dread were able to break loose for some open looks, and the two of them went on to combine for 7-8 shooting from 3P because of that. Penn State doesn't have a big time star player like a lot of teams in this conference, which means guys shouldn't have to be sagging off to much to help stop any singular player. Minnesota has to make sure they aren't losing track of any of Penn State's shooters, giving them wide open looks that get their confidence up.
Get Physical With Sam Sessoms
Don't let his size fool you, at 6' Sam Sessoms has a nose for the rim, and isn't afraid to back opposing guards down to get to the basket. He's going to pound the air out of the ball, and Minnesota has to be ready to play physical and use their longer guards to stop him around the rim. In the last meeting between these two teams he started to take over in the second half, and finished with a team high 18 points for Penn State. He's a good shooter from deep, but doesn't attempt many which means as long as defenders keep a hand up he probably won't attempt many jumpers. The main key is keeping him out of the paint, and away from the basket where he excels at making plays.
Another Big Game From Curry?
Eric Curry had a career night against Penn State last weekend, and we'll see if he can replicate a similar level of success this afternoon. Going up against a physical presence in John Harrar, paint production will be difficult. We saw last game Eric started stepping out and draining mid-range jumpers, as Harrar wasn't able to guard him away from the basket. Inside Eric also showed a bit of finesse to go around Harrar when he wasn't able to go through him. The 6'9 senior is Penn State's best rebounded, and with Eric playing in attack-mode offensively, he was able to get him in foul trouble which was huge for Minnesota. We'll see if Curry starts out this game aggressive looking for some buckets early.
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