NCAA Basketball Pick: Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Sunday, January 08, 2012
by Frank Martin
After back-to-back wins over highly ranked teams, No. 12 Indiana Hoosiers seemingly gets a break when it travels to Penn State Nittany Lions.
Big Ten Conference road games aren't always what they seem, though, and the Hoosiers have struggled on the road in recent years.
The Hoosiers' two road wins this season double the number they had from 2008 through last season. Indiana won in its last trip to State College, Pa., in 2010 and leads the series 28-9, but it has lost six of seven against the Nittany Lions, including two meetings last season - one in the regular season and one in the Big Ten Tournament.
- Indiana Hoosiers @ Penn State Nittany Lions
When: 12:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 8, 2012
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pennsylvania
TV: 12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
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SBG Global Sportsbook currently have the Hoosiers listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Nittany Lions.
Indiana Hoosiers (11-3): The Hoosiers followed up their 74-70 victory over then-No. 2 Ohio State - their second win this season over a team ranked in the top two - with a 73-71 win over No. 13 Michigan on Thursday. Junior Christian Watford has been especially hot since the start of conference play, averaging a league-best 20.3 points in conference games. He had 25 points and seven rebounds against Michigan and 26 points and 10 boards in a loss to Michigan State. Freshman Cody Zeller has been Indiana's other go-to guy, leading the team with 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Penn State Nittany Lions (10-3): The Nittany Lions earned their first conference win Thursday, pounding visiting Purdue 65-45 for their most lopsided conference win in six seasons. Junior Billy Oliver scored a career-high 21 points on seven 3-pointers, and Tim Frazier added 15 points and nine assists to give first-year coach Patrick Chambers his first Big Ten victory. Chambers' first win as a head coach came against Indiana when his Boston University team beat the Hoosiers 71-67 in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in 2009.
1. Frazier is the only player in NCAA Division I averaging more than 17 points and 6.5 assists per game. He leads the Big Ten in assists and ranks third in scoring.
2. New Penn State football coach Bill O'Brien will be introduced during the game. O'Brien officially was named the school's 15th head coach Saturday.
3. Indiana is the first Big Ten team to beat two teams ranked in the top two in the same season since Minnesota did it in 1952-53.
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Hoosiers 68, Nittany Lions 60.
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billy oliver - bryce jordan center - christian watford - cody zeller - indiana hoosiers - patrick chambers - penn state nittany lions - tim frazier