Penn State's Basketball Schedule Includes Return to the Palestra
Penn State men's basketball opens the 2022-23 season with three home games, meets Purdue in Philadelphia and faces a challenging start to the new year, according to the complete schedule announced Thursday.
Highlighting the Lions' schedule is a Jan. 8 game against Purdue at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Penn State returns to the Palestra after facing Iowa there for a sold-out game in early 2020. The Lions are 2-0 in Big Ten games at the Palestra, having defeated Iowa that season and Michigan State in 2017.
"We’re thrilled to return to The Palestra this season," Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry said in a statement. "We have several players from the Philadelphia area and this is a great chance for them to play in a historic basketball venue in front of their family and friends. This game also gives us the opportunity to connect with the large and powerful Penn State alumni base in Philadelphia and we can’t wait for the great home-court atmosphere at The Palestra."
Tickets for the Penn State-Purdue game go on sale Nov. 8. That game will be part of a five-game January stretch in which Penn State will face Big Ten teams that won at least 19 regular-season games last year.
Penn State opens Shrewsberry's second season as head coach with a three-game homestand at the Bryce Jordan Center against Winthrop, Loyola (Md.) and Butler.
The Lions begin the Big Ten season Dec. 7 at the BJC against Michigan State, marking just the fourth time in 14 years that they're opening conference play at home. Athletic director Patrick Kraft said this summer that he's tired of having Penn State football begin conference play on the road.
After back-to-back games against Michigan State and Illinois, the Lions host three straight non-conference games to close the calendar year. Penn State begins the new year Jan. 1 by hosting Iowa, the start of a difficult five-game stretch that includes visits to Michigan and Wisconsin, the game against Purdue in Philadelphia and a home date with Indiana.
The Lions also visit Purdue and play road games at Ohio State, Maryland and Minneapolis.
Penn State went 14-17 last season under Shrewsberry, who wants to improve the team's offensive performance this season. The Lions ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring (64.6 points per game).
Check out Penn State's complete 2022-23 men's basketball schedule.
Read More
For Penn State, it's time to 'score the ball'
Carey Booth, an ESPN 100 prospect, commits to Penn State
How Penn State plans to make the Bryce Jordan Center more intimidating this season
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
