Penn State still finds itself on the bubble after adding AP Top 25 votes from last week’s win against Ohio State and loss on the road to Purdue. The Nittany Lions need to take care of business this week against No. 17 Michigan and finish things off against Nebraska to have a legitimate shot at making the tournament.

If the Nittany Lions are able to beat both conference opponents and head into the Big Ten tournament with the two more wins, they should feel somewhat comfortable about making the Big Dance with a reasonable showing in New York.

Zeroing In On Michigan

Moritz Wagner currently leads the Wolverines in scoring with 14.5 points per game. The 6’11” German is going to be a lot to deal with, though, as he can stretch the floor and hit shots from distance. Chambers doesn’t necessarily have anyone who can match up with his height and ability to move inside and outside, so Wagner could cause some real problems.

The main guy that the Nittany Lions need to worry about is Muhamed-Ali Abdur-Rahkman. The Allentown, PA, native is averaging 11.9 points and 3.2 assists per game while leading Michigan’s offense (which is usually mistake-free). The Wolverines only have three players averaging in double figures, compared to five for Penn State, but they play great team defense and take care of the basketball.

Michigan has the top scoring defense in the Big Ten, while also owning the top turnover margin in the league. The Wolverines play smart basketball with poise and maturity, which has also manifested itself in the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference. The Wolverines even knock down 9.1 threes per game, which will stretch the Penn State defense and test its depth. If Penn State hopes to walk away with a win, the Nittany Lions will need to be locked in defensively all night.

Last Meeting

These two teams have yet to face each other this season, but Penn State held its own against a Michigan team that won the Big Ten Tournament last season. In fact, the Nittany Lions held a 14-point lead at one point. The Wolverines eventually prevailed over Chambers & Co. last season 72-69 after Penn State saw its lead wither away. Lamar Stevens led Penn State with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Tony Carr added three assists.

Prediction

The BJC will almost undoubtedly be rocking on Wednesday evening. This game is Penn State’s last home game in Happy Valley during the regular season and is senior night, plus Michigan coming to town means there will be some heat in the game.

With a crazy atmosphere and everything on the line, Penn State will walk away with a win behind a strong scoring performance from Lamar Stevens who will be too much to handle with all eyes on Tony Carr. The Nittany Lions will head into the final game of the regular season with a 65-59 win over No. 17 Michigan.

Penn State-Michigan tips off at the Bryce Jordan Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be aired on the Big Ten Network.