Penn State men’s basketball finally got back on track with a 90-76 win over Ohio State on Saturday, but things aren’t going to get any easier from here. The Nittany Lions’ next test will arrive when they travel to Ann Arbor to take on an always-talented Michigan squad on Wednesday night.

The Wolverines are never an easy team to take down — especially on the road in a Big Ten conference that’s offered just seven wins for visiting teams so far this season. Aside from all of that, though, Penn State will need to be worried about stopping veteran center Jon Teske, who is one of many talented big men in a stacked conference.

The 7’1″ senior is averaging a solid 14.3 points per game along with 7.6 rebounds. However, he isn’t the first — or last — talented big man the Nittany Lions have faced this season.

Pat Chambers’ squad has already met Ohio State star Kaleb Wesson twice. The forward did just about whatever he wanted to Penn State in the first meeting, as he put up 28 points and 10 boards in a 106-74 drubbing over the Nittany Lions. In the last match-up, however, Wesson still put up 19 points, but was limited to five boards and turned the ball over four times.

Nittany Lion forward John Harrar has been tasked with dealing with talented bigs like Wesson all season. While he may not always get as much attention as a player like Mike Watkins, the junior has played increased minutes of late and has been a key factor on the defensive side of the ball for Penn State.

“It always starts in practice. We’re working on not even letting [the opponent] get to their spots — so not letting them catch it where they prefer,” Harrar said. “I think it’s a lot of fun. I’d rather have a challenge than let everything be easy.”

Assistant coach Kevin Freeman works with Penn State’s bigs at practice. He joined Chambers’ coaching staff in June 2018, and Harrar has loved working with him throughout his Nittany Lion career. The forward explained how the coach has played a crucial role in helping Penn State’s frontcourt players compete in a conference with so much skill in the paint.

“I have a great relationship with [Freeman]. I know I can come to him about anything, off the court or on the court,” Harrar said. “That helps, because when he needs to tell me the truth, he knows I’ll listen to him. I love [Freeman] and I think we’ve really grown from the start of the season to now.”

Harrar added that Freeman has helped him make great strides in his ability to finish around the rim — a skill that he showcased with his dunk against the Buckeyes this past Saturday.

While there has clearly been plenty of improvements for the Nittany Lions so far this season, the big men they’ve yet to face in conference play might be their toughest challenges. While Teske of Michigan is in the near future, Penn State will also need to deal with Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Michigan State’s Xavier Tillman, and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, among several others.

Chambers is well aware of the talent that exists in the Big Ten down low, especially at the center position.

“Teske is one of the best, but there’s so many good big men in this league,” Chambers said. “I don’t know how they’re going to do it at the end of the year. You can’t have five centers on the [All-Big Ten] first team, can you? That’s how good this league is at the center position, it’s pretty amazing.”

For now, though, the Nittany Lions will need to remain true to their “one game at a time” mentality — no matter how many big men, or how many tough Big Ten road environments they’ll have to face in the future.