Penn State men’s basketball continued its whirlwind statement season Tuesday, defeating preseason No. 1 Michigan State at the Breslin Center. The win extended the Nittany Lions’ winning streak to five games, and they are now realistic contenders in the NCAA tournament.

This Saturday, Pat Chambers’ squad will face Minnesota at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Golden Gophers were the last team to beat Penn State, winning in Minneapolis three weeks ago. In that game, the Nittany Lions fell apart down the stretch.

That game also saw Chambers’ first significant lineup change of the season. Myles Dread and Mike Watkins both took a seat for tip-off and were replaced by Seth Lundy and John Harrar. Chambers has decided to stick with the tweaked lineup despite losing in its pilot test, and the team is reaping the rewards.

The Nittany Lions are now 5-1 with these changes, and seem to be one of the hottest squads in the nation.

Dread and Watkins’ relegation to the bench was by no means a demotion. The two former starters still rank fourth and fifth on the roster in minutes per game. In the last six games, Dread (21.5 minutes per game) and Watkins (20) have played an average of roughly two fewer minutes. However, during that time, they still saw more action than their presumed replacements Harrar (19) and Lundy (18.3).

The team’s guard rotation has been deep this year, with consistent starters Myreon Jones and Jamari Wheeler assisted by Dread and Lundy. Izaiah Brockington and Curtis Jones Jr. have often pitched in at opportune times, as well.

But a key to the Nittany Lions success has been their big men. Despite some hiccups early on in the season, Watkins and Harrar have found their groove.

While some star players might not have taken kindly to the sight of a younger player stepping into their former starting role, Watkins has seemed better than ever following Harrar’s breakout during the last month.

During January’s dismal three-game losing streak, Harrar and Watkins struggled offensively in comparison to their recent performances. Combined, the two Nittany Lion big men have each scored and rebounded three times more per game since the Minnesota loss. While the increase in statistics isn’t huge, other little things that don’t appear on the stat sheets have improved as well.

“I thought he was playing very aggressive. I thought he was in the stances on the defensive end. I thought he altered a ton of shots,” Chambers said of Watkins following the victory against Indiana over a week ago.

Harrar’s increased responsibility has raised all tides. Many of
Penn State’s best games this year have come when Harrar and Watkins each play 20 minutes, because it gives the centers rest on a team that thrives on the breakaway.

“I think John [Harrar] has been a rock. He’s been as steady as they come, and he’s got confidence on the offensive end now,” Chambers said following the Indiana matchup. “I thought they did a really good job of defending their bigs and John is a big reason for that.”

Watkins and Harrar don’t appear to have any bad blood between them about who starts or finishes the game. If anything, the two seem to be hyping each other up, pushing the other to be better for the team. Most often, the center on the bench is the first one to jump out of their seat when their counterpart emphatically blocks or dunks.

The camaraderie between the two has brought tangible differences on the court, something Chambers has taken notice of. Following the victory over Indiana last week, the ninth year head coach was quick to commend his centers.

“I thought the ball pressure was good, and I thought our bigs for the most part didn’t just sit behind,” Chambers said. “When you just sit behind they’re going to have a field day because they’re great finishers, so we did a good job of that tonight.”

It’s not just those over 6-foot-8 that are enjoying life as a Nittany Lion basketball player either. Chambers has his team playing loose, and they are making the most of it.

Watkins, Harrar, and the rest of the No. 22 Nittany Lions will hope to continue their torrid form when the Golden Gophers come to town on Saturday. The game will be played at the Bryce Jordan Center, tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and the matchup will be televised on the Big Ten Network.