Penn State vs. Duquesne Preview
Ryan Stevens, Tyler Feldman and Nick Diecidue host this week's Pregame Show Podcast looking at Wednesday's match-up between Penn State and Duquesne. Read Michael Katz' in-depth game preview below.
Penn State rebounded from two straight losses, with a win at home against Marshall on Saturday. Now, they hit the road again, for a Wednesday matchup with the Duquesne Dukes. The game will be played at a neutral location, but it will be a home environment for Duquesne, as it will be played in Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
The Dukes are 3-3 on the season, with their last game being a six point win against UMBC at home. Their losses have come by three against New Hampshire, and double-digit losses to West Virginia and Pitt.
The Dukes are a high scoring bunch, averaging 81.5 points per game, good for 50th in the nation. They only lost two seniors from an abysmal 8-22 team last season, including leading scorer Sean Johnson.
England-born forward Ovie Soko has stepped up for the Dukes. He is averaging a double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Soko is in his first season with the program and is in his last year of eligibility, after transferring from UAB.
Tra’Vaughn White is another new face for the Dukes, who has stepped up as a scorer. The junior college transfer is averaging 15.7 points per game. The Dukes’ leading returning scorer is guard Derrick Colter, who averages 12.8 points per game.
Penn State has been much more active than the Dukes,compiling a record of 7-3 thus far. The Nittany Lions last two losses came in games where they were underdogs and still came close to winning. They lost to Ole Miss by three and were leading Pitt in the second half, before losing by nine. Guards D.J. Newbill and Tim Frazier have been sensational, averaging 19.1 points and 18.6 points respectively. The Nittany Lions have a good offense as well, averaging 81.7 points per game. The Pitt game was the only time Penn State has scored under 70 points in a game this season.
Duquesne will have a tough matchup on their hands in this game. Two of the team’s three leading scorers are less than six feet tall. Duquesne may struggle dealing with a much taller Penn State team. Both teams score around the same amount, but the Nittany Lions have played much better teams and have fared well against the tougher schedule.
Duquesne’s defense has also been lacking, as they have allowed more than 75 points in all but one game. Penn States offense has performed well against better teams, and they should be able to find success scoring on the Dukes.
Michael Katz is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mak5672@psu.edu.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/John Minchillo)