Penn State fifth-year senior Puff Johnson will miss his sixth game this season against Minnesota (7 p.m. EST, BTN), per the Big Ten Availability Report. Yanic Konan Niederhauser was listed as questionable ahead of the game.
Johnson — who was averaging a career-high 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds — exited the first half of a loss against then-No. 12 Michigan State on Jan. 15 with a right-hand injury. As Penn State prepares to take on one of the best scorers in the league, head coach Mike Rhoades noted how Johnson’s injury could impact the team’s defensive strategy.
PENN STATE VERSUS DAWSON GARCIA
Dawson Garcia is averaging 20.1 points (second in the Big Ten) on 51.2% efficiency (10th in the Big Ten). The 6-foot-11 senior has been having a career year for the Golden Gophers and is producing on all levels of the floor.
“You know, one thing I think that he’s done lately is, you know, score in so many different ways, all three levels, and in transition and getting in the foul line,” Rhoades said of Garcia’s play Monday. The big man is taking four 3s a game and making them at a 38% clip while also shooting 75.4% from the free-throw line.
“He [Johnson] could guard Garcia in different ways because of his size and his strength,” Rhoades said. “He guards guys that could go inside, outside like himself pretty well. So, yeah, that’s a challenge. But, you know it’s the next man up. We have other guys who are going to have to guard him and got to make it really hard for him.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Defending Garcia becomes more difficult with the status of Konan Niederhauser unknown. Back-up bigs Kachi Nzeh, Miles Goodman, and guard/forward Nick Kern Jr. will all get their chance to slow down the Golden Gopher’s leading scorer.
Kern Jr. has started in Johnson’s stead, averaging 15.3 points, 1.8 assists and 6.6 rebounds
Penn State will finish its two-game home stand against Minnesota on Tuesday in the Bryce Jordan Center. PSU has only one loss this season when playing in that building, posting a 10-1 record this season. The Nittany Lions will look to end their three-game losing streak before traveling to California for a five-day trip, featuring matchups against UCLA (16-6, 7-4) and USC (13-8, 5-5).
