On Tuesday, Veteran’s Day, the Penn State men’s basketball team welcomes the Navy Midshipmen to the Bryce Jordan Center. With a 6:30 P.M. tip-off, the game will be nationally televised on the Big Ten Network. Navy is considered a favorite in the Patriot League this season.
The Midshipmen come into State College with a 1-1 record. They won their season opener against Presbyterian, 76-55, and lost last Friday against Yale in the Veteran’s Classic, 97-68.
Navy is led by 5′-11″ senior guard Austin Benigni. Last season, he averaged 18.8 ppg., 3.3 rpg. and 4.3 apg. for the 15-19 Midshipmen. Benigni comes into Happy Valley on Tuesday averaging 12.5 ppg. through two games. Senior center, Aidan Kehoe, is also averaging 12.5 ppg. and junior guard, Jinwoo Kim, follows with 11.5 ppg. and 5.o rpg. Navy is in its first season under head coach Jon Perry. He replaced former Penn State head coach, Ed DeChellis, who retired this past March after leading the Midshipmen since 2011.
Penn State is 2-0 and enters Tuesday’s game with three players averaging in double figures.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Freshmen Kayden Mingo and Melih Tunca are averaging 15.5 ppg. and 13.5 ppg., respectively, and sophomore guard Dominick Stewart is averaging 12.5 ppg. Penn State is coming off a road trip, 87-43, blowout victory against New Haven.
Penn State and Navy meet for the 58th time in program history, but first time in 40 years, in a series that dates back to 1915. The Nittany Lions and Midshipmen haven’t met since 1985, when Navy won the contest in Annapolis 103-50. Penn State is 10-3 all-time when playing Navy in State College.
