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Penn State next hurdle in Wolverines' tourney run

To reach the NCAA Tournament, the Michigan men's basketball team probably needs to win 20 games.

The Wolverines could reach the NCAAs with a 19-12 finish, but if they want to watch the NCAA selection show March 10 with dry armpits, they'll need 20 victories.

This means that with six games left, Michigan (6-6 Big Ten, 16-9 overall) likely has to win four of its last six to make the NCAAs for the fifth straight year.

Penn State and Michigan tipoff at 8 tonight in Happy Valley. Creative Sports (Channel 20) will broadcast the game from the Bryce Jordan Center -- an arena in which the Nittany Lions have yet to lose.

Indeed, the Wolverines will probably need to win four of their last five after tonight.

There used to be just two seasons in Happy Valley -- football and spring football. But things have changed as the No. 14 Lions (9-4, 18-4) are in the midst of their best season since 1991, when they upset UCLA in the NCAA Tournament's first round.

First-year coach Jerry Dunn's career at Penn State got off to a strong beginning when his team began the season 13-0.

In fact, the Nittany Lions did not experience defeat until late into the third month of the season. On Jan. 21, the Wolverines beat Penn State in Ann Arbor, 67-66, courtesy of Maurice Taylor's dunk in the closing seconds. After that contest, both teams sat tied atop the Big Ten.

My, oh my, have things changed since.

Michigan has lost five of seven since beating Penn State and currently resides in sixth place in the conference.

The Nittany Lions trail only Purdue in the league standings but had their Big Ten title hopes dealt a serious blow when they were blitzed by the Boilermakers, 66-49, in West Lafayette last Saturday. They have also lost four of nine since that lightning quick start and trail the Purdue by two games in the loss column with five to play.

"I don't think the Big Ten race is over," Dunn said. "We would like to think that we are still in the hunt. We're playing to win."

Dunn will have a healthy Pete Lisicky playing tonight against the Wolverines. In the first meeting between the two schools, the 6-foot-4 sophomore played just nine minutes due to a foot injury.

If he had been healthy for that contest, it's a safe bet that Penn State would have left Ann Arbor undefeated. Lisicky is 15th in the nation in 3-point field goal shooting (47.5 percent) and leads the nation in 3-pointers made per game (3.2).

"Pete brings a great deal to the table," Dunn said. "Certainly, he will be a factor. We could have used him the first game."

If Penn State's long-range bombers get going, the evening will be a long one for the Wolverines. The Nittany Lions lead the nation in 3-point shooting (43.1 percent).

As far as the Big Ten is concerned, Lisicky trails only teammate Glenn Sekunda (49.3 percent) in 3-point shooting.

Dan Earl (43.7 percent) gives Dunn a third player averaging over 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Earl can do more than shoot, though.

"He's the floor general," Dunn said. "He has become a solid leader for us. He does a great job of getting people the ball."