(13) Penn State vs. (12) Nebraska
TV: 3:30 p.m., ESPN2.
What Penn State needs: Contributions from everyone. Point guard Tony Carr is the No. 2 freshman scorer in the Big Ten and had the same average in conference games (14.6) as Wisconsin standout Ethan Happ. But Carr’s biggest scoring games didn’t always equal Nittany Lions victories.
What Nebraska needs: Stay out of foul trouble. The Cornhuskers have little depth and can’t afford to have key players lingering on the bench. As one of the better rebounding teams in conference play (37.4 per game, third), they also need to clean up on the boards.
Shannon Ryan’s pick: Penn State.
(14) Rutgers vs. (11) Ohio State
TV: 6 p.m., BTN.
What Rutgers needs: Keep Corey Sanders in the game and involved. The sophomore point guard, the Scarlet Knights’ leading scorer, fouled out of a Feb. 8 meeting in Columbus, Ohio, and Rutgers lost by four.
What Ohio State needs: Marc Loving to keep rolling. In the last four games, the senior forward averaged nearly 16 points and shot 52 percent on 3-pointers. Monday night’s report that coach Thad Matta won’t be let go should take some pressure off the Buckeyes.
Shannon Ryan’s pick: Ohio State.
