Penn State embraces Palestra, No. 1 Purdue match-up

The opportunity isn’t lost on Andrew Funk. Set to face No. 1 Purdue on Sunday afternoon at Philadelphia’s famed Palestra, the moment holds meaning in every sense for Penn State basketball.

Playing his high school basketball at Archbishop Wood in Warminster, Pa., just 40 minutes north of Sunday’s storied venue, Funk will return to a site with which he’s familiar. He’ll play in front of friends and family from the areas with a Penn State program he’d joined for his final season of college basketball last summer.

And, crucially, the opportunity will come against the nation’s top college basketball team this season.

“We have the chance to play a really good team, obviously they’re No. 1 in the country. But, I can remember when (Penn State) played Michigan State, when they played Iowa,” Funk recalled this week. “And, at that point, I’m thinking I have nothing to do with Penn State, but how cool that looked. Fast forward to now, it’s really special to get the opportunity to play there now for this program.

“There are so many special things that have gone on there, that I’m super excited to hopefully make some more memories there come Sunday.”

Penn State, Purdue at the Palestra

Considered the oldest major college arena still in use, The Palestra will host Penn State for the third regular-season Big Ten meeting dating back to 2017. First knocking off Michigan State, 72-63, in that matchup, the Nittany Lions followed it with an 89-86 win over Iowa in 2020.

Current Penn State players Myles Dread and Seth Lundy both played in the Nittany Lions’ win over the Hawkeyes. But, the new coaching staff and players that now make up the program were aware of the previous forays into the Cathedral of College Basketball.

For head coach Micah Shrewsberry, the opportunity to revive the event, initiated by Pat Chambers, was one Penn State was eager to take. Giving his current players a chance to play at home, four hailing from the Philadelphia area and a fifth in transfer Camren Wynter having played his college ball at Drexel previously, Shrewsberry said other upsides are plentiful. 

Penn State continues to recruit the area, expecting to host at least six marquee prospects from the Classes of 2024 and 2025 for the game, as well as local high school and AAU coaches. And, during a season the Nittany Lions have averaged home attendance of 5,932 fans at the Bryce Jordan Center, the program can seamlessly travel to its fans in the Philadelphia area. 

Personal significance

But, having previously been in the Palestra only for a few shootarounds with the Boston Celtics during his time on Brad Stevens’ staff, Shrewsberry added that he’s personally excited for the event – even if it means facing one of the country’s best teams.

“The places I’ve been, basketball has been really, really good to me and I’ve had an opportunity to coach in a lot of really cool events and places. This is gonna go right up there,” Shrewsberry said. “I watched both of those games that they played; I watched Michigan State, I watched Iowa. I saw the fans, what it looked like, and how hard the teams were playing. It is a really, really cool event and I’m looking forward to it.”

Beyond novelty and nostalgia, though, the Nittany Lions also have a task at hand. 

Describing Purdue as “a literal monster” heading into the game, Shrewsberry has his Penn State program dialed in on producing its best effort. A perspective that has trickled down to the Nittany Lions themselves, the game is one they’re eager to maximize. 

“It’s the next game on the schedule, but at the same time, it’s always special playing at the Palestra,” said Lundy. “It will be a great moment, definitely a moment that we look forward to. But at the same time, it’s the next game on the schedule.”

Penn State and Purdue will tip at 6 p.m. The game will air on BTN.