Penn St. @ Texas A&M preview

Robert Williams showed no rust in his season debut for No. 19 Texas A&M and he gives his team plenty to feel good about entering Tuesday's matchup with Penn State in the title game of the Progressive Legends Classic in Brooklyn, NY. Williams, who sparkled as a freshman last season before choosing to forgo the NBA draft and return to College Station, served a two-game suspension to start this campaign but hit the ground running in Monday's 72-55 win over Oklahoma State.

The 6-10 forward hit his first five shots and finished with his 12th career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Aggies spread the wealth and never trailed. "Our biggest strength is our depth," Aggies coach Billy Kennedy told reporters at the Barclays Center. "We can play big. We can play small. We have a lot of guys who can score the basketball." The Nittany Lions had no issues advancing to the championship contest with an 85-54 rout of Pittsburgh in the nightcap Monday. Tony Carr returned from a one-game layoff due to a sprained ankle to score 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting as Penn State opened 5-0 for the first time since 2008.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT PENN STATE (5-0): Josh Reaves, who shot 55.6 percent while averaging 14.7 points in the first three games, also missed the previous contest with a sprained ankle and returned Monday to provide 10 points and three steals. Senior Shep Garner followed up a season-high 26 point effort with 13 points and sophomore Lamar Stevens chipped in 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Stevens is averaging 15.3 points and seven boards over his last four games for the Nittany Lions.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (3-0): Junior forward D.J. Hogg held down the fort with Williams out and continued to carry a heavy load in Monday's win, making 4-of-5 from 3-point range in the first half and winding up with a game-high 18 points. Freshman T.J. Starks continued to provide a boost off the bench with nine points, six rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes, while senior center Tonny Trocha-Morelos chipped in a season-high 12 points. The Aggies have made 30-of-65 from behind the 3-point arc on the season while holding their three opponents to an 18-of-81 showing.




TIP-INS

1. Williams has blocked at least one shot in a school-record 32 straight games.

2. Carr hit all four of his 3-point tries Monday and is 8-for-12 from long distance.

3. Texas A&M has won the first three meetings but the teams have not met since 2005.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 75, Penn State 70