Battle has averaged 24 points in his last four games against the Spartans, including 30 in their last meeting Feb. 13. He once again is going to be a target when the Spartans (22-7 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) meet the Nittany Lions (11-17, 3-13) Thursday night at Breslin Center.

“He made some threes from long range, so where we normally put a 3-point line up — we have our managers tape one up three feet beyond ours — (in practice) it’ll be six feet beyond ours,” men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo said.

“We’re just going to try to cover him a little better. But he hit three or four threes in that game that, man, if he hits those, he’s going to get his 10 or 12 points.”

Battle has developed the rest of his game, becoming more than a shooter.

He is the leading rebounder (5.5 per game) on the Nittany Lions, who are the No. 2 rebounding team in the Big Ten behind the Spartans.

Battle actually is averaging more points (19), assists (4.07) and rebounds (5.5) per game than MSU junior guard Kalin Lucas (15.1 points, 3.96 assists and 1.9 rebounds).

“I think what Talor Battle has done is he’s played very aggressive,” Izzo said. “I thought early on (he was) a little bit more out of control, and he’s learned that if he does give the ball up and makes other people better, he’s going to get more shots because (opponents are) going to quit doubling him and figure that he isn’t going to do it. He’s becoming a more complete player and I think that’s what all great guards have to do if they’re really going to be special.”

Izzo said he’s willing to let Battle get his points, as long as the rest of the Nittany Lions are held in check. Penn State is shooting 51.5 percent since these teams last met and, as a result, is 3-1 in their past four games.

“I think, right now, they’re as dangerous as anybody,” Izzo said.

“Other than Ohio State, they might be one of the hotter teams in our league, and it sounds goofy, but when you haven’t won in 11 games and all of a sudden you win three out of four, you shoot 50 percent, and you do all these things, it’s a reason for concern. And (they) have, arguably, one of the best players on the team that has averaged probably 30 points. He has beat us up pretty good.”

The recent surge by the Nittany Lions comes after the team lost its first 12 games to start the season.

“I think our confidence level is much higher,” Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said in a teleconference. “We got in a skid and we could never pull ourselves out of it. We weren’t getting blown out of games, we were right in it in every game and that was a frustrating part.”

Penn State is heating up late in the season and is hoping to ruin the conference championship hopes of MSU on Thursday and Purdue on Saturday.

“I think our kids are playing a little more confident with a little more zip in their step, which is nice to see,” DeChellis said.

Along with shooting success, the Nittany Lions have been one of the Big Ten’s best rebounding teams. But instead of having one big man who gets every ball, it’s the collective group of Nittany Lions that grabs the loose balls.

After Battle’s 5.5 rebounds per game, five players pull down at least 3.5 rebounds per game.

“Our guards all have to make sure we box out because their guards all rebound,” Lucas said. “When (Battle) goes in there, I have to make sure I cut him out because he is the best rebounder on their team.

“We still want to run, we still want to get our break going, so it’s going to be important for us to make sure we box out.”

The Spartans are coming off back-to-back home losses.

The last time that happened was a season ago, when the Nittany Lions upset MSU, which followed a loss to Northwestern.

“We do owe our fans. I did ask for (support) and you know what? I got what I asked for because they were phenomenal in those two games and we weren’t,” Izzo said.

“Maybe they should call me out now and I have no problem with that and I agree with that 100 percent.”