Walton will get that chance tonight, when his No. 7 Spartans (13-2 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) take on Penn State (13-4, 2-2) at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be a very intense game,” Walton said Monday after practice. “We went up there last year and they played a great game, and we didn’t play that well and they beat us.

“Tip your hat off to them, but on Wednesday, it’s going to be a dogfight, I guarantee you that.”

Penn State’s triumph over the Spartans last season was a staple win for a program that’s endured a lion’s share of disappointments the last several seasons.

The win didn’t springboard the team to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, but it pumped a degree of respectability into a program that hasn’t mustered a winning record in conference play since the 1995-96 season.

This year, the Nittany Lions aren’t simply aiming for a winning record. They’re also seeking their first invite to the NCAA Tournament in seven seasons.

“Penn State is a much better team than they were last year,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “And those guards are playing exceptionally well.”

Led by guards Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle, Penn State boasts one of the quickest backcourts in the conference. Throw forward Jamelle Cornley into the mix, and Penn State has one of the most imposing trios in the Big Ten.

“They have a lot of different weapons,” junior forward Raymar Morgan said. “They come off screens very hard, they shoot the ball extremely well with Pringle and Battle (and) Cornley is a great threat inside.”

Although Battle, Pringle and Cornley aren’t household names, Izzo said his team knows better than to underestimate their abilities, especially after last season’s loss.

Izzo spoke especially highly of Battle and Pringle, acknowledging they were two of the quickest guards in the conference.

“Pringle is just shooting the lights out,” Izzo said. “There’s no doubt him and Battle are two prolific scorers, two guys that can penetrate the paint, two guys that can make other people better. They’re pretty good passers, and I think ?they’ve improved defensively.”

Although Penn State has many weapons, Walton said the key to stopping its attack is neutralizing Battle, who leads the team in points (18.9) and assists (5.5), and is second in rebounds (5.9).

“He’s just a good player,” Walton said. “He runs the offense, he’s got the green light on their team and he’s the engine kind of, so as he ?goes, their team goes.”

If the Spartans play with the same intensity they had in their two other conference road games this season, they should return home with their winning streak and perfect conference record in tact, Morgan said.

“We’ve just got to go out there and play man, that’s pretty much the biggest thing,” he said. “Just outwork them and get one on the road.”