With Geary Claxton unable to play for at least two weeks, the Penn State men's basketball team faces the immediate dilemma of replacing its leading scorer from the past two seasons.

"We've got some figuring out to do," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said after Wednesday night's exhibition game against Edinboro.

Claxton, a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection, broke a bone in his right (shooting) hand in the first half of the Nittany Lions' 71-53 win.

He is expected to be out two weeks. After that, Claxton's status will be determined week-by-week, according to DeChellis. Claxton will miss at least Penn State's first two regular season games.

During the time Claxton is out, DeChellis said he had two choices:

n Add a third guard to the starting lineup to join senior guards Ben Luber and David "Mooch" Jackson. Danny Morrissey, who redshirted last season because of a knee injury, is a possible candidate. He saw time at Claxton's spot in the second half of Wednesday's game.

n Move freshman David "D.J." Jackson from power forward, where he has been practicing in the preseason, to a small forward role. Jackson said the Penn State coaches eventually wanted to move him to Claxton's position, anyway. What he did not expect was to be moved there this early in his first college season.

After naming his options, DeChellis' initial preference was to add a guard.

"It's hard for a freshman because now he has to learn something completely different," DeChellis said. "We'll probably go with three guards before we move him."

Claxton, a junior, broke the fifth metacarpal bone below his right pinkie when he hit the rim tipping in a basket nine minutes into the first half. He sat near the end of the bench with ice on his right hand for the rest of the half.

He underwent X-rays during halftime and returned to the bench midway through the second half with a cast around his right wrist, ring and pinkie finger.

"I would think that's a major hiccup," DeChellis said. "When you've got one of your preseason first-team all-conference players out for the next two weeks, and you've got to try to figure out what you're going to do, I think that's a little bit of a situation."

Penn State closes its exhibition season Monday night against Shippensburg, and opens the regular season a week from today at home against Morehead State.

"If Claxton's out of the game, it hurts them," Edinboro head coach Greg Walcavich said. "They have other willing, able and good players, but that guy's really good."