Geary Claxton's name will not be heard when the starting lineup of the Penn State men's basketball team is announced before tonight's exhibition game against Shippensburg.

And Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said he does not anticipate having the junior small forward available to play until December.

So at 7:30 tonight in the Bryce Jordan Center, the Nittany Lions will begin to see how they will perform without Claxton, a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection.

Claxton broke the fifth metacarpal bone below the pinkie in his right (shooting) hand last Wednesday in an exhibition game against Edinboro.

The injury did not require surgery, and the bone is expected to heal within two weeks, at which point Claxton will be re-evaluated to see when he will be ready to play.

"I think it will be December, though," DeChellis said. "Just 'cause it's healed doesn't mean he's ready to go out here and play.

"You haven't done anything with your hand for two weeks, or if it's two and a half weeks, or three weeks, and you haven't shot a ball and it's going to be sore. He might have to play with an apparatus on it."

Claxton not playing until December would mean Penn State will play without its leading scorer from the past two years in its first six regular season games, including ones against Bucknell (Nov. 21), St. Joe's (Nov. 25) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 28).

In the meantime, the Lions will attempt to replace Claxton with freshman forward David "D.J." Jackson and a combination of guards.

In practice Thursday, Jackson moved from power forward to small forward. The position is not completely foreign to him. He played all five positions in high school, but it's a little different now, undergoing a three-day crash course.

"This is a lot more put in, in a shorter period of time," Jackson said.

At times, DeChellis will also use a three-guard lineup. David "Mooch" Jackson, Ben Luber, Danny Morrissey and Mike Walker are all in the mix. DeChellis intends to have all the guards know how to play all three positions.

"We're going to play with different combinations and see what they can do. We're going to have to," he said.

While sitting out of practices, Claxton has tried to help out however he can, especially with the freshman Jackson, assisting him in learning the details of DeChellis' system.

DeChellis is trying not to overload the freshman and knows it will take time for him to feel comfortable.

"We're anticipating that he'll be able to do it," DeChellis said. "Will he be fuzzy at it? Absolutely, but he'll be able to do it."

As Claxton sat on a stationary bike watching the start of practice Friday, he offered some final words for whoever is on the court instead of him.

"Them guys will play well," Claxton said. "They'll be good."