Indiana hits the east coast this weekend, as the Hoosiers travel to Philadelphia to take on Penn State for a Sunday matinee at the Palestra.
The Hoosiers (11-3 overall, 2-1 in Big Ten play) hit the road following a controlling double-digit victory over a depleted Rutgers team earlier this week in Bloomington. The Nittany Lions (12-2 overall, 2-1 in Big Ten play) host the Hoosiers following a controversial four-point win at home versus Northwestern on Thursday.
Prior to tip-off on Sunday afternoon, preview the matchup between Indiana and Penn State.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Mike Rhoades
Record: 401-208 in 21st year overall, 28-19 in 2nd year at Penn State
In his first season at the helm of the Nittany Lions in the 2023-24 season, Rhoades laid a strong foundation from which to move forward on. His team's 16-17 record may have been unimpressive, however Rhoades managed to guide Penn State to a 9-11 record in conference play a season ago--the second-best mark by a first-year head coach in school history.
Rhoades' coaching career began back in 1996, just a year after he was named the Division III National Player of the Year at Lebanon Valley College. His first coaching gig was working as an assist coach at Randolph-Macon College.
It took Rhoades just four seasons to take over as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets, a position he held for a decade. From there, he moved on to VCU, where he spent three years as an assistant coach and three years as an associate head coach.
That step propelled Rhoades to his first head coaching job at the Division I level at Rice, where he spent three seasons. He then went back to VCU, serving as the head coach of the Rams for six years before being name the head coach of the Nittany Lions prior to the start of last season.
THIS SEASON
Ahead of Sunday's afternoon clash with Indiana, Penn State currently sits at 12-2 on the season.
Penn State began the year with four consecutive non-conference wins, including a 22-point victory over Virginia Tech. The Nittany Lions then made a trip down to Daytona Beach, Florida to play in the Sunshine Slam event, going 2-1 with a single-digit loss to Clemson down south.
Penn State then beat up on Buffalo before opening Big Ten play with a bang, an 11-point victory at home over then-No. 8 Purdue. The Nittany Lions then lost their first conference road game of the season against Rutgers.
Since then, Penn State has won four consecutive games, including three non-conference contests and a battle at home against Northwestern.
So far this year, Penn State is averaging a prolific 87.9 point per game, while holding opponents to just 67.9 points a contest. The Nittany Lions are shooting 50.4% from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range as a team. On the flip side, Penn State is holding its opponents to 42.4% shooting from the floor and 32.0% from deep.
The Nittany Lions turn the ball over just 11.7 times per game, while forcing 17.1 turnovers a game of their own.
Penn State currently ranks 36th in Kenpom, holding the nation's 33rd-ranked offensive and 49th-ranked defense. The Nittany Lions sit 41st in the NET entering Sunday's game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Guard Ace Baldwin: Ace Baldwin is one of the top point guards in the Big Ten on both ends of the floor. On the offensive side of the floor, he's averaging a team-leading 15.0 points per game and ranks fourth in the country averaging 8.5 assists a game. Baldwin's shooting 39.1% from the field so far this season and 31.6% from 3-point range on 4.1 attempts a game. Defensively, the 2023-24 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year averages a Big Ten-best 2.3 steals a contest. In three games against the Hoosiers a season ago, Baldwin averaged 18.0 points a game, including a pair of 20-point outbursts.
- Forward Zach Hicks: Zach Hicks is the team's third-leading scorer on the season. He's averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds a night, while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 44.7% from 3-point range. Hicks terrorized the Hoosiers from 3-point range last season, averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting 11-for-23 (47.8%) from 3-point territory across three meetings with Indiana a year ago.
- Forward Nick Kern: Acting as Penn State's scoring punch off the bench, Nick Kern is averaging 11.6 points per game of the Nittany Lions' bench this season. He's also averaging 4.8 rebounds a night. The St. Louis, Missouri native is shooting 66.3% from the floor this season and has taken just four 3-pointers, making one of them.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Will Malik Reneau play...
Malik Reneau, Indiana's leading scorer on the season averaging 14.1 points per game, went down with what appeared to be a right knee injury just 29 seconds into Indiana's win over Rutgers. Reneau, despite popping back up to his feet after a handful of seconds and looking like he wanted to stay in the game, didn't return after picking up the injury. He was later seen on the bench with his right knee wrapped in a large ice pack. After the game, head coach Mike Woodson didn't really answer whether or not Reneau would suit up on Sunday against Penn State. While the Hoosiers were able to take down the Scarlet Knights with Reneau playing less than a minute, Indiana needs its leading scorer back sooner rather than later.
Can Oumar Ballo continue to build momentum after a strong showing against Rutgers...
Against the Scarlet Knights, Oumar Ballo went for 17 points and 12 rebounds--seven of which came on the offensive glass--off the bench. He was pivotal for the Hoosiers in the absence of Reneau, playing nearly 32 minutes after his head coach said pregame that he would be limited. Ballo is nearly a walking double-double right now for Indiana, averaging 12.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He's also at nearly two blocks a contest as well. Following his DNP against Winthrop, Ballo bounced back with a strong performance against Rutgers, something Indiana will hope he can build on against Penn State.
Can Indiana keep up the hot shooting from deep...
Indiana went 12-for-27 (44.4%) from beyond the arc in the win over Rutgers. That hot shooting night game just one game removed from a putrid 1-for-20 (5.0%) shooting performance from downtown in the final non-conference game of the season against Winthrop. It goes without saying, but if the Hoosiers can rattle off another shooting display like they one they put on against the Scarlet Knights, they're going to be tough to beat. More realistically, if Indiana can shoot somewhere in the mid-30s on a modest volume, that could go along way against Penn State.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: Indiana (11-3, 2-1) vs. Penn State (12-2, 2-1)
Series History: Indiana leads the all-time series 43-17 (Last Meeting: Indiana won 61-59 on March 14, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Big Ten Tournament)
When: Jan. 5, 2024, 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: Big Ten Network: Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
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