Following a thrilling victory over Purdue on Sunday, Indiana basketball wraps up a three-game home stand, hosting Penn State on Wednesday night.
The Hoosiers (16-11, 7-9 in Big Ten play) used a dominating second half to earn a resumé-boosting win against the Boilermakers on Sunday. The Nittany Lions (15-13, 5-12 in Big Ten play) have had more than a week off after they received a 25-point drubbing at USC last Tuesday evening.
Indiana won the first meeting between the teams, beating Penn State 77-71 at the Palestra on January 5th.
Prior to tip-off on Wednesday evening, preview the matchup between Indiana and Penn State.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Mike Rhoades
Record: 207-143 in 11th season overall, 31-30 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
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.
It has been a rocky road for Penn State since they lost to Indiana in Philadelphia, losing 11 of its 13 games.
The Nittany Lions are currently sitting at 17th in the Big Ten, putting them at risk of missing the Big Ten Tournament.
So far this year, Penn State is averaging 79.4 points per game, while holding opponents to just 73.0 points a contest. The Nittany Lions are shooting 47.7% from the field and 33.4% from 3-point range as a team. On the flip side, Penn State allows its opponents to 46.4% from the floor and 34.7 % from deep.
The Nittany Lions turn the ball over 12.3 times per game, while forcing 14.5 turnovers a game of their own.
Penn State currently ranks 67th in KenPom, holding the nation's 33rd-ranked offensive and 49th-ranked defense. The Nittany Lions sit 69th in the NET entering Wednesday's game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Guard Ace Baldwin: 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 13.7 points per game and is averaging 7.3 assists a game. Baldwin's shooting 37.5% from the field so far this season and 30.4% from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts a game.
- Forward Zach Hicks: Hicks is the team's fourth-leading scorer on the season. He's averaging 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds a night, while shooting 46.5% from the floor and 40.5% from 3-point range. Hicks is the only Nittany Lion to start every single game this season.
- Forward Nick Kern: Acting as Penn State's scoring punch off the bench, Kern is averaging 11.0 points per game of the Nittany Lions' bench this season. He's also averaging 5.1 rebounds a night. The St. Louis, Missouri native is shooting 57.9% from the floor this season and has taken just 17 3-pointers, making four of them.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Can Indiana maintain defensive intensity...
The defensive clinic Indiana put on in the second half of Sunday's victory over Purdue was marvelous, forcing the Boilermakers to shoot 30 percent from the field while also turning the ball over 11 times in the final 20 minutes. However, it took Indiana an entire half to get the spark on defense. Though Penn State is struggling, it still has one of the conference's best guards in Ace Baldwin. While it was a fantastic second half, will Indiana must maintain its edge for 40 minutes on Wednesday.
Will Woodson keep the same starters...
Mike Woodson replaced Oumar Ballo and Mackenzie Mgbako with Myles Rice and Malik Reneau on Sunday, hoping to find a spark and it worked like a charm. Only six players saw action in the second half comeback. Woodson said postgame that the guys that didn't play much still will be relied on in the future. For now, it wouldn't be surprising if the starting lineup stays the same.
Can Indiana come out strong in another must win game...
Every time Indiana hits the floor from now until the Selection Sunday, it will be playing for its tournament lives. Sitting as either the last team in or the first team according to multiple bracketology websites, Indiana has to do everything it can to boost its resumé while avoiding bad losses. The Hoosiers lived up to the challenge on Sunday, but against a rival. Will Indiana be able to come out with the same 'do or die' energy on Wednesday? If not, it could make for an uphill battle to the Big Dance.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: Indiana (16-11, 8-9) vs. Penn State (15-13, 5-12)
Series History: Indiana leads the all-time series 44-17 (Last Meeting: Indiana won 77-71 at The Palestra in Philadelphia, PA)
When: Feb. 26 2025, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), LaPhonso Ellis (analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– Interact with fellow fans on TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board
