Penn State men’s basketball team did not play their best last time out against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, losing their third straight game in an anemic offensive performance. The Nittany Lions will attempt to end their losing streak while also knocking off one of the country’s top teams when the Illinois Fighting Illini come to town Wednesday evening.
The Nittany Lions will be without their leading scorer, Kanye Clary, after he was dismissed from the team this weekend. However, Penn State will have some added motivation against the Fighting Illini by playing in the Rec Hall instead of the Bryce Jordan Center. The historic venue is Penn State basketball’s old home and is considered a classic home-field advantage given its small confines. Wednesday’s matchup marks the first men’s basketball game at the Rec Hall since December 2015.
A win at the Rec Hall against No. 12 Illinois would be massive for Penn State’s confidence heading into March. It would mark their second win over a top-15 opponent after beating Wisconsin early this year. The Nittany Lions have won three straight games against the Illini and will look to continue that streak in a sold-out Rec Hall.
Penn State will need to lean heavily on point guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag], who averages 14.0 points, a team-best 5.3 assists, and a Big Ten-best 2.81 steals per game. Baldwin will also draw the tall task of slowing down one of the top players in the Big Ten, Terrance Shannon Jr., who averages 21.4 points per game.
Penn State must play its A-plus game to upset Illinois and add another top-15 win to its resume.
Here is how to watch Wednesday evening’s Big Ten contest from the Rec Hall.
Penn State vs. Illinois Men’s Basketball
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 20
- Time: 6:30 pm ET
- Channel: Big Ten Network
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)