Tag: Ace Baldwin Jr.

How to watch Penn State basketball’s Tuesday night game vs. St. Francis

Penn State looks to improve to 3-0 when they host St. Francis on Tuesday evening. Here is how to watch the game on TV or stream.

Penn State men’s basketball is off to a 2-0 start and hopes to add another win for new head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] on Tuesday evening. The Nittany Lions host another in-state opponent, St. Francis, as [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] and [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] look to pick up another home win in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Tuesday night’s game will be the first game to air this season on Big Ten Network, so this could be the first opportunity for some fans to catch a glimpse of the new-look Nittany Lions. Penn State has won 10 consecutive non-conference games at home and is favored to make that 11-straight home wins in non-conference play. St. Francis will visit State College with a record of 0-3 following a three-game road stint in California with losses to future Big Ten member UCLA, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. St. Francis lost each game by at least 23 points.

This is just the 12th all-time meeting between the two in-state programs despite a short driving distance of just over 60 miles. This is the first time these two programs have played each other since 2012. Penn State is 9-2 all-time against St. Francis. The last loss came in 1978.

If you are looking to watch the game from home, here is what you need to know!

Penn State vs. St. Francis Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: Big Ten Network

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Penn State basketball pulls away for win over Lehigh

Penn State basketball got a good battle from Lehigh Friday night but managed to pull away for the win.

Penn State men’s basketball found itself in a bit of a battle Friday night in the Bryce Jordan Center against visiting Lehigh, but the Nittany Lions pulled away with a strong defensive effort after halftime to improve to 2-0. Penn State’s 74-65 victory over the Mountain Hawks was led by a 20-point night from [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] and a solid outing by star transfer guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr[/autotag].

Baldwin added 16 points with 3 assists and 2 steals in the win. Penn State also got a solid night in the box score from Qudus Wahab with his first double-double of the year (11 points, 18 rebounds).

Penn State and Lehigh were tied at 38-38 at halftime and the teams battled back and forth to a 50-50 tie after halftime, and Lehigh took the lead with back-to-back baskets for a 54-52 lead. Penn State kept applying pressure and got into a spot where the defense could carry the game the rest of the way to keep Lehigh at an arm’s length.

The win improves Penn State to 2-0 under new head coach Mike Rhoades, who has now won each of his first two games since being hired to be the head coach of the Nittany Lions. Penn State is now 32-11 all-time against Lehigh as well.

Next up for Penn State basketball is another home game against an in-state opponent. Penn State will host St. Francis on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7:00 p.m. The game will air on Big Ten Network.

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What to watch for in Penn State basketball’s season opener vs. Delaware State

Key storylines to look for in Penn State basketball’s season opener against Delaware State.

Mike Rhoades begins his first season with Penn State tonight as the Nittany Lions host the Delaware State Hornets to open the 2023-24 season.

It’s always exciting when the college basketball season tips off, and for Penn State, the amount of intrigue couldn’t be higher with a new coach and a revamped roster. A year ago, the Nittany Lions beat the Hornets 60-46 at the Bryce Jordan Center to extend their all-time series record to 4-0.

With Delaware State coming off a disappointing season that saw the Hornets go 6-24 overall and 4-10 in Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference play, Penn State can look to implement Rhoades style and get into a rhythm as a team with ten new players. 

VCU transfer and reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin Jr. figures to be the lead man for a Nittany Lions team looking for a star after the departure of Jalen Pickett to the NBA. Baldwin’s experience with Rhoades’ system and fellow VCU transfer Nick Kern Jr. should be extremely beneficial in quickly getting the team up to speed.

Baldwin’s knack on the defensive end is something to watch for tonight. The former Ram was 19th in steals per game (2.23) last season and is one of the premier on-ball defenders in the country. An aggressive and turnover-forcing defense is exactly the type Rhoades wants to run. If the 16 turnovers forced in the exhibition against Robert Morris is any indication, the unit should show off tonight.

Another thing to watch for tonight is whether North Carolina transfer Puff Johnson suits up for the opener. The 6’8 wing from Moon, Pennsylvania, did not play in the exhibition, and Rhoades lists him as “day-to-day.” Johnson, a co-captain along with Baldwin and returning guard Kanye Clary, is expected to be a key contributor whom Rhoades leans on heavily. If Johnson doesn’t play, watch out for the second North Carolina transfer De’Marco Dunn and Temple sharpshooting transfer Zach Hicks.

In a game not expected to be a close one (an 18.5-point favorite on FanDuel), expect Rhoades to rotate his squad frequently and to experiment with different matchups. The defense, the pick-and-roll game, and Ace Baldwin Jr. are my three items to watch as the season gets started tonight. 

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Ranking the Top-10 Big Ten players heading into the basketball season

Ranking the top 10 players in the Big Ten entering the college basketball season.

The long-awaited 2023-24 college basketball season begins today, and the Big Ten’s slate of games features 10 of the conference’s teams in action. Iowa, Indiana, Maryland and Michigan will have to wait one more day.

The Big Ten does not lack star power as the conference boasts the reigning national player of the year in Purdue’s Zach Edey as well as a bunch of premier guards. As we all know, guard play dominates college basketball, especially in March.

Before the games tip off this evening, we take a look at the top 10 Big Ten players. Are any freshmen ranked? Does any supplant Edey as number one?

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): Bruce Thorton (Ohio State), Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska), Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana), Jamison Battle (Ohio State), Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin).

How to watch Penn State basketball’s season opener vs. Delaware State

Ace Baldwin and the new-look Nittany Lions officially begin a new college basketball season Monday night in the Bryce Jordan Center. Here is how to watch the game.

Penn State begins a new era of college basketball on Monday evening. [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] will officially coach his first game as the head coach of the Nittany Lions after guiding the men’s basketball team to a 3-0 record in offseason exhibition games. After winning two games in the Bahamas against international competition and a charity exhibition game against Robert Morris in a preseason tune-up, the games are about to count for something.

Penn State hosts Delaware State in the Bryce Jordan Center on Monday evening to get the new era started. Transfer guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] should have an instant impact on the floor and the return of [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] will give Penn State a fun combo to watch grow together on the court this season.

Delaware State won an exhibition game against Cabrini College, 101-58. The Hornets are coming off a rough 6-24 season last year and are hoping to get off to a better start. Penn State is 4-0 all-time against Delaware State. That includes a 60-49 victory in State College last December.

If you are looking to catch the season opener for the Nittany Lions, here is when and where to watch the game on Monday evening.

Penn State vs. Delaware State Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Monday, Nov. 6
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: B1G+

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Penn State men’s basketball 2023-24 roster

Here is a look at every player on Penn State men’s basketball roster for the first season under head coach Mike Rhoades.

Penn State will have a new look on the roster for the 2023-24 season. A new head coach and significant roster turnover, including losing two players to the NBA, have led to a roster with a number of transfer players plugging roster holes for the 2023-24 season.

Penn State’s roster includes a total of 10 players who have come from the transfer portal, with a number being added to the roster since the end of last season. That includes star guard Ace Baldwin Jr., one of the top players Rhoades had on his roster at VCU before moving to Penn State. Penn State also added transfers from North Carolina, Lafayette, Miami, and Temple this offseason.

Here is a look at Penn State’s men’s basketball roster for the 2023-24 season.

The new guy in charge: A look into Mike Rhoades’ resume

A look into what Mike Rhoades brings to Penn State in his first season as head coach

After a surprising run through the Big Ten tournament culminating with a narrow two-point defeat to No. 1 seed Purdue and beating Texas A&M for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2001, Micah Shrewsberry was off to South Bend to coach Notre Dame and Penn State basketball, was looking for a new leader. In steps former Rice and VCU head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag], who takes over for Shrewsberry after six seasons with the Rams, leading them to four NCAA Tournament berths and two Atlantic 10 regular season conference championships. With a coaching career spanning 27 seasons, Rhoades brings a wealth of experience to State College.

Rhoades began his head coaching career in 1999 at the ripe age of 25 after getting promoted from assistant at Randolph-Macon, a Division III school in Ashland, Virginia. After ten seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Rhoades got the associate head coaching job at VCU under then-head coach Shaka Smart, where he was a part of the famous Rams team that made it to the 2011 Final Four. A brief three-year stint at Rice ending in 2017 was followed by his getting the nod to lead VCU.

Rhoades, a former player at Lebanon Valley College who is no stranger to winning teams, led the Dutchmen to the 1994 Division III national championship and was a two-time All-American, graduating as the college’s all-time leading scorer.

The Rams under Rhoades were 129-62 (72-32 A-10 record) but could never grab that elusive NCAA Tournament win. As the 15th head coach in Penn State program history, Rhoades will hope to buck that winless trend in the big dance. Following one of the most successful Penn State basketball seasons of recent memory, Rhoades and co. have some expectations from fans to give a repeat performance.

The Pennsylvania native’s previous teams heavily emphasized the defensive side of the ball, which frequently includes full-court pressure no matter the game situation. Forcing turnovers and a high-paced transition offense are two staples coming to the Bryce Jordan Center this winter.

For most Nittany Lions’ and Big Ten fans, Penn State’s new up-tempo, ball-movement-centered offense will be a revelation after two years of Shrewsberry’s slow, calculated style. Rhoades brings with him VCU transfers Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr., who, despite being in the fast-paced system before, are expecting an even faster one this season.

Buying into a completely different system is easy when Rhoades comes with such a track record of success. The new aggressive, fast-paced scheme was on display last week when the squad forced 16 turnovers for 12 points in a 68-58 exhibition win against Robert Morris.

Mike Rhoades’ first season and 20th season as a head coach tips off on Monday, Nov. 6th, at the Bryce Jordan Center against Delaware State.

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