Tag: D’Marco Dunn

Penn State basketball comes up short at home vs. Minnesota (photos)

Penn State men’s basketball let one slip away against Minnesota on Saturday night.

Penn State has been enjoying far more success than failure at home in the Bryce Jordan Center this season, but Saturday saw the tables turned on the Nittany Lions. Penn State led Minnesota by 14 points at halftime but could not hold on to the game with a rough second-half performance in an 83-74 loss to the visiting Gophers.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led the Nittany Lions with 16 points and [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] added 15 points to the scoring effort. [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] had 11 points in a relatively down game for him. Minnesota just lit up the scoreboard in the second half with some hot shooting. Minnesota climbed their way to take a lead almost midway through the second half, but Penn State hung around and tied the game at 70-70 with just under three minutes to play. Unfortunately for Penn State, Minnesota responded with a 7-1 run that left Penn State in the rearview mirror for the remainder of the night.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s latest men’s basketball game.

Penn State basketball loses heartbreaker at Madison Square Garden

Penn State basketball lost a tough one in the Big Apple.

Every game at Madison Square Garden feels a little bit different. The aura of the arena and the basketball history that has taken place there makes games there much more special than at other places.

For Penn State, the game against Georgia Tech also had a different feel to it after completely an improbable comeback against Ohio State on Dec. 9.

That win against the Buckeyes stopped a five-game skid and gave the Nittany Lions new life on the season ahead of this matchup against Georgia Tech and games versus Le Moyne and Rider on the horizon.

However, the same things that have plagued Penn State during this difficult stretch were present.

Their defense is a legitimate issue.

They’ve allowed their opponents to shoot 45% or higher from the field in seven of the last eight games, including a 45.1% by Georgia Tech on Saturday.

That’s one of the reasons why the Yellow Jackets went into halftime with a 39-37 lead.

Penn State came out of the locker room ready to play and things started seesawing a big after [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] tied things up at 39. They took a 45-43 lead with 16:56 remaining in the second half, but the defense was an issue again, getting them into a 63-54 hole with around 10 minutes left.

The biggest lead of the game happened at the 8:38 mark following a Dallan Coleman made three to extend Penn State’s deficit to 10 points. But instead of rolling over, the Nittany Lions made a big push.

They clawed their way back to make it 71-69 with 3:49 remaining that seemed to last forever. The next points weren’t scored until [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] made a free throw. Penn State then took a 72-71 lead with 1:19 to go after a [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] layup.

Ultimately, the Nittany Lions were able to force overtime after trailing by double digits in the second half.

How many Penn State fans will remember this one was by them being on the wrong side of a horrendous call.

With 23 seconds left, Clary made a jumper to give the Nittany Lions a 81-80 lead and needing just one stop to get this victory. After a [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] block, Miles Kelly of Georgia Tech rebounded the ball but was falling backwards.

The officials called a foul on [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] although there was no contact made.

Kelly made two free throws since they were in the bonus and Penn State missed a desperation heave as time expired to lose the game 82-81.

It’s a tough pill to swallow considering this might have been the best game the backcourt has played together. Clary finished with a game-high 23 points and added seven rebounds. Baldwin had 18 points, seven assists, four steals and made four threes. Dunn added 17 points off the bench and Johnson scored 15, all in the second half, which was his highest mark of the year.

Now, the Nittany Lions will look to build upon this with two easy games coming up before hitting conference play full time.

Penn State basketball comes from behind to upset Ohio State

Ace Baldwin Jr.’s late three-pointer helps lift Penn State to come-from-behind upset over Ohio State.

After trailing by double digits at home at halftime on Saturday afternoon, [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] capped a second-half rally with a go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute of regulation to help Penn State upset Ohio State, 83-80, in the Bryce Jordan Center. The win evened Penn State’s record at 5-5 this season overall and 1-1 in early Big Ten play. It also snapped a five-game losing skid by the Nittany Lions.

Baldwin Jr.’s late three-pointer broke a 76-76 tie with half a minute remaining in the game. Penn State stayed in front the rest of the way thanks to some good defense, a key rebound by [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag], and with a couple of key free throws by Wahab.

Baldwin had just 9 points in the win and his late three-pointer was the only one of five he successfully drained. He did record three steals, three rebounds, and five assists in the game.

Penn State was led by starters [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag]’s 19-point effort and double-digits from [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] (11 points) and Wahab (10 points). [autotag]Leo O’Boyle[/autotag] had a big game off the bench with 15 points with four three-pointers made. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] also added 16 points from the bench.

This game marked the return of former Penn State guard [autotag]Evan Mahaffey[/autotag], who transferred to Ohio State in the offseason. Mahaffey had 5 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in his return to the Bryce Jordan Center. Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes with 17 points.

Penn State will have a week off before its next game, against Georgia Tech in Madison Square Garden in New York next Saturday, Dec. 16. Penn State will return to Big Ten play after the new year on Jan. 4 at Michigan State.

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ESPN Events Invitational: Best photos from Penn State’s game vs. VCU

Penn State came up short against VCU in their final game in the ESPN Events Invitational. Here are the best photos from the VCU game.

Penn State’s Thanksgiving weekend did not offer too many things to be thankful for. Penn State went 0-3 in the ESPN Events Invitational this weekend after losing the 7th-place game on Sunday morning against VCU. VCU celebrated a win over their former head coach, [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag], and former teammates [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] as the Nittany Lions were left looking to regroup back at home after a rough weekend.

Penn State lost to VCU by a final score of 86-74 in a game where leading scorer [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] left early due to an injury. Baldwin scored a game-high 27 points against his former teammates from VCU, but VCU got a big game off the bench from guard Alphonzo Billups III who scored 23 points in 27 minutes on the court.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s most recent setback against VCU from the ESPN Events Invitational.

ESPN Events Invitational: Best photos of Penn State vs. Butler

Ka-chow! Butler’s mascot was entertaining fans at the ESPN Events Invitational by riding Lightning McQueen.

For the second time in as many days over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Penn State fell short in the ESPN Events Invitational. Penn State was defeated by Butler in a consolation round game of the weekend tournament at the Walt Disney World Wide of Sports complex on Friday, 88-78.

Kanye Clary scored a career-high 28 points in the losing effort as Penn State went cole with its shooting to close the first half and could not answer a critical run by Butler in the second half.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s second game in the ESPN Events Invitational.

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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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.

Penn State basketball opens foreign tour with blowout victory in Bahamas

Penn State basketball scores blowout of Bahamas Pirates in foreign tour exhibition.

We may still be a couple of months away from the official start of the [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] era of Penn State basketball, but the new head coach of the Nittany Lions has technically opened his tenure with a blowout victory. Penn State opened a foreign tour in the Bahamas on Tuesday with a 113-65 victory over the Bahamas Pirates in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League.

[autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] was Penn State’s leading scorer with 17 points. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] added 16 points with three three-pointers made. [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] scored 13 points and had a team-high seven assists with five rebounds. [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jameel Brown[/autotag] also scored in double figures with 13 points each.

“Good first game,” Rhoades said after his team’s balanced performance. “A lot of guys contributed and we played a lot of different rotations and lineups. Great to see we had 26 assists, that means we’re playing the right way.”

Penn State’s defense also forced 33 turnovers by the Pirates. Penn State’s efficient offense had just 13 turnovers in the game.

Penn State’s next and final game in the Bahamas is scheduled for Thursday against the University of Victoria, from Canada. The University of Victoria dropped its first game in the Bahamas against the Big East’s Xavier, 80-68.

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Penn State basketball fills final roster spot with North Carolina transfer

Penn State has completed its basketball roster with this UNC transfer.

After Penn State was sitting at three scholarship players for the upcoming 2023-24 season, new head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and his staff have fully filled out their roster with scholarship players.

The transfer portal was a main reason behind getting the program back up to speed quickly, which is something that Penn State has become accustomed to the last couple years. Although the transfer portal has been formerly used by the Nittany Lions as a luxury, this offseason it was a necessity if they wanted to field a full roster.

All of the hard work came to fruition on Thursday when North Carolina transfer [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] filled out the final roster spot with his commitment. He transferred out of Chapel Hill after spending two seasons there.

Dunn is a former four-star prospect from Arizona who played his high school basketball at Westover in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He decided to stay in North Carolina after high school, committing to the Tar Heels in 2020. He was ranked as the number 70 overall player in the class of 2021 according to On3’s industry rankings.

Dunn is a 6’5″ 190-pound guard who saw limited action while at North Carolina. In his freshman season, he played in 23 games, but only averaged 4.1 minutes per game. He played in 27 games his sophomore season, but saw the floor for 10.3 minutes per game.

His career averages at North Carolina were 1.9 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game with zero games started.

Dunn was looking for a fresh start when he entered his name in the transfer portal. He feels like he’s found that at Penn State, joining his fellow North Carolina teammate [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] in State College.

When speaking with Joe Tipton of On3 about his commitment, Dunn said, “I chose Penn State for the opportunity to play for Coach Rhoades and an amazing school. I’ve known him and his staff and believe in what they are building. I’m excited to be a part of something special.”

Dunn is a dynamic player who can add a high level of talent to a Penn State program that has added an influx of talented skill sets in a short amount of time.

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D’Marco Dunn already hearing from teams in transfer portal

Former UNC basketball guard D’Marco Dunn is already hearing from teams in the transfer portal.

D’Marco Dunn became the seventh North Carolina player to enter the transfer portal, making his decision hours before Thursday’s deadline.

After committing to North Carolina as a four-star recruit, Dunn spent two seasons with the program but never found a role. Coming off the bench, Dunn saw limited playing time and appeared in 50 games over the past two seasons. With his decision to enter the portal, he will have a new home next season and he’s already hearing from a number of programs.

Per Jon Rothstein, Dunn has heard from Penn State, Georgia Tech, Seton Hall, Texas, Arizona, Utah and Cal among others.

Coming out of high school, Dunn was known as a solid shooter from the perimeter. He could have brought that to a Tar Heels’ team that struggled in that area. But after UNC recruited Cormac Ryan and added another guard, Simeon Wilcher, Dunn would be fighting for minutes again this season.

So a transfer makes sense for him in that regard.

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