Tag: Penn State Men’s Basketball

Ace Baldwin Jr. records double-double as Penn State blows out Virginia Tech

Ace Baldwin Jr. and Zach Hicks each scored 19 points in Penn State’s latest victory.

After starting off the season with a few wins at home, the Penn State men’s basketball team took a trip down to Baltimore on Friday evening to face Virginia Tech, another 3-0 team. It was all Penn State from the opening tip as the Nittany Lions took care of the Hokies in an 86-64 victory in the Hall of Fame Series.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led Penn State with 19 points and 10 assists as he played in his hometown of Baltimore. Last season’s Big Ten defensive player of the year added three steals and a couple of rebounds. [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] also had 19 points in the win and showed off a hot hand from three-point range with five 3-pointers.

Penn State also got double-digit point efforts from Nick Kern (16 points) and Freddie Dilione V (11 points). As a team, Penn State recorded 16 steals. Puff Johnson helped give Penn State some breathing room after Virginia Tech cut the lead to nine points early in the second half. Johnson scored seven straight points.

This is the third straight season Penn State has started the year off with a 4-0 record, and this was the fourth win over Virginia Tech in the last five meetings with the ACC school. This is also the first time Penn State has scored 80 or more points in four consecutive games since the 2019-2020 season.

Penn State will return home next week for its next game. Penn State will host Purdue Fort Wayne in the opening round of the Sunshine Slam.

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Penn State basketball throttles UMBC in historic fashion

Penn State basketball rolls past UMBC in historic offensive fashion

The Penn State men’s basketball team continued its strong start to the season with a victory over the UMBC Retrievers. The Nittany Lions scored 100-plus points for the second straight game, beating UMBC 103-54 Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.

In the season opener, Penn State scored 108 points against Binghamton and followed that performance by scoring 103 points against the Retrievers. This marked the first time in program history that Penn State scored 100-plus points in back-to-back games.

Eleven Nittany Lions scored, including five players in double figures. It was a balanced team effort with six bench players scoring. Penn State shot 55.2 percent from the field and an impressive 43.5 percent from 3-point range. The Penn State offense also assisted on 21 of their 37 field goals.

Northern Illinois transfer [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag] scored 18 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] added 16 points, while [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] scored 12.

Penn State dominated the paint during the first half, scoring 28 of its 43 points inside. In the second half, PSU separated from UMBC by shooting a sizzling 60 percent from 3-point range, knocking down 9 of 15 from 3-point range. Freshman guard [autotag]Jahvin Carter [/autotag]was part of the 3-point barrage, hitting all three of his 3-pointers while tallying a season-best 12 points.

The Nittany Lions will host Saint Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday night before they head on the road. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on Peacock.

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Penn State basketball hits the century mark in 2024-25 season opener against Binghamton

Penn State basketball rolls past Binghamton in 2024-25 season opener.

Penn State men’s basketball used a dominant first half to roll past Binghamton in the 2024-25 season opener. The Nittany Lions hit the century mark against the Bearcats, winning 108-66.

PSU’s 108 points are tied for the fourth most in program history. It was Penn State’s first 100-point game since 2017 and the first 100-plus point effort in a regulation game since 2009. The win also clinched the program’s eighth straight season-opening win.

Penn State shot 50.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range while adding 25 points from the charity stripe.

The Nittany Lions were led offensively by sharpshooting forward [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag], who scored 22 points on 9 of 12 shooting, including knocking down four of his six 3-pointers. Hicks was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last year and led the Nittany Lions with 67 made 3-pointers while shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range. Hicks was on fire throughout the second half knocking, scoring 13 of his 22 points.

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Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] was his usual self, recording three steals to go along with his 15 points, including hitting four of his five 3-pointers. His defense was a factor in the team, generating 31 points off the 21 Binghamton turnovers.

Penn State came out of halftime, lighting it up and hitting six of its first seven shots, including three behind the arc. That run gave the Nittany Lions the separation they needed to run away with the victory.

The Nittany Lions continue their homestand Friday evening when Penn State takes on UMBC. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

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Full Penn State men’s basketball schedule for 2024-25

Here is the full regular season schedule for the Penn State men’s basketball 2024-25 season.

Penn State is in its second year under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag]. The Nittany Lions went 16-17 in the first year under Rhoades and is hoping to surprise many around the Big Ten this season. The Nittany Lions were picked by Big Ten media to finish toward the bottom of the expanded conference, and this will likely be a bit of a rebuilding season following a good amount of roster turnover from last season.

Star point guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] returns to the program for his final year of eligibility. The former VCU standout and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year is coming off a year in which he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from Big Ten coaches last season.

One of the newest additions to watch from the recruiting trail will be center [autotag]Miles Goodman[/autotag]. The four-star recruit was Penn State’s second highest-ranked recruit in program history at the time of his commitment to the program and is expected to be a centerpiece of the Rhoades era turning the program into a more consistent competitor.

Here is Penn State men’s basketball schedule for the 2024-25 season:

  • Nov. 4 – BINGHAMTON, 7:30 p.m., B1G+
  • Nov. 8 – UMBC, 6:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Nov. 12 – SAINT FRANCIS (Pa), 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Nov. 15 – Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
    Baltimore, Md., CFG Bank Arena
  • Nov. 20 – PURDUE FORT WAYNE, 7:30 p.m., B1G+
  • Nov. 25 – Fordham, 4:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
    Daytona Beach, Fl., Ocean Center
  • Nov. 26 – Clemson or San Francisco, 1:30 p.m. or 4:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
    Daytona Beach, Fl., Ocean Center
  • Dec. 1 – BUFFALO, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Dec. 5 – PURDUE*, 6:30 p.m., FS1
  • Dec. 10 – at Rutgers*, 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Dec. 14 – COPPIN STATE, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Dec. 21 – at Drexel, 12:00 p.m.
    Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
  • Dec. 29 – PENN, 1:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 2, 2025 – NORTHWESTERN*, 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 5 – INDIANA*, 12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
    (Philadelphia, Pa., The Palestra)
  • Jan. 8 – at Illinois*, 9:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 12 – OREGON*, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 15 – at Michigan State*, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 20 – RUTGERS*, 6:30 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 24 – at Iowa*, 9:00 p.m., FS1
  • Jan. 27 – at Michigan*, 6:30 p.m.. Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 30 – OHIO STATE*, 6:30 p.m., FS1
  • Feb. 4 – MINNESOTA*, 7:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 8 – at UCLA*, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 11 – at USC*, 9:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 15 – WASHINGTON*, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 19 – NEBRASKA*, 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 22 – at Minnesota*, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 26 – at Indiana*, 8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Mar. 1 – MARYLAND*, 12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Mar. 8 – at Wisconsin*, 1:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Mar. 12-16 – Big Ten Tournament
    Indianapolis, In.

“*” denotes Big Ten Conference game.

All times are Eastern.

Penn State lands highest-rated basketball recruit in program history

Penn State basketball starts next week, but this may be the biggest win of the season already.

The start of Penn State’s men’s basketball season tips off next week, but head coach Mike Rhoades has already scored perhaps his biggest win of the year. On Friday, Penn State received a verbal commitment from [autotag]Kayden Mingo[/autotag], one of the nation’s top-50 basketball recruits in the Class of 2025. Mingo is the highest-ranked player to ever commit to Penn State in program history, making this one of the biggest recruiting victories for Rhoades since taking over the head coaching job in State College.

Mingo is a combination center and guard from Glen Head, New York. Mingo is a consensus four-star recruit according to the recruiting outlets, and he is rated as the second-overall player in New York according to 247Sports and On3. He is a consensus top-10 center-guard combo as well.

Mingo is ranked as the no. 43 player overall in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Prior to the commitment of Mingo, the highest-ranked recruit for Penn State using the same player rankings mechanic was Tony Carr in the Class of 2016 (no. 84 overall). The third highest rated recruit for Penn State will be a future teammate of Mingo, Miles Goodman. Goodman was a four-star center in Penn State’s Class of 2024 and is entering his freshman season with the Nittany Lions.

The addition of Mingo’s commitment has skyrocketed Penn State’s basketball recruiting class all the way up to no. 12 in the nation, which is good for the third-best in the Big Ten at the time of this writing. Penn State currently ranks one spot higher than Kentucky, five spots ahead of Alabama, and nine spots ahead of Michigan State. Time will tell just how long Penn State can hold on to this rare high basketball recruiting ranking, but Rhoades is clearly putting in the work to transform Penn State from a program capable of making an appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament once a decade to realistically expecting annual trips to the Big Dance being the expectation rather than the exception.

Penn State basketball wins charity exhibition game vs. Lafayette

Ace Baldwin Jr. helped fuel a second-half run to help Penn State pull away from Lafayette in an exhibition win.

The start of the new college basketball season is just about here, and the Penn State Nittany Lions are looking to surprise many this year. The second season under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] unofficially got underway Friday night with a charity exhibition game against Lafayette on the campus of Lebanon Valley College, Rhoades’ alma mater. Penn State came out on top of the Leopards by a final score of 79-64 with [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] scoring 11 points, nine assists and two steals.

Penn State was led by [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag]’s 15-point night, which also included five rebounds and four blocks. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] added 13 points and hit all three of his three-point attempts.

Penn State jumped out to an early lead before Lafayette cut things down to a one-point game but the Nittany Lions went on an 11-0 run fueled by a [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] three-pointer. Penn State led 38-31 at halftime and used a 22-9 run led by Baldwin Jr’s three-point shooting to pull away in the second half for the exhibition win.

Penn State is expected by many in the Big Ten media to finish toward the bottom of the conference this season. The Nittany Lions, in their first year under Rhoades, went 16-17 last season, with a Big Ten record of 9-11. Penn State won its first-round matchup in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament against Michigan before dropping a close game against Indiana in the second round. After their Big Ten exit, Penn State did not play in a postseason tournament.

Penn State men’s basketball officially begins its 2024-25 season on Monday, Nov. 4 with a home game against Binghampton in the Bryce Jordan Center.

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Penn State to face four teams ranked in USA TODAY Sports preseason men’s basketball coaches poll

Just four Big Ten teams appeared on the USA TODAY Sports preseason men’s basketball coaches poll.

The start of a new college basketball season is coming up quickly, and Penn State is hoping to take some strides in the second season under head coach Mike Rhoades. Penn State is not expected by many to do much damage in the conference this season, but just how tough will the competition be this season?

The USA TODAY Sports preseason men’s basketball coaches poll was unveiled on Wednesday and did not feature a single Big Ten team in the top 10 of the preseason poll. Just four Big Ten teams, including new conference member UCLA, made an appearance in the preseason top 25 of the coaches poll this season, and all four appear on Penn State’s men’s basketball schedule this season. A number of other Big Ten teams on Penn State’s schedule did fall under the others receiving votes category, however.

Here is a look at every Big Ten team in the USA TODAY Sports preseason men’s basketball poll and those who also received votes from the coaches:

  • Purdue Boilermakers (No. 13)
  • Indiana (No. 18)
  • UCLA (No. 22)
  • Illinois (No. 24)
  • Rutgers (Others receiving votes)
  • Michigan State (Others receiving votes)
  • Oregon (Others receiving votes)
  • Ohio State (Others receiving votes)
  • Maryland (Others receiving votes)
  • Wisconsin (Others receiving votes)

Penn State could also have another opponent on the schedule receiving votes from the coaches to start the year. It is not known yet if the Nittany Lions will face Clemson in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona, Florida the week of Thanksgiving, but the Tigers did receive votes in the preseason coaches poll. Penn State will open the Sunshine Slam against Fordham and will face either Clemson or San Francisco depending on the results of the first set of games.

Penn State will face Lafayette in a preseason exhibition game at Lebanon Valley College on Friday, October 25. The season will officially begin on Monday, November 4 with a home game against Binghampton.

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Penn State announces men’s and women’s basketball games for Rec Hall

Penn State has announced which games this basketball season will be played in their previous home.

We are only a month into the college football season but the start of the new college basketball season will be approaching before you know it. Penn State is working to finalize some details for its upcoming men’s and women’s basketball seasons with hopes of each making an appearance in the NCAA tournaments next March. One of the highlights of the regular season has been when the teams leave the Bryce Jordan Center and return to their old gym for a game. Penn State announced the Nittany Lions and Lady Lions will each be playing a Big Ten game this season in storied Rec Hall this season.

Penn State’s men’s basketball team will host Ohio State in Rec Hall on January 30, 2025. The women’s team will host Maryland the day before on January 29, 2025.

http://twitter.com/PennStateMBB/status/1839024574085976525

This will be the second straight season the Penn State men’s team will play a game in Rec Hall, both coming against a Big Ten opponent. Penn State upset Illinois in last year’s game in Rec Hall. This will mark the fifth time Penn State will play in Rec Hall since moving to the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Lady Lions will be playing just their second game in Rec Hall since moving to the Bryce Jordan Center. The team made its long-awaited return to Rec Hall for a game last season against Ohio State.

Penn State will open its men’s basketball season against Binghamton on November 4. The women’s basketball season will open on the same day at home against Bucknell.

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Penn State basketball gets commitment from four-star wing Mason Blackwood

Penn State basketball picked up a big recruiting victory this week.

Because it’s football season, naturally a lot of the attention is on Penn State’s football program and what is taking place on the field. That trickles down to the recruiting trail as well, especially with the Nittany Lions looking to secure another top class in the 2025 cycle.

But with the calendar getting further and further into fall, that also means basketball is about to start up.

There are some more expectations centered around this program and what can be accomplished in Year 2 of the [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] era after going 16-17 overall, but did win nine games in Big 10 play that gives some confidence he can have this team competing at some point during his tenure.

To do that, he and his staff will have to start recruiting at a high level, getting talented prospects into this program who fit the system he wants to run. Rhoades was able to do that at VCU, giving hope the same can happen in State College.

So far, Penn State was able to get one player in the 2025 class, landing three-star 6-foot-11 in-state center Justin Houser. While that is a solid get for Penn State, they were still searching for a star-caliber player who could potentially be the headliner of this cycle.

Well, they got that by the way of [autotag]Mason Blackwood[/autotag].

https://www.instagram.com/mason.blackwood24/p/DAEuN45v75b/

The 6-foot-7 wing is a rated as a four-star by 247Sports, listing him 102nd-best player in the class and the No. 4 overall player in the state of New Hampshire.

Penn State was able to earn this commitment over Rutgers, a program who was red-hot on the recruiting trail in the 2024 cycle when they put together a consensus to 10 class by landing the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked players in the class, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.

For the Rhoades and his staff to win this one is a huge sign.

“I chose Penn State because of the genuine love the coaches showed at Penn State to me and my family. I loved the opportunity they presented to me, and the goals they had laid out for me and I felt like I resented with them extremely well and it was a great fit,” Blackwood said per On3.

What comes next for the Nittany Lions will be seen, but they are reportedly targeting specific players they are giving the majority of their attention to so they can land a very solid group in this cycle.

Penn State will bring Big Ten basketball back to The Palestra this season

Penn State basketball is reportedly heading back to The Cathedral of College Basketball this season.

It is seemingly becoming a bit of a tradition for Penn State to transport one of its home basketball contests in Big Ten play and taking it to one of the most historic venues in the sport. According to one report from a national college basketball insider on Thursday, it appears that trend will continue this upcoming college basketball season.

According to a report from Jon Rothstein, via College Hoops Today, Penn State and Indiana will tip off at The Palestra in Philadelphia on January 5, 2025. The game will count as one of Penn State’s home games, but that is a trade Penn State will make every year.

Penn State has hosted four previous Big Ten games in The Palestra over the years, including Michigan this past season. Penn State is 3-1 in its four Big Ten contests in The Palestra (wins vs. Michigan in 2024, Iowa in 2020, and Michigan State in 2017; lost to no. 1 Purdue in 2023).

This will actually be the second game Penn State will play in Philadelphia next season. The Nittany Lions will also face Drexel at the Wells Fargo Center on December 21. Coincidentally, Penn State will also be playing the Penn Quakers, the team that calls The Palestra home, this season. However, Penn State will host Penn in non-conference action rather than play as a road team in the storied venue. Penn State will host Penn on December 29, a little more than a week after facing Drexel in the Wells Fargo Center and a week before visiting Penn’s home for the Indiana game.

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