Tag: Puff Johnson

Best photos of Penn State fans celebrating basketball upset of Purdue

Penn State fans celebrated a major upset of Purdue by storming the court in Happy Valley!

In a year where the national expectations were low for Penn State basketball, the Nittany Lions are off and running and already making some noise in the Big Ten. Penn State scored a massive 80-71 victory over No. 7 Purdue in its Big Ten opener. It ignited a basketball celebration on the court by fans who hope to finally see success like this on a regular basis. It also helped set the tone for the Penn State fanbase heading into a Big Ten championship weekend for the football team.

But on Thursday, basketball was the story of the night as head coach Mike Rhoades hopped on a microphone to address the fans on the court and remind them this is what they are all working for. You had to love it!

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State basketball’s big celebration in Happy Valley following the win over Purdue.

Penn State will be back in action next Tuesday, Dec. 10 with a road game at Rutgers in Big Ten play. Penn State could be playing its first game as a top 25 team under Mike Rhoades by the time that game tips.

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Penn State basketball pulls off statement upset of No. 7 Purdue

Penn State’s defense frustrated Purdue all night long, and the hot scoring of the Nittany Lions continued in a massive program win.

Penn State men’s basketball was off to a good start to the season but knew things were about to get much more difficult once Big Ten started up. Or was it? Penn State made a statement with a dominating victory over No. 7 Purdue on Thursday night in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State celebrated an 81-70 win over the Boilermakers, who have been the gold standard of Big Ten basketball, with a storming of the court. It was Penn State’s first win over a top-10 team since beating Maryland in 2019.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led a balanced Penn State scoring attack with 17 points as five Nittany Lions scored in double figures. It was the defense of the Nittany Lions that set the tone and gave Purdue frustration all night long. Purdue turned the basketball over 24 times, and Penn State drew even with the Boilermakers in rebounds with 24 apiece. Penn State also had two blocks (one from [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag] and one from [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag]).

Ace Baldwin Jr. was called for a technical foul following a big three-pointer in the second half for a celebratory gesture used to suggest he has ice in his veins, which was defended vehemently by head coach Mike Rhoades. The former VCU player and coach combination have helped transform Penn State basketball into a legitimate basketball team capable of making a run to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Of course, there is a long way to go and Penn State will have to keep up this kind of play throughout conference play.

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But this offense continues to shine and the defensive skill of the Nittany Lions is going to cause some problems for opposing Big Ten teams.

Penn State will be back in Big Ten action in its next game when it visits Rutgers on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The Nittany Lions will then resume non-conference matchups before Big Ten play resumes in the new year.

Here’s hoping the good vibes from the basketball court find their way to the football field in Indianapolis this weekend. Penn State faces No. 1 Orgeon in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday night, with the College Football Playoff on the horizon.

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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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Best photos from the Penn State 2023-24 men’s basketball season

Let’s take a look back at some of the best photos we gathered from throughout the men’s basketball season.

Penn State came into the 2023-24 season with a new head coach and a reworked roster, but the goal remained the same; to make it back to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. That goal ultimately was unfulfilled as Penn State went through a challenging year without much luck on the road or on a neutral court, and the first season under new head coach Mike Rhoades has come to a close.

But the season was not without its bright spots and moments worth cherishing and remembering moving into the offseason. It was unexpected Penn State would have much success this year given the circumstances, but the work is already being done to build a program that will be more competitive in the years to come with more frequent trips to the NCAA postseason hopefully on the horizon. But before we look ahead, let’s take a few moments to look back.

Here is a look back at some of the best photos we gathered from this past men’s basketball season.

Penn State seniors surge past Maryland in regular-season finale (photos)

Check out the best photos from Penn State basketball’s regular-season finale and senior night victory over Maryland.

Penn State honored its seniors on the basketball court on Sunday night and the seniors led the way to a home win against Maryland with a massive second-half effort. Penn State led Maryland by four points at halftime but pulled away in the second half as the regular season came to a close with a 49-37 scoring advantage in the second half of an 85-69 victory over the Terrapins.

Penn State’s seniors combined for 65 points in the win powered by a double-double from [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] (19 points, 15 rebounds) and [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] (17 points, 11 assists). [autotag]RayQuawndis Mitchell[/autotag] (14 points), [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] (13 points), and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] (10 points) all scored in double figures for the Nittany Lions.

This marked the seventh straight home win for Penn State over Maryland. Now both teams will be heading off to the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament this week in Minnesota, with each being paired up in a first-round matchup.

Next up for Penn State is a first-round matchup in the Big Ten conference tournament against Michigan on Wednesday, March 13. A win will set up a second-round matchup with Indiana. Maryland will face Rutgers in the first round with the winner set to face Wisconsin in the second round.

Here are some of the best photos from the regular-season finale against Maryland.

Penn State vs Maryland men’s basketball: How to watch on TV and live stream on Sunday

Penn State looks for a win in their final home game of the season

Penn State men’s basketball is looking to avoid limping into the Big Ten Tournament after dropping their last two games. The Nittany Lions welcome in the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday evening, hoping to keep hold of the Big Ten Tournament’s No. 11 seed and possibly move up a seed line if other games fall Penn State’s way.

Maryland sits right behind Penn State in conference standings, making the matchup that much more impactful.

It is senior night in Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions will honor seven seniors, including players like [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Qudas Wuhab[/autotag], and [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag].

Baldwin Jr. looks like the frontrunner for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the country in steals (83) and fifth in the country in steals per game (2.77). His 2.77 steals per game rank second amongst Power Six conference players and track to be the most by a Big Ten player in a single season in the last 31 years (since 1993 – Pat Baldwin (Northwestern) 2.96 steals per game).

Baldwin Jr.’s defensive matchup this evening will be Maryland star guard Jahmir Young, who leads the Terps, scoring 20.9 points per game and 28 points in the two program’s matchup earlier this season.

A win would mark nine conference wins for the Nittany Lions under first-year head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and would give Penn State a much-needed boost entering the Big Ten Tournament.

Penn State vs. Maryland Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Sunday, March 10
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel: Big Ten Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

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Best photos as Penn State basketball tops Indiana in the Bryce Jordan Center

Take a look at some of the best photos as Penn State completed a regular-season sweep of Indiana.

Penn State continued to frustrate Indiana on the basketball court on Saturday with an 83-74 victory in the Bryce Jordan Center. The win was a pivotal one for the Nittany Lions as they continue to fight to improve their seeding situation in the upcoming Big Ten men’s basketball tournament. The win was fueled by a balanced scoring effort from the entire starting lineup and led by Ace Baldwin Jr.’s 23 points and solid defensive efforts.

Penn State has now won four consecutive games against the Hoosiers, which is pretty remarkable given the two histories between the two programs overall and in head-to-head meetings over the years. After taking an earlier road game in Bloomington, Penn State has its first sweep of the Hoosier sin a regular season since 2009.

Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s latest win against the Hoosiers.

Hoosier daddy? Penn State continues winning ways against Indiana

Penn State basketball picked up another big home win with a victory over Indiana.

Maybe Penn State men’s basketball has one more run in them right before the end of the regular season. Days after pulling an upset of Illinois in Rec Hall, Penn State continued their winning ways at home on Saturday afternoon with an 83-74 victory over Indiana in the Bryce Jordan Center. [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led the way with 23 points and 9 assists with four rebounds and four steals.

The two teams played a back-and-forth first half for the most part, but the Nittany Lions went on a timely 8-1 run to close out the first half and managed to keep Indiana at bay for the remainder of the afternoon. The visiting Hoosiers did pull to within two points in the second half but a [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] three-pointer and a basket by [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] gave Penn State some breathing room and allowed them to put the game in a comfortable spot the rest of the way.

Penn State got a balanced offensive outing from its starting lineup with each starter scoring in double figures. [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Penn State basketball has now found the upper hand against Indiana on the basketball court it would seem. Penn State has won four in a row and five of the past six meetings with the Hoosiers, including a Big Ten tournament matchup last season.

This marks the first time since 2009 that Penn State completed a regular season sweep of Indiana. It also helped move Penn State up into 8th place in the updated Big Ten standings. Along with Iowa losing to Illinois on Saturday, the Nittany Lions moved up a spot ahead of the Hawkeyes.

And that sets up Penn State’s next game, which will carry a little more weight in the Big Ten tournament seeding outlook down the final stretch. Penn State visits Iowa on Tuesday evening.

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Puff Johnson helps Penn State pull off massive upset with late steal, layup

Former UNC basketball player Puff Johnson, who now plays for Penn State, helped his new team to a massive upset win on Wednesday night.

Puff Johnson is one of those basketball players I really wish worked out for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Puff, the younger brother of former UNC standout Cameron Johnson, only started two of the 65 games he played in Chapel Hill. Tar Heel fans got extended glimpses of Puff’s potential last year, but Hubert Davis’ failure to play his bench helped Puff decide to play at Penn State.

While we sometimes wish that former players could’ve stayed, we’re happy to see their success elsewhere.

During Wednesday’s game, Johnson got a late steal and converted on the layup to cut the Illinois lead to 2. It would also help setup a Nittany Lions’ 90-89 upset victory over ranked Illinois.

Puff finished his night with seven points, including a 3-of-3 mark on free throws.

For a Penn State (13-14, 7-9) squad that’s under .500 overall and in Big 10 play, this was a much-needed win. The Nittany Lions essentially need to win out, including the conference tournament, but this Quad 1 victory goes a long way towards that goal.

Puff has played significantly more minutes during his time in Happy Valley, starting 10 out of Penn State’s 23 games on the season. He’s scored in double-digits four times, with the most recent occurance coming on Jan. 20 against Ohio State.

Being a Pennsylvania native, I can imagine Puff is happy to be playing closer to home. I’m happy to see him succeed, as he provided our Tar Heels with rare, valuable depth it lacked last season.

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Penn State basketball can’t keep pace in loss at Nebraska (photos)

Penn State men’s basketball falls to two games under .500 after its latest road loss at Nebraska.

Penn State’s road woes on the basketball court continued to haunt them on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln, Nebraska. Penn State saw yet another loss on the road in Big Ten play as they came up short at Nebraska, 68-49. The loss dropped Penn State to two games under .500 with time running out in the regular season to string together any hope of playing in the NCAA tournament this season.

[autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] led the Nittany Lions with 13 points on a tough afternoon for the Penn State offense. [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] was the only other player to score in double figures for Penn State with 10 points. Penn State shot just 5-of-23 from three-point range and just 8-of-16 from the free point line.

Nebraska’s Keisei Tominaga led the Huskers with 17 points and hit timely shots to help stall any opportunity for momentum by Penn State. That included three three-pointers to help the Huskers pull away for the conference win.

Penn State will return home this week for a game against Illinois in Rec Hall on Wednesday.

Here are the best photos from Penn State’s loss at Nebraska on Saturday.