Meet the Opponent: Penn State Goes For Season Sweep of Indiana on Saturday

Penn State got the best of Indiana at Assembly Hall in early February, beating the Hoosiers 85-71. Here's a look at what the Nittany Lions are bringing into Saturday's Big Ten matchup.

Dustin Schutte | Feb 23, 2024

Meet the Opponent: Penn State Goes For Season Sweep of Indiana on Saturday /

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Indiana heads to State College on Saturday for a rematch with Big Ten foe Penn State. The Nittany Lions got the best of the Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall earlier in the month, scoring an 85-71 victory in Bloomington.

Penn State found a rhythm from behind the 3-point line, knocking down 12-of-22 shots from long range. Ace Baldwin Jr. scored 22 points and Jameel Brown came off the bench to give the Nittany Lions 14. Indiana had no answer for the hot shooting.

Saturday, Penn State gets an opportunity to sweep the season series against Indiana. Here's a full breakdown of the Nittany Lions.

Key returners

(2023-24 stats)

G Kanye Clary: 18.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, 37.8 3-pt FG%

Dismissed from team by coach Mike Rhoades

G Jameel Brown: 4.9 ppg, 36.7 3-pt FG%
F Demetrius Lilley: 2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 71.0 FG%

Key departures

(2022-23 stats)

Head coach: Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame)
G Jalen Pickett: 17.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.6 apg, 38.1 3-pt FG%
G Seth Lundy: 14.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 40.0 3-pt FG%
G Andrew Funk: 12.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 41.2 3-pt FG%
G Camren Wynter: 8.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 40.2 3-pt FG%
G Myles Dread: 5.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 38.4 3-pt FG%
F Kebba Njie: 3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 52.0 FG%
F Evan Mahaffey: 2.8 ppg, 56.9 FG%
F Michael Henn: 2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 49.1 FG%
G Caleb Dorsey: 2.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
G Dallion Johnson: 2.0 ppg, 29.7 3-pt FG%

Key newcomers

(2023-24 stats)

Head coach: Mike Rhoades (three NCAA Tournament bids in six seasons at VCU)
G Ace Baldwin Jr. (VCU): 13.9 ppg, 5.6 apg, 2.8 spg, 33.9 3-pt FG%
C Qudus Wahab (Georgetown): 9.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 63.2 FG%
G Nicholas Kern Jr. (VCU): 8.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 55.8 FG%
F Zach Hicks (Temple): 8.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg
G D'Marco Dunn (North Carolina): 7.1 ppg, 34.7 3-pt FG%
G/F Puff Johnson (North Carolina): 6.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg

Schedule (13-14, 7-9 in Big Ten)

W, 79-45 vs. Delaware State
W, 74-65 vs. Lehigh
W, 83-53 vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
W, 74-51 vs. Morehead State
L, 89-77 vs. Texas A&M (neutral site in Florida)
L, 88-78 vs. Butler (neutral site in Florida)
L, 86-74 vs. VCU (neutral site in Florida)
L, 76-67 vs. Bucknell
L, 81-75 (OT) at Maryland
W, 83-80 vs. Ohio State
L, 82-81 vs. Georgia Tech
W, 72-55 vs. Le Moyne
W, 90-63 vs. Rider
L, 92-61 at Michigan State
W, 79-73 vs. Michigan
L, 76-72 vs. Northwestern
L, 95-78 at Purdue
W, 87-83 vs. Wisconsin
L, 79-67 at Ohio State
L, 83-74 vs. Minnesota
W, 61-46 at Rutgers
W, 85-71 at Indiana
W, 89-79 vs. Iowa
L, 68-63 at Northwestern
L, 80-72 vs. Michigan State
L, 68-49 at Nebraska
W, 90-89 vs. Illinois

Mike Woodson's history against Penn State

L, 85-71 vs. Penn State on Feb. 3, 2024 at Assembly Hall
L, 77-73 vs. Penn State on March 11, 2023 in Big Ten Tournament semifinal
L 85-66 at Penn State on Jan. 11, 2023 at the Bryce Jordan Center
W, 74-57 vs. Penn State on Jan. 26, 2022 at Assembly Hall
L, 61-58 at Penn State on Jan. 2, 2022 at the Bryce Jordan Center

Penn State's Ace Baldwin Jr. (1) celebrates his three-pointer during the second half of the Indiana versus Penn State men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. — Rich Janzaruk / Herald Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Strengths

With Kanye Clary's dismissal, Penn State's backcourt isn't quite as dynamic as it was earlier in the year, but the play of Baldwin has helped the Nittany Lions get some key wins this season. He's been a force on both ends of the court, averaging 13.9 points, 5.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Rhoades raves about Baldwin's competitiveness, saying he'll do whatever it takes to win.

Penn State is also one of the most active defensive teams in the country. The Nittany Lions pressure the basketball well and force plenty of turnovers, especially when implementing a full-court press. Penn State ranks 19th nationally in forced turnovers per game this season (15.3 per game).

Rhoades' squad is also effective at defending the 3-point line this season. Opponents are shooting just 31.1% from long range against Penn State this season, the best defensive average in the Big Ten this season.

Weaknesses

Perhaps the biggest concern with Penn State this season has been on the glass. The Nittany Lions rank 338th nationally in rebounding this season, collecting just 31.2 per game. Qudus Wahab has been the most effective on the boards with 7.4 per contest, but the team effort has been lacking this season.

The Nittany Lions also struggle to consistently knock down shots from 3-point range. They have the capability to get hot, but they're shooting just 33% from long distance this season. Brown has the best percentage at 36.7% on the season. D'Marco Dunn is also hitting from long range at a nearly-35% clip.

Season outlook

Although Penn State is below .500, this can still be considered a successful first season for Rhoades and his team, at least to this point. The Nittany Lions have pulled off upsets of Wisconsin and Illinois, while also picking up road wins against Rutgers and Indiana this year.

Penn State was a team picked to finish 13th in the conference this season, considering all the departures from last year's squad. Yet with a 7-9 mark in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions are currently at No. 9 in the standings with a chance to move up.

The NCAA Tournament may be off the table for Rhoades and his team, but there's still a possibility of a spot in the NIT with a strong finish to the year. Considering the roller coaster season its been in State College, that would be a huge victory for the program.