Suddenly, Penn State Is on a Hot Streak in Big Ten Basketball

The Nittany Lions test their three-game win streak on the road against the Northwestern Wildcats.

Suddenly, Penn State is one of the Big Ten's hottest teams. The Nittany Lions bring a three-game conference win streak to Northwestern on Sunday, seeking a season split against the Wildcats. Penn State men's basketball is playing its fourth road date in six games, having shaken the road jitters that affected it earlier this season. 

The Nittany Lions began the Big Ten season 0-4 on the road before consecutive wins against Rutgers and Indiana. Now, Penn State is looking for its third straight road win and its first four-game Big Ten win streak since the 2019-2020 season. Here's what to expect from Penn State vs. Northwestern.

Penn State (12-11, 6-6) vs. Northwestern (16-7, 7-5)

When: 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Ill.

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)

Series history: Penn State leads 38-21

Last meeting: Northwestern 76-72

KenPom rankings: Penn State is No. 87; Northwestern is No. 48

NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is No. 95; Northwestern is No. 55

About the Nittany Lions: Penn State's three-game win streak moved it into the top 100 of the KenPom rankings, a notable milestone for head coach Mike Rhoades. No guarantee the Nittany Lions will stay there, but Rhoades has them playing their most consistent basketball of the season. In an 89-79 win over Iowa, Penn State shot 52.2 percent from 3-point range, well above its season average of 32.2 percent. Not surprisingly, the Lions' three-game win streak is the product of better shooting. The team averaged 49.4 percent in those three games, boosting its season average to 44.1 percent. In addition, Penn State has allowed an average of 65.3 points per game during this run, benefiting from Rutgers' withering 46-point performance. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is on fire, averaging 19.7 points and 8 assists over the last three games. He's shooting at a 56.3-percent clip while averaging 3.7 steals. Leading scorer Kanye Clary returned against Iowa after a two-game absence but did not start and played under 18 minutes. How Rhoades handles Clary's minutes will be something to watch at Northwestern.

About the Wildcats: Northwestern is 6-0 in Big Ten home games with strong recent wins over Nebraska (80-68), Ohio State (83-58) and 10th-ranked Illinois (96-91 in overtime). At Penn State in January, Northwestern rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit with an assertive 15-0 run to punctuate a 4-point victory. The Wildcats shot a season-high 61.4 percent to overcome a season-high 18 turnovers in that game. Like Penn State's Baldwin, Northwestern guard Boo Buie is on a scoring tear, averaging 23 points over his last five games. Buie needs 22 to become the second Northwestern player to reach 2,000 career points. Guard Brooks Barnhizer rattled Penn State for 23 in State College and is coming off consecutive double-doubles.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.