Penn State Vs. Northwestern Preview: Lions Seek a Big Ten Win Streak

The Nittany Lions have won five straight vs. the Wildcats, the last two in overtime.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Penn State looks to begin its first Big Ten win streak of the Mike Rhoades era when it hosts Northwestern on Wednesday night. Coming off of a wild second-half comeback win over Michigan, the Lions are gaining some confidence, too.

Penn State and Northwestern both rely on strong guard play but play starkly different styles. Rhoades wants his team to work quickly and early in the shot clock, while Northwestern is among the nation’s slowest teams in terms of possessions per game. Here’s what you need to know about the Penn State-Northwestern game.

Penn State 8-7 (2-2) vs. Northwestern 11-3 (2-1)

When: 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday

Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)

Last meeting: Penn State 67-65 (OT) in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament

Series history: Penn State leads 38-20

KenPom rankings: Penn State is 113th; Northwestern is 56th

NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is 125th; Northwestern is 72nd

Betting odds: Northwestern is a 1.5-point favorite, per DraftKings

About the Lions: Penn State has been inconsistent enough to the point that it’s hard to discern the team’s true identity. When shots are falling, guard Kanye Clary (18.4 points per game) can orchestrate a high-powered and fast-paced offense. But the shots haven’t fallen very often this season, making the Lions a stagnant group tied for 308th in assists per game. Rhoades has insisted his team shoots better in practice, but until that shows up, it will need to find another form of production. Penn State is fully healthy now, a major positive, but is prone to slow starts. If nothing else, an aggressive defense should keep the Lions in games even without shots falling. Notable: Penn State has won five straight over Northwestern, all by seven points or less and the last two in overtime. The Lions are 19-6 vs. Northwestern at home.

About the Wildcats: Coach Chris Collins is turning Northwestern into a perennial NCAA Tournament contender. After a Round of 32 appearance last year, Collins got his star back with guard Boo Buie (18.1 points, 4.9 assists per game) to bolster another run. Buie can stuff the stat sheet, but the Wildcats have three other scorers who average double figures. They shoot the three at a high clip, protect the ball and have good size, though the rebounding margin (-1.9) doesn’t show it. Northwestern is coming off of a 14-point win against Michigan State and boasts an overtime win over No. 1 Purdue.

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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.

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