Penn State 'Pretty Close' to Becoming an NCAA Tournament Contender, Coach Says

The Nittany Lions, already playing among the nation's toughest schedules, brace for another difficult stretch.

Penn State began the season 0-5 in the Big Ten, had its January schedule uprooted by COVID-19 and now faces another grueling stretch of games.

Yet interim coach Jim Ferry looks at his team, and the schedule, and sees an NCAA tournament contender.

"Yeah, I think we can develop into one," Ferry said Tuesday during his weekly media availability. "I think we're pretty close right now."

Penn State (5-6, 2-5 Big Ten) returns to the court Wednesday at No. 13 Ohio State (7 p.m., BTN) needing a resume-building win. The Lions capped a difficult four-game week at 2-2, winning their first conference games over Rutgers and Northwestern, and enter a stretch that will help determine their fate.

After visiting Ohio State, the Lions meet No. 10 Wisconsin for a home-and-home set of games Saturday and Feb. 2. The Ohio State game replaces a previously scheduled home date against No. 4 Michigan, which paused all athletic activities until further notice.

Ferry said that fellow Big Ten coaches texted to congratulate Penn State for the "unbelievable job" the team did playing four games in seven days last week. The Lions lost the first two but regained their footing against Rutgers and Northwestern.

Now's the time for Penn State to get rolling. Despite its record, Penn State remains a top-40 team in the NCAA's NET Rankings, meaning a winning streak could deliver some hope for a tournament bid. At No. 39, the Lions are a bubble contender.

Their strength is in their strength of schedule. According to KenPom.com and Teamrankings.com, Penn State currently holds the nation's second-toughest schedule. Previously, the Lions had been No. 1.

That schedule still includes the next three games against ranked teams, along with the rescheduled home date with Michigan, a trip to No. 7 Iowa and a home game vs. No. 17 Minnesota.

"We’ve had the hardest schedule in the country," Ferry said. "We’ve had some good wins. We've got a lot of opportunity ahead of us. We have to continue to play better. We have to continue to get better."

Injury Update

Ferry said guard Myles Dread, injured Jan. 19 against Illinois, remains day-to-day. Dread missed the last two games but participated in drills Monday and was expected to travel with the team to Ohio State.

Dread averages 21.4 minutes and made the game-winning 3-pointer against VCU in December. It was his third career game-winning shot.

"He's played in a lot of big games for us, made a lot of big shots," Ferry said. "He's a big factor in what we can do."

Penn State (5-6) vs. No. 13 Ohio State (12-4)

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Columbus, Ohio

TV: Big Ten Network

Betting Line: Ohio State is an 8-point favorite

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