Can Rec Hall Help Revive Penn State Basketball?
Penn State basketball needs a jolt. Can Rec Hall provide one for both teams?
Penn State will host a unique pair of Big Ten basketball games this week at Rec Hall, the former home of its men and women's programs that sits on the opposite end of campus. The Penn State men's team hosts 12th-ranked Illinois on Tuesday in its first Rec Hall game since 2015. On Wednesday night, the Penn State women host No. 2 Ohio State in their first Rec Hall game since moving to the Bryce Jordan Center in 1996. Both games arrive at critical junctures on the Penn State basketball schedule.
Only a few weeks ago, Penn State basketball rode a promising wave. The men's team had won three straight games, including consecutive road victories over Rutgers and Indiana, to begin a climb in the Big Ten standings. But the Nittany Lions since have lost three straight, producing a season-low 49 points in a road loss at Nebraska on Sunday.
Then on Monday, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades announced that Kanye Clary, the team's leading scorer, no longer is with the team. Rhoades called it a "coach's decision."
Meanwhile, the Penn State women had forged an even stronger path. The Lady Lions went 7-1 in January, winning six straight games, to push themselves into the upper-third of the Big Ten. At one point, Penn State was 7-3 in the Big Ten and building a strong resume toward its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years. However, the Lady Lions haven't won yet in February, losing five straight after also losing one of their top players to injury.
Guard Tay Valladay sustained a season-ending injury against Minnesota on Jan. 31, the last game Penn State won. Since then, the Lady Lions (16-10) fell at home to Michigan, lost road games at Iowa and Wisconsin and dropped a 15-point decision to Maryland. Now, Penn State faces a stiff test from Ohio State, which has supplanted Iowa as the nation's second-ranked team. Ohio State has won 12 straight games, six on the road, and is 13-1 in the Big Ten.
Penn State still is positioned for an NCAA Tournament run (ESPN's bracketology has the team seeded 10th), but the margin of error is closing. The Lady Lions need to end the losing streak before heading to the Big Ten Tournament.
Penn State hosts Ohio State at 6 p.m. Thursday at Rec Hall. As for the Penn State men, here's a look at their game vs. Illinois.
Penn State (12-14, 6-9) vs. No. 12 Illinois (19-6, 10-4)
When: 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday
Where: Rec Hall, State College, Pennsylvania
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)
Series history: Illinois leads 32-22
Last meeting: Penn State 79-76 in March 2023
KenPom rankings: Penn State is No. 93; Illinois is No. 9
NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is No. 99; Illinois is No. 12
About the Nittany Lions: Rhoades didn't expect his first season at Penn State to go friction-free, especially since he quickly had to meld 10 transfers and three returning players into a cohesive group. That's been tough and has required what Rhoades called "tough decisions." One was parting ways with Clary, who led the team in scoring through 26 games. "This isn’t my first time starting a program," Rhoades said. "It’s always changing. Things are different, some things you expect to happen, some things surprise you, but it’s how you react to it. The most important thing is the program, building a program on all the right stuff." In the short term, this is now point guard Ace Baldwin Jr.,'s team. Baldwin had played well in Clary's absence before the trip to Minnesota, where he went 4-for-11 and turned over the ball three times. D'Marco Dunn, who has started the past six games, will continue to expand his role with Clary gone. Dunn also looks to rebound after going 3-for-11 at Nebraska.
About the Illini: Illinois has won five of its last six games and is the Big Ten's winningest team since 2020, but the Nittany Lions have been a thorn recently. Illinois has lost three straight to Penn State, including a 3-point decision in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. Illinois brings the Big Ten's third-ranked offense to Rec Hall, led by conference player of the week Terrence Shannon Jr. Shannon, a 6-6 guard, averages 21.4 points per game and 25.4 over his last six. Marcus Domask has reached double figures in 18 of his last 19 games and forms the Big Ten's top scoring tandem with Shannon. Illinois is the Big Ten's top rebounding team and has the third-ranked rebounding defense. Penn State ranks 13th in both categories, giving Illinois a decided advantage.
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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.
