Penn State Vs. Iowa Preview: Lions Seek Another Sweep
Penn State men's basketball takes a two-game win streak on the road Tuesday, when it visits Iowa for a late start (9 p.m. on Big Ten Network). The Nittany Lions turned a bit of a corner last week, winning a pair of home games (one at Rec Hall, the other at the Bryce Jordan Center) following a three-game losing streak.
It's an important week for Penn State, which could continue building an NIT resume with at least a split in road games at Iowa and Minnesota. Here's what to watch in, and how to watch, the Penn State vs. Iowa game.
Penn State (14-14, 8-9) vs. Iowa (16-12, 8-9)
When: 9 p.m. ET Tuesday
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)
Series history: Iowa leads 33-21
Last meeting: Penn State 89-79 on Feb. 8
KenPom rankings: Penn State is No. 91; Iowa is No. 49
NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is No. 96; Iowa is No. 60
About the Nittany Lions: Mike Rhoades made an important point about chemistry over the weekend. After his team defeated Indiana at home, the Penn State men's basketball coach noted that he saw better blending on the court, using an interesting metaphor to describe the Nittany Lions.
“I think we've come a long way with chemistry," Rhoades said. "We had 24 baskets, 14 assists. I thought we had — we call them hockey assists — a great pass that leads to an assist. I thought we had a bunch of those today. You saw the ball get reversed today. And when that happens, we like to say share the sugar, and guys we're sharing the sugar today and different guys were scoring because of it, different guys were getting to the foul line because of the ball being hot.”
All five Penn State starters hit double figures in the 83-74 win over the Hoosiers. The offense made a noticeable shift this season when point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. became the focal point, starting against Rutgers at the end of January due to then-starter Kanye Clary’s absence with injury. Baldwin scored at least 15 points, dished at least six assists and played at least 36 minutes in an impressive three-game win streak.
It hasn’t come without bumps, as Penn State fell on its second losing streak of at least three games right after the stretch of wins. But Baldwin is a bonafide star who could return for an extra year of eligibility, while guys like Zach Hicks and Nick Kern Jr. have started to really hit their stride with a fast-paced and unselfish offensive style.
Regarding 6-10 forward Demetrius Lilley, who has missed the past five games, Rhoades said Monday that he would be a game-time decision.
About the Hawkeyes: Indiana couldn't avoid the regular-season sweep against Penn State. Now, it's Iowa's turn. Penn State hasn't swept a season series against the Hawkeyes since 2017. Further, coach Fran McCaffery's team is 15-1 against the Nittany Lions at Carver-Hawkeye. Iowa shot the ball pretty well at Penn State on Feb. 8 (55.9 percent overall, 65.5 percent in the second half) but wasn't great from 3-point range (26.7 percent) and committed 18 turnovers. Iowa blends its scoring among four starters who average in double figures; Ben Krikke had 22 in the last meeting. This is a scoring team (83.5 points per game, third in the Big Ten) that moves with a lot of possessions. Penn State covered that well last time, forcing the turnovers and scoring 14 points off them.
More on Penn State Basketball
Penn State Basketball on SI.com
Penn State completes regular-season sweep of Indiana
Penn State stuns No. 12 Illinois at Rec Hall
Penn State parts ways with top scorer Kanye Clary
Penn State's offense falls flat in loss to Nebraska
Penn State lets an opportunity slide at Northwestern
Ace Baldwin Jr. leads Penn State to third straight win
Penn State scores first road win at Indiana since 2014
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
