Penn State Vs. Maryland Basketball Preview: How to Watch, Stream
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How to judge this Penn State men's basketball season? Coach Mike Rhoades loaded plenty of drama into his first year with the Nittany Lions, one that still largely went better than expected. Penn State closes the regular season at home Sunday against Maryland, capping an oddly timed bye week. Yet it gave Rhoades time to reflect on Year One.
"This has been a rewarding season watching some of our guys really improve and get better and have to throw them in the fire," Rhoades told reporters at his weekly media availability. "We’ve had some guys have some personal challenges, playing out of position, guarding different guys. The way competed and battled says a lot about some of the guys we have in our program. I love that part of it.
"I also think as a team, especially since Christmastime, we’ve improved tremendously. That’s a credit to the players, especially when you go through some really tough stretches. We just haven't been a consistent enough team to win consistently. … We’ve had some significant wins that we can build upon, but we also know that it’s such a thin line, and our margin of error is so thin, that to become a consistent winner we have to take a huge step moving forward."
Can the Nittany Lions take one of those steps Sunday before heading to the 2024 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament? Previewing Penn State's game vs. Maryland on Senior Day.
Penn State (14-16, 8-11) vs. Maryland (15-15, 7-12)
When: 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)
KenPom rankings: Penn State is No. 84; Maryland is No. 53
NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is No. 95; Maryland is No. 72
Series history: Maryland leads 17-15
Last meeting: Maryland 81-75 (OT) in December 2023
About the Nittany Lions: Senior Day arrives with two interesting decisions on the horizon. Starters Ace Baldwin Jr. and Puff Johnson are eligible to return for the 2024-25 season and would provide a key base for Rhoades' second team. They haven't announced decisions yet, but Rhoades would like both to return. "Anytime you can stay older, that always helps," Rhoades said. "We've had some discussions, but the focus is more on finishing strong here and going to the conference tournament. We’ll have those discussions when they need to be had for sure." Johnson in particular would provide a huge boost. The point guard has built a resume worthy of consideration for Big Ten defensive player of the year. He leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally in steals (83) and averages 2.77 per game. If that holds, Baldwin will average more steals per game than any Big Ten player over the last 31 years. And don't try the pick-and-roll against Baldwin. According to Penn State, Baldwin has forced turnovers vs. 33 percent of the pick-and-roll plays he has faced this season.
About the Terrapins: Like Penn State, Maryland is fighting to avoid a first-round game in the Big Ten tournament. The Lions and Terps are among the bottom four seeds right now, though the final scenarios are fluid. Meanwhile, Maryland looks for the season sweep over Penn State. In December, Maryland punctuated Penn State's longest losing streak of the season (five games) by winning 81-75 in overtime. That kicked off a five-game win streak for the Terps, who have won just six games since. Jahmir Young (20.9 points per game) is the player Pen State seeks to stop offensively. Maryland's recent results in State College haven't been great; Penn State has a six-game home win streak vs. the Terps.
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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.
