GameDay Preview: Huge Home Test for Hoosiers Against No. 9 Penn State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The roles have reversed in this basketball rivalry between Indiana and Penn State. Now it's the Nittany Lions who are the hunted.
Penn State (20-6) is now ranked No. 9 in the country in both polls, tied for the highest they've ever been ranked. They were No. 9 in February of 1996 and in the final poll in 1954. Indiana (17-9) is unranked and desperate for another home win against a ranked team to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive.
Indiana has beaten four ranked teams (Florida State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa) so far at home this season, tied for fourth-most in the country. They really could use a fifth.
Here are the particulars on the game:
- Who: Penn State Nittany Lions (20-6, 10-5 in the Big Ten) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (17-9, 7-8 in the Big Ten)
- When: Noon ET, Sunday, Feb. 23
- Where: Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall.
- Latest Line: Penn State is a 1-point favorite as of late Sunday morning, according to VegasInsiders.com. Indiana had opened as a 1-point favorite. As of 11 a.m. ET, 85 percent of the money wagered thus far is on Penn State.
- Poll rankings: Penn State is ranked No. 9 in the country in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, tied for the highest they've ever been ranked in the AP poll (1954, 1996). Indiana is not ranked.
- Kenpom.com rankings: Penn State is No. 15, Indiana is No. 39
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Announcers: Brandon Gaudin and Donny Marshall
- Radio: Indiana Radio Network
- Announcers: Don Fischer, Eric Suhr, Joe Smith
Here are three things to know about this game:
1. Hoosiers need to feed off win at Minnesota
Indiana got a rare road win at Minnesota, only its second of the year on the road in the big Ten, and looked good doing it, getting great games from inside guys Trayce Jackson Davis (career-high 27 points and 16 rebounds) and Race Thompson (9 points and 10 rebounds.
Penn State's front line is tough, and pushed around the Hoosiers in a 64-49 win at State College on Jan. 29. In recent Indiana losses, it's been a failure to rebound and control the glass that's made the difference, so Indiana needs to build off that fine performance giants the Gophers.
2. Home-court domination is critical
Indiana has beaten four ranked teams at home so far this season, beating Florida State, Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa. That's tied for fourth-best in the country. Penn State fits that mold as well, led by seniors Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins inside and plenty of weapons on the perimeter, including former Hoosiers Curtis Jones.
Indiana opened as a 1-point favorite in this game, but now the Lions are favored by 1. It's a toss-up for sure. With the NCAA tournament bid still not earned, winning at home is a big things for Indiana.
3. Rarified air for Nittany Lions in polls
Penn State has tied the highest ranking the program has ever earned this week. They were No. 13 last week and have now moved up in the polls four weeks in a row. Penn State had won eight Big Ten games in a row — something they've never done in their 27-year Big Ten history — before losing to Illinois 62-56 in State College on Tuesday.
Penn State had a three-game losing streak in January when Big Ten play started back up, losing at Rutgers, home against Wisconsin and at Minnesota. That's been the only time all year that they've lost consecutive games.
