How to Watch Penn State vs. USC Basketball: Time, TV Channel, Preview

Penn State seeks its second Big Ten win of the season as the Trojans make their first trip to State College.

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard L.J. Cason during a Big Ten basketball game. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Penn State men’s basketball returns to the Bryce Jordan Center for its annual THON game Sunday. USC is making its first trip to State College for the matchup.

THON is the world’s largest student-run philanthropy that raises money and awareness for the fight against childhood cancer. Proceeds go to Four Diamonds, the sole beneficiary of THON. From Feb. 20-22, the BJC will transform for THON weekend, a 46-hour, no-sleeping and no-sitting dance marathon. 

Penn State looks to get back into the win column before making its first trip to the Pacific Northwest to face Oregon and Washington. Here’s everything you need to know about the Penn State-USC matchup.

How to watch, stream Penn State vs. USC

Tipoff for Sunday’s matchup between the Nittany Lions and Trojans is set for noon ET on the Big Ten Network. Kevin Kugler and Bruce Weber will have the call. The game also is available to streak on the Fox Sports app.

If you can’t watch, the Penn State Sports Network has you covered with its radio broadcast featuring Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi.

About the Penn State-USC matchup

Penn State (10-13 overall, 1-11 Big Ten) ranks 133rd in the latest NCAA NET rankings and 134th according to the KenPom ratings. USC is 48th in the NCAA NET and 50th according to KenPom. USC has a 69.1-percent chance to win the game, according to ESPN Analytics.

Penn State leads the all-time series vs. USC 2-1, including a 70-61 win over the Trojans in the 1954 NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions made their only Final Four that year.

About the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo (4) dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard L.J. Cason (2) in the second half at Crisler Center. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Penn State had a tough showing in Ann Arbor on Thursday night, losing 110-69 to No. 2 Michigan. It was Penn State’s second 41-point loss of the season. The Nittany Lions lost their first Big Ten game 113-72 at Indiana in December.

The Nittany Lions dressed only eight players as injuries continue to impact the roster. Starters Eli Rice and Ivan Juric were both missing from the starting five, and Sasa Ciani and Tibor Mirtic also missed another game with injuries. 

Penn State did win its first conference game of the season last week against Minnesota. But without having much bench depth, it mightily struggled against Michigan. 

Freddie Dilione V and Josh Reed have been key veteran pieces who have stepped up offensively over the past few games. Kayden Mingo has been a key facilitator during times when he isn’t the leading scorer, and he had the winning basket against the Golden Gophers. 

Defensively, the Nittany Lions have been inconsistent, and rebounding has been a key reason why they find themselves in large deficits early. When Penn State can limit second-chance points early in games, it helps keep matchups close. That’s how the Nittany Lions maintained their lead against Minnesota.

If those key pieces to the lineup remain out, it will be interesting to see how coach Mike Rhoades manages the workload, particularly when fatigue sets in.

About the USC Trojans

USC Trojans guard Chad Baker-Mazara (4) celebrates at the end of the game vs. the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC won consecutive home games against Rutgers and Indiana before making the trip to Penn State. Before last year’s meeting in Los Angeles, Penn State and USC had not played each other since 2014. The first time they met was in the 1954 NCAA tournament. 

The Trojans have experienced several close games this season, with the last six being decided by single digits. USC is 3-3 in those games and is 4-3 on the road overall.

Leading the Trojans in scoring is Chad Baker-Mazara, who averages 18.3 points per game. The graduate student guard/forward was named to the midseason top 10 list for the Julius Erving Award for the second consecutive season. The award is given to the best small forward in college basketball each year. 

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