Penn State Vs. Northwestern Preview: Lions Seek a Big Ten Win Streak
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Penn State looks to begin its first Big Ten win streak of the Mike Rhoades era when it hosts Northwestern on Wednesday night. Coming off of a wild second-half comeback win over Michigan, the Lions are gaining some confidence, too.
Penn State and Northwestern both rely on strong guard play but play starkly different styles. Rhoades wants his team to work quickly and early in the shot clock, while Northwestern is among the nation’s slowest teams in terms of possessions per game. Here’s what you need to know about the Penn State-Northwestern game.
Penn State 8-7 (2-2) vs. Northwestern 11-3 (2-1)
When: 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)
Last meeting: Penn State 67-65 (OT) in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament
Series history: Penn State leads 38-20
KenPom rankings: Penn State is 113th; Northwestern is 56th
NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is 125th; Northwestern is 72nd
Betting odds: Northwestern is a 1.5-point favorite, per DraftKings
About the Lions: Penn State has been inconsistent enough to the point that it’s hard to discern the team’s true identity. When shots are falling, guard Kanye Clary (18.4 points per game) can orchestrate a high-powered and fast-paced offense. But the shots haven’t fallen very often this season, making the Lions a stagnant group tied for 308th in assists per game. Rhoades has insisted his team shoots better in practice, but until that shows up, it will need to find another form of production. Penn State is fully healthy now, a major positive, but is prone to slow starts. If nothing else, an aggressive defense should keep the Lions in games even without shots falling. Notable: Penn State has won five straight over Northwestern, all by seven points or less and the last two in overtime. The Lions are 19-6 vs. Northwestern at home.
About the Wildcats: Coach Chris Collins is turning Northwestern into a perennial NCAA Tournament contender. After a Round of 32 appearance last year, Collins got his star back with guard Boo Buie (18.1 points, 4.9 assists per game) to bolster another run. Buie can stuff the stat sheet, but the Wildcats have three other scorers who average double figures. They shoot the three at a high clip, protect the ball and have good size, though the rebounding margin (-1.9) doesn’t show it. Northwestern is coming off of a 14-point win against Michigan State and boasts an overtime win over No. 1 Purdue.
More on Penn State Basketball
Penn State Basketball on SI.com
Penn State scores key win over Michigan at the Palestra
Penn State gets stuck in East Lansing after loss to Michigan State
Nittany Lions flop in Big Ten visit to Michigan State
Penn State falls to Georgia Tech after an "inexcusable" foul call in overtime
Penn State rallies from big deficit to stun Ohio State
Penn State drops fifth straight game in overtime loss at Maryland
"We're in a rut," Mike Rhoades says after loss to Bucknell
Nittany Lions predictions for the 2023-24 season
Former Bucknell coach Pat Flannery joins NIL collective as general manager
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.
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network.
