Penn State aims for fourth straight win against Northwestern on Sunday
The Penn State Nittany Lions are set for another roadtrip on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Evanston to take on Northwestern at Welsh Ryan Arena. Mike Rhoades and company have found their stride in early February, picking up three straight conference wins over Rutgers, Indiana and Iowa. The Nittany Lions will look to notch their fourth consecutive triumph on Sunday, which would tie the largest win streak of the season, after starting the year 4-0.
Last time out, Penn State produced its largest point total in a Big Ten game this season, knocking off Iowa 89-79 in Happy Valley. Ace Baldwin continues to shine in the absence of Kanye Clary, averaging 19.6 points and seven assists per game across those three outings. Jameel Brown and D'Marco Dunn have also come on strong of late during Penn State's recent hot streak.
Penn State has climbed back .500 in conference play with a record of 6-6, along with a 12-11 overall mark for the season.
Northwestern is looking to continue its rebound after having snapped a two-game skid last time out against Nebraska. The Wildcats are 16-7 on the year, with a 7-5 mark in Big Ten play, which has them inside the top four. Northwestern's only home loss to date was a head scratcher against Chicago State, but have taken care of Purdue and Illinois inside Welsh Ryan.
Sunday's matchup will be the second of the season between Penn State and Northwestern, with the Wildcats taking the first game 76-72 in Happy Valley.
WHERE, WHEN, HOW TO WATCH
WHEN: February 11th, 2024 - 1:00 p.m. ET
WHERE: Welsh Ryan Arena (7,039) -- Evanston, Illinois
TV/STREAM: BTN
Radio: Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
STAT COMPARISON
| Penn State | STAT | Northwestern |
|---|---|---|
|
76.5 (114) |
PS/G |
75.2 (153) |
|
73.5 (233) |
PA/G |
70.0 (125) |
|
44.1% (221) |
FG% |
47.3% (53) |
|
52.1% (111) |
2P% |
51.9% (119) |
|
32.4% (243) |
3P% |
39.6% (7) |
|
74.3% (82) |
FT% |
72.1% (164) |
|
34.5 (344) |
REB/G |
32.3 (359) |
|
9.91 (221) |
O-REB/G |
8.22 (316) |
|
1.14 (158) |
AST/TO RATIO |
1.83 (6) |
|
70.1 (62) |
TEMPO |
64.6 (327) |
|
1.125 (75) |
OFF EFF |
1.168 (31) |
|
1.033 (114) |
DEF EFF |
1.016 (83) |
RANKINGS COMPARISON
| TEAM | KenPom | ESPN BPI | Haslam | NET | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Penn State |
87 |
100 |
70 |
95 |
88 |
|
Northwestern |
48 |
43 |
40 |
55 |
46.5 |
Who is Penn State's projected starting five?
| Position | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
14.0 |
2.0 |
5.3 |
|
|
G |
17.9 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
|
|
F |
7.1 |
3.4 |
1.0 |
|
|
F |
7.5 |
4.0 |
1.5 |
|
|
C |
9.7 |
8.0 |
0.6 |
Kanye Clary is once again questionable for today's game after taking an elbow to the face on January 27 against Minnesota.
Who is Iowa's projected starting five?
| Position | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
19.0 |
3.4 |
5.4 |
|
|
G |
11.6 |
3.9 |
1.4 |
|
|
F |
12.0 |
3.3 |
2.6 |
|
|
G |
14.5 |
6.7 |
2.8 |
|
|
F |
5.0 |
3.9 |
1.7 |
Penn State vs Northwestern Four Factors
| TEAM | Eff. FG% | Turnover % | Off. Reb % | FT RATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Penn State |
50.7% |
15.2% |
27.4% |
34.8 |
|
Northwestern |
54.6% |
13.8% |
25.5% |
28.2 |
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel