After a promising 2023-24 campaign, year two of the Mike Rhoades era in Happy Valley begins tonight as Penn State Basketball hosts the Binghamton Bearcats.
Here’s what you can expect...
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NITTANY LIONS WILL WIN HANDEDLY....
The Nittany Lions are 19.5 point favorites and rank 250 spots better in KenPom’s preseason rankings (Penn State 61st, Binghamton 311th). KenPom projects an 83-62 for Penn State. The Bearcats played two power five opponents last season, Northwestern and Pitt, losing both by double digits. Binghamton slots in at 6th place in the America East conference preseason poll with no preseason All-Conference players.
KONAN NIEDERHAUSER WILL DOMINATE....
Yanic Konan Niederhauser will be the X-factor tonight for the Nittany Lions. The Northern Illinois transfer is listed at 7’0” 250 lbs and averaged seven points per game last season. He led the Nittany Lions in scoring in both preseason scrimmages, with 14 against Villanova and 15 against Lafayette. Binghamton’s two tallest players, Ben Callahan-Gold and Gavin Walsh, are only listed at 6’8”. Don’t be surprised if the Penn State center reaches double-digit points in the first half.
SMOTHERING DEFENSE....
Coach Rhoades has a reputation for being one of the better defensive-minded coaches in the country. In 2019, Coach Rhoades's second year as a head coach at VCU, the Rams had the 7th best defense in the nation per KenPom’s efficiency rankings. In the rest of his time at VCU, the Rams were in the top 15 in the country defensively every year but one, in which they were still top 50. Superstar point guard Ace Baldwin will be the backbone of this year’s Nittany Lions defense. The fifth-year senior won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season and will be a strong candidate to win National Defensive Player of the Year this season.
HOW TO WATCH....
Tickets for tonight’s game at the Bryce Jordan Center are selling for as low as $1. The game will also be streaming on B1G+.
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