Penn State Sports Magazine
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M get on the floor, run through somebody and get their hands on the ball. In doing so, Rhoades zeroed in on what could prove to be a differentiating factor. For this group, one that is lean- ing on experienced players with some size disparity, the tie-ups and loose-ball rebounds are critical to success. "We've been working on rebounding and eating the basketball. We've gotten killed on the glass this year," Rhoades said. "We have to have an overachiev- ing spirit this year. I don't think we always have that. And we have to get loose balls. We've got to come up with a one-on-one, weak-side rebound. We've got to get a point guard in there, rip a rebound, and draw a foul. Stuff like that. "That's the overachieving mentality we have to have. That's who we are. Be- cause there are times when we're a little bit outmanned. How do you overcome that? Hopefully, with the press, getting deflections, getting turnovers. But then coming up with a 50-50 ball that you don't think we can get, or we didn't get earlier in the year, that's huge." ■ Three Stars 1. Kanye Clary | G | So. Clary produced a career-high 29 points in a win over Rider Dec. 29 and hasn't let up in the time since. A dynamic scorer for the Nittany Lions this season, Clary rattled off 21, 18, 25 and 16 points in the first four Big Ten games of the 2024 calendar year. At 18.6 points per game, Clary was No. 58 nationally in scoring as of mid-January, good for fifth in the conference. 2. Ace Baldwin | G | Sr. A huge spark in the Nittany Lions' win over Michigan, leading the team with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go along with 4 assists and 3 steals, Baldwin remains a mercurial presence on the floor. His performance against the Wolver- ines followed a brutal effort in a lopsided loss at Michigan State, but he amassed a combined 13 steals, 18 assists and 13 points in the next two games against Northwestern and Purdue. In the process, he became the first Big Ten player since Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves in 1997-98 to have performances with 8 steals, 13 assists and 25 points in one season. 3. Nick Kern Jr. | G | Jr. Struggling to find his footing as a starter through the first three weeks of the season, Kern has shined in the new year. His 14 points against Northwestern, followed by 18 points in a loss at Purdue, repre- sented successive season highs in scoring. More important, his assertiveness restored, Kern's performances warrant optimism toward future dynamism from the VCU transfer. Key Moment Let down by poor shooting from beyond the arc in the first half against Northwestern (1 of 10), Penn State didn't fare much better in the second. Junior forward Zach Hicks missed his fifth shot in five attempts immedi- ately out of the gates, and the Nittany Lions suddenly found themselves relying on trips to the free-throw line to score points. Struggling with uncharacteristic turnovers as well, the Nittany Lions converted just 3 shots from the field in the first 11 minutes of the second half and suffered a 76- 72 loss. In the midst of what amounted to a 19-2 Northwestern run, Rhoades voiced his displeasure over officiating that left his side boxed-in offen- sively. The Lions were unable to hit shots from deep, finishing just 3 of 17 for the game from three-point range, and they also missed layups and shots close to the basket. Making matters worse, they found themselves unable to get back to the foul line. The breaking point came when Rhoades picked up a technical foul for arguing calls. The coach said afterward that he wasn't trying to motivate his team, but he added that "obvious is obvious." The picture that emerged was of a convergence of letdowns. "I thought we stood around on offense in the second half too much, standing there watching one guy dribble. When we did move the ball, we got downhill, we drew fouls, we got open threes," he said. "But then we got stuck in the mud too much and turned it over. Then we had a couple of steals we didn't finish, and there you go. Good teams take advantage of that." Best Highlight Forcing a barrage of Michigan turnovers at the Palestra, Penn State transformed a halftime deficit by pairing its defensive prowess with made shots. Trading jabs between media timeouts, the Nittany Lions finally crested the hump as Clary and junior guard D'Marco Dunn started to cook. Jolted into action by Clary, who produced 12 second-half points after a difficult first half, the Nittany Lions bounced back. Effectively employing dialed-up defensive pres- sure, the Nittany Lions continued to force turnovers as the juiced-up crowd at the Palestra finally found reason for frenzy nearing the 12-minute mark. At last, with Penn State trailing 49-48, a Dunn three-pointer off an assist from graduate forward Leo O'Boyle gave Penn State its first lead of the af- ternoon. The Lions wouldn't relinquish it the rest of the way, limiting their turnovers, winning 50-50 balls, and maintaining their defensive pressure en route to the 79-73 win. Bold Prediction Through the first six games of Big Ten play, a trend has emerged that is likely to remain as the heart of the conference schedule arrives. And it's not going to be to Penn State's liking. Brutalized at Michigan State, 92-61, the Nittany Lions' next road result was a 95-78 loss at No. 1 Purdue on Jan. 13. For a group of players who are navigating Big Ten road venues for the very first time in the majority of cases, Penn State has seven trips remaining that are likely to produce similar results. Future conference opponents have a combined home record of 64-8 (.889 winning percentage) this season and are likely to maintain that success against this Penn State team. — Nate Bauer PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL SUPERLATIVES DEC. 6-JAN. 13 Junior guard Nick Kern Jr. posted successive season-high scoring marks in Penn State's mid-January games versus Northwestern (14 points) and at Purdue (18). PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL