Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
4 8 A P R I L 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M THREE STARS 1. D'Marco Dunn | G | Sr. The closing stretch of Dunn's college career was excellent and, in many respects, integral to Penn State winning three of its last five games. Begin- ning with a 17-point effort against Nebraska and ending with 25 points at Wisconsin in the team's season finale, Dunn knocked down 28 of 39 shots from the floor (71.8 percent) and 10 of his final 17 three-point attempts (58.8 percent). 2. Yanic Konan Niederhauser | F | Jr. For Konan Niederhauser, the trick was manag- ing to stay on the floor. Frequently a victim of foul trouble that would force him out of games through much of the Big Ten schedule, the big man reversed course down the stretch. He aver- aged 16.4 points per game over the last five, play- ing 32.2 minutes per game, well above his season average of 25.1 minutes. 3. Ace Baldwin Jr. | G | Gr. As disappointing as some of Baldwin's critical game-ending performances proved to be through the heart of the Big Ten schedule, his play late in the season was instrumental. Hindered during much of the conference season by a lower-back injury, he averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 assists per game in the Nittany Lions' last five contests. KEY MOMENT Faced with a choice between focusing on the future or participating in either the NIT or the new College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas, Penn State opted to begin its preparations for the 2025-26 season. The Nittany Lions weren't alone. Several other similarly positioned teams made the same deci- sion, with South Carolina, LSU, Indiana and North- western all declining spots in the NIT. What's next for Penn State is a deep dive into the transfer portal. With five seniors departing and three other players entering the transfer portal, the Nittany Lions will have at least five scholarships to offer. The Lions finished their season at 16-15 overall, including a 10-1 mark in the nonconference slate and a 6-14 record against Big Ten competition. BEST HIGHLIGHT In their final college game, Baldwin, Dunn, guard Nick Kern Jr. and forward Zach Hicks com- bined to help Penn State pull off an 86-75 road upset of No. 12 Wisconsin. Baldwin finished with 9 assists and 8 points, while Kern and Hicks scored 12 and 14 points, respectively. Dunn, meanwhile, produced a career-best offensive per- formance, scoring a team-high 25 points on 10- of-12 shooting from the floor, including a 4-of-5 mark from beyond the arc. In addition to the strong showing by its seniors, Penn State got 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks from Konan Niederhauser. The Nittany Lions finished with 21 assists on 31 makes, a per- formance that helped them win in Madison for the first time since 1995. Penn State went into the season finale knowing that it was going to be shut out of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, but coach Mike Rhoades said afterward that his players had more than enough motivation to perform well against the Badgers. "It's like going to the playground on a Saturday against the older guys. You show up and you play for pride," Rhoades said. "If you're a true basket- ball player, anytime you get to put the uniform on, no matter what we have next week, you've got to have a level of pride as a competitor. I'm proud of the guys, because they had pride today." BOLD PREDICTION Penn State will work aggressively in the portal to provide immediate help to an otherwise youthful roster for next season. With Baldwin and Carter leaving, the Nittany Lions need a Big Ten-ready point guard to complement incoming freshman Kayden Mingo. Whether at point guard or elsewhere, Rhoades is prepared to spend handsomely in a competitive market to acquire the immediate help the program needs if it's going to improve on this year's results. — Nate Bauer PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL SUPERLATIVES F E B . 2 6 - M A R C H 8 D'Marco Dunn finished his Penn State career on an upbeat note. The senior guard averaged 17 points in late-season wins over Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS