Indiana basketball will play in one of college basketball’s classic venues − The Palestra − against Penn State on Sunday.
The Hoosiers (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) have won three straight games. They are 2-0 at home in conference play (Minnesota, Rutgers), 0-1 on the road (Nebraska). However, their win over Rutgers came at a cost when leading scorer Malik Reneau left the game in the first minute with a leg injury. He is out today.
The Nittany Lions (12-2, 2-1), who have won four in a row, have used the same six-player rotation for every game this season. Nick Kern (11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds) scores off the bench to aid a starting unit (see below) that relentlessly pesters opponents defensively (just ask Purdue), forcing 17.1 turnovers per game (No. 2 in the nation).
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Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Penn State 88-79
Difficult game for Mike Woodson’s team. Penn State has tough guards and the look of a tournament team, and the Nittany Lions always seem to up their game in The Palestra. Ball security will be paramount, in a game that could become end to end, and Indiana has to defend the ball better than it has recently. A win would reignite so many of the Hoosiers’ ambitions, but might be a bridge too far.
Noon ET Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at The Palestra in Philadelphia
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Penn State a 71.2% chance of winning.
Ranker | IU | PSU |
NET | 63 | 41 |
KenPom | 56 | 38 |
EvanMiya | 48 | 44 |
Dec. 29: Indiana 77, Winthrop 68
Jan. 2: Indiana 84, Rutgers 74
Sun., Jan. 5: at Penn State, noon, BTN
Wed., Jan. 8: vs. USC, 7 p.m., BTN
Sat., Jan. 11: at Iowa, 8 p.m., Fox/FS1
Dec. 29: Penn State 86, Penn 66
Jan. 2: Penn State 84, Northwestern 80
Sun., Jan. 5: vs. Indiana, noon, BTN
Wed., Jan. 8: at Illinois, 9 p.m., BTN
Sun., Jan. 12: vs. Oregon, 4 p.m., BTN
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