On Monday night, coach Mike Rhoades will begin his second season at the helm of Penn State (PSU) at home against Binghamton.
This matchup will be only the third time these teams have met, with Penn State winning the last matchup 80-65 in 2017. Here is what you need to know heading into PSUโs season opener.
PENN STATEโS OUTLOOK
Last season, Penn State finished with a 16-17 (9-11) record, placing it 11th in the Big Ten. Head coach Mike Rhoadesโ nine conference wins tied a program record for the most by a first-year head coach. But with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, the Big Ten is the biggest conference in Division I, making the path to the conference and NCAA tournament much more difficult.
To Penn Stateโs benefit though, Rhoades has had a full year to recruit talent that fits his coaching style, leveling the playing field heading into the 2024-25 season. According to 247Sports, Penn Stateโs overall recruitment rank (including the four transfers) is 56th in the nation.
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With an influx of talent and a year of experience in Rhoadesโ modernized system, Penn State is positioned to compete with some of the nationโs best schools.
BINGHAMTON
HEAD COACH
Levell Sanders (4th season, 40-50 overall record)
Sanders has led the Bearcats to three straight seasons of increased win totals, with last yearโs 15 wins being the highest mark in 15 years. Overall, Binghamton finished fifth in the America East Conference with a 15-15 (7-9) record in 2023-24.
TOP RETURNING SCORERS
Tymu Chenery, Guard, 6-foot-6
Chenery led the Bearcats in scoring during his senior year with 14.9 points on 51 percent shooting. He scored more than 20 points five times and dropped a career-high 31 (13-17 field goals, 5-6 three-point) against Le Moyne. Chenery ended his senior year with 1,044 career points.
Nehemiah Benson, Forward, 6-foot-7
Benson finished third in field goal percentage last year in the America East, converting 61 percent of his shots. He averaged 10.4 points, scoring double figures 16 times and 20 points twice. Bensonโs career-high 21 points came against conference foe Bryant, where he went 7-for-10 and 6-of-9 at the free throw line.
Chris Walker, Guard, 6-foot-6
In 29 games of action, Walker averaged 5.9 points in 16.8 minutes per game. He made the third most three-pointers for Binghamton last year (29/102) and went 5-for-7 against Marist on his way to a career-high 19 points. Overall, Walker eclipsed double figures five times during his sophomore season.
METRICS
At the end of last season, Penn State was ranked 86th in the NCAAโs Net Rankings, while Binghamton was 274th. According to kenpom.com, Penn State is ranked 61st according to the siteโs adjusted efficiency margin for the 2025 season, whileย Binghamton is 311th.
GAME TIME
Tip-off for Mondayโs game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn Stateโs full schedule can be found here.
TV
Monday nightโs game will be streaming on B1G+.
