Roughly one-third of the way through the 2024-25 season, Penn State basketball has an 8-2 overall record and has split its first two conference games. In the past week, PSU has gone from celebrating its best start in a decade to losing a nail-biter on the road to Rutgers.
While a hefty portion of the schedule remains, which is flooded with conference play, let’s go over some of the highlights of this young season. From standout players to key stats, how has Penn State looked a third of the way to the finish line?
THAT’S AN ACE
It’s hard to argue who Penn State’s best player has been other than Ace Baldwin Jr.
In his second year with the Nittany Lions, Baldwin leads the team in averaged points, assists, steals and free throw percentage. He has also been the second-best volume 3-point shooter, connecting on nearly 37 percent of his 41 attempts from deep.
However, averages only account for a part of Baldwin’s impact this year. As one of the leaders of this team, Baldwin sets the tone on both sides of the ball. He’ll press 94 feet, orchestrate the offense, and hold his teammates accountable, and when the going gets tough, he’s more than willing and capable of stepping up and hitting a big-time shot.
A signature moment from this year came against Purdue-Fort Wayne. Penn State trailed 47-41 at halftime against the visiting Mastodons. But that lead was quickly erased as Baldwin went on a personal 10-0 run to open the second half, highlighted by this and-one 3-pointer:
YOU CAN’T GUARD HIM
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— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) November 21, 2024
He finished the game with a 25-point, 11-assist double-double to lead the Nittany Lions back for their third 100-point game of the season.
PSU asks a lot of Ace Baldwin, and so far, he has been able to deliver in more ways than one.
BALANCE IS KEY
Six players this year are averaging over double-figure points.
Baldwin (14.4), Zach Hicks (13.8), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (12.4), Nick Kern Jr. (11.6), Puff Johnson (10.4) and Freddie Dilione V (10.1) all have scored over 100 total points this year. While Baldwin does most of the heavy lifting, the offensive identity of this team is playing “hot basketball.”
After their win against UMBC, Mike Rhoads said, “When the ball’s hot and everybody’s getting a piece of it, I think that creates confidence …
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.I always say when guys share the ball and you go from good shots to great shots, the rim gets bigger, the hoop gets bigger… We have to play that way.”
Not only does the scoring spread verify that everyone is contributing, but Penn State ranks within the top 20 in the nation in assists per game.
An idealized version of this roster will feature five on-court players who can make plays off a live dribble. Whether that’s scoring, passing or simply putting the defense into rotation, Rhoades wants to keep the ball moving with multiple drivers. 10 games in, it seems like Penn State is heading in the right direction.
17.60
That’s the number of turnovers Penn State is forcing on a nightly basis.
Like clockwork, the Nittany Lions force teams to cough up the ball at a higher average than 98 percent of the country. Penn State has been so effective at turning its opponents over because of one simple reason: hand activity.
PSU is one of eight teams to have six or more players averaging at least one steal per game. That defensive activity makes it risky to throw a lackadaisical pass, turn your back to the defense, or drive into the paint with no escape plan. Any way an offensive play turns, there’s a lurking threat that it could be the wrong choice, and then it is.
Often, Penn State’s ability to turn defense into offense has been its surest way of securing a double-digit lead. Against No. 8 Purdue, the Nittany Lions manufactured a season-high 32 points off 24 Boilermaker turnovers. The lead ballooned to 27 midway through the second half, and Penn State never looked back.
Storm the Court: Penn State Basketball Dominates No. 8 Purdue For Signature Win
“They swarm you and then you get in that beehive, man, you’ve put yourself in that beehive,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said postgame.
“Be strong enough and smart enough to get the hell out of there and get that ball out of there. If you just keep going in there and you’re going to lose it … that’s insanity.”
That’s about as good of a description as you’ll hear about this Penn State defense. It’s so good it almost drives you to insanity.
