After Penn State’s comeback effort fell short against Rutgers, it returns home to take on the Coppin State Eagles. Saturday will only be the third time these two teams have matched up, with PSU holding a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.
The last game between these two programs was Dec. 30, 2017, when Penn State won 88-43.
PENN STATE’S OUTLOOK
“We weren’t ready to play,” said head coach Mike Rhoades following the 80-76 loss to Rutgers.
“I think we gave them great confidence and they got rolling … I loved the fight our guys had in the end … but not good enough to win on the road.”
Thankfully, Penn State will play its next game on its home court, where it hasn’t lost since February last season. Additionally, Coppin State is a far lesser opponent than Rutgers. This game should be a good way to bounce back and reclaim the defensive identity that got Penn State to 8-1 before Tuesday’s loss.
COPPIN STATE (0-11, 0-0)
HEAD COACH
Larry Stewart (second season, 2-38)
A graduate of Coppin State, Stewart spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach at three other Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He became the head coach of the Eagles in May of 2023. While his first two seasons haven’t seen much winning, he did have two of his players earn all-conference honors.
KEY PLAYERS/STATS
Julius Ellerbe III, 6-foot-7, Guard
Ellerbe is a redshirt senior transfer from Eastern Michigan. He has appeared in nine of the Eagles’ 11 games this year, averaging 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds. He scored a career-high 16 points against George Mason and grabbed 12 rebounds. Ellerbe is posting 38/24/64 shooting splits this year.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Toby Nnadozie, 6-foot-3, Guard
Nnadozie is a junior transfer from Maryland Eastern Shore. He averages 8.4 points per game and leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with 2.2 steals per contest. He is also the best volume 3-point shooter for the Eagles, making 38.5 percent. He scored a career-high 19 at George Mason, going 3-0f-8 from deep.
Inefficiency Woes
Coppin State is one of the most inefficient teams in the country. The Eagles are competing for the worst spot in some major statistical categories:
- Points per game: 54.7 (363rd)
- Field goal percentage: 35.8 (362nd)
- 3-point percentage: 24.6 (364th)
- KenPom Offensive Rating: 88 points per 100 (363rd)
Stats courtesy of Sports Reference
METRICS
Penn State enters Saturday ranked 34th in KenPom, while Coppin State is 363rd. The Nittany Lions are 26th in the NCAA’s NET Rankings and Coppin State is 363rd.
GAMETIME
Tipoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State’s full schedule is available here.
SPREAD
Penn State is a 39-point favorite. The over/under is 144.5.
TV
Saturday’s game will air nationally on the Big Ten Network.
