Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center for the first of two meetings with Minnesota. On Jan. 20, PSU ended its last losing streak on its homecourt and will look to end its current skid Tuesday night.
Last year, Minnesota won both games but will be tested inside a building Penn State has only lost one game in this season (10-1). Additionally, 14 of the Nittany Lions’ 19 all-time wins against the Golden Gophers have come at home.
GAME DETAILS
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Site: Bryce Jordan Center
City: University Park, Pa.
Network/Streaming: Big Ten Network
GAME ODDS
Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook:
Odds: Penn State (-325), Minnesota (+260)
Spread: Penn State (-7)
Over-Under: 141.5 points
GAME NOTES
PENN STATE (13-9, 3-8), 52nd KenPom, 54th NET
Penn State enters Tuesday on a three-game losing streak after being defeated by Ohio State at Rec Hall Thursday. The loss to the Buckeyes was PSU’s seventh in January, which, to Mike Rhoades, was a month that lacked the consistency to win in the Big Ten.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“And, we’ve had moments like that [win against Purdue] throughout January, but not enough to sustain it to win consistently. And that’s, as a coach and players, that’s the frustrating part … We’ve used some really good basketball throughout the year – even some really good basketball and moments during January – to say this is what we’re capable of. But you got to do it at a consistent level to win in this conference and we’re not.”
Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, playing in the Bryce Jordan Center has been favorable. Their lone loss out of 11 games was decided by one point against then-No. 15 Oregon.
MINNESOTA (11-11, 3-8), 96th KenPom, 101st NET
Minnesota has dropped its last two games after a three-game winning streak against then-No. 20 Michigan, Iowa, and then-No. 15 Oregon. In away games this season, the Golden Gophers are 1-4 and have gone 1-5 in State College since 2018.
Key Players (bold indicates leads team)
- Dawson Garcia: 20.1 PPG (second in Big Ten) | 51.2 FG% (10th in Big Ten) | 38.2 3P% (4.0 attempts per game) | 7.1 RPG
- Mike Mitchell Jr.: 10.8 PPG | 2.9 APG | 35.6 3P% (6.7 attempts per game)
- Lu’Cye Patterson: 10.5 PPG | 3.5 APG | 3.05 AST/TO (sixth in Big Ten)
- Parker Fox: 6.7 PPG | 60.4 FG% | 2.8 RPG | 1.2 BPG
- Femi Odukale: 6.4 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 3.5 APG | 1.4 SPG
KEY STAT
Minnesota is the second least efficient offense in the Big Ten (121st overall) according to kenpom.com. Here are some of the other offensive rankings for the Golden Gophers:
- 68.8 PPG: 18th in Big Ten
- 44.7 FG%: 14th in Big Ten
- 32.5 3P%: 15th in Big Ten
- 16 APG: seventh in Big ten
- 10.6 TO: 14th in Big Ten
- 1.50 AST/TO: fifth in Big Ten
