Confident Penn State Faces Struggling Ohio State

Ohio State's Chris Holtmann on facing Penn State again, attempting to end three-game losing streak

The momentum from its surprising victory over No. 11 Wisconsin at home is the driving force behind Penn State’s upcoming match against the struggling Ohio State on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions (9-9, 3-4 Big Ten) secured a remarkable 87-83 win on Tuesday, igniting the crowd to storm the court and celebrate their triumph by handing the Badgers their first conference defeat.

Kanye Clary, Penn State’s guard, acknowledges the impact of first-year coach Mike Rhoades in instilling a sense of confidence.

“Penn State’s been historically a football (school). So, coach Rhoades, he always says we’re going to be bold, different, aggressive. He preached that a lot,” Clary said. “Going forward that this is going to help us because we showed a lot of people what we’re capable of. We just have to do our part.”

On the other side, the Buckeyes (12-5, 2-4) are grappling with challenges and endeavoring to fend off questions regarding their underwhelming performance in January.

With three consecutive losses following a four-game winning streak, the team is trying to recover from their previous encounter with Penn State where they surrendered an 18-point second-half lead in a narrow 83-80 defeat on December 9.

Last season, during January 2023, the Buckeyes endured a difficult period, attaining a record of 2-7, part of a string of 14 losses in 15 games between January 5 and February 23.

Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann made a distinction, stating there’s no comparison.

“All the numbers would suggest it’s much different than last year,” he said. “The quality of our games, even the ones we’ve lost here, the quality of play has been much better than the stretch we were in last year.

“Obviously, it’s an end-result game, and we got to figure out how to finish out. But, at the end of the day, our play has been significantly better than that stretch.”

To stand a chance against Penn State, the Buckeyes must find their prowess in long-range shooting, particularly after their dismal 3 of 25 (12.0 percent) performance from beyond the arc in a 73-65 loss to Michigan on Monday.

In the two preceding games, the team achieved 25.9 percent against Indiana and 31.8 percent opposite Wisconsin in 3-point attempts.

Ohio State’s long-range shooting statistics for the season stand at 35.2 percent (135 of 383), while they have a 44.6 percent success rate (457 of 1,025) on field-goal attempts.

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    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

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    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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