Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Penn State Basketball’s path to the NCAA Tournament becomes clearer after win

By Alec Whitaker

Feb 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Micah Shrewsberry gestures from the bench during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Micah Shrewsberry gestures from the bench during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Penn State Basketball is fighting for its tournament life with three regular season games remaining. 

Penn State Basketball improved its record to 17-11 on the season after a big road win over Ohio State on Thursday night.

The Nittany Lions have firmly been on the NCAA Tournament bubble for the second half of the season. A four-game losing streak to start the month of February did a lot of damage to Penn State’s tournament hopes, but the team is trying to dig itself out of the hole.

Penn State has now won three straight games, including two road games. With three games left, the Nittany Lions need to win two to get to 10-10 in conference play. Winning at least ten conference games is a big step in making the tournament.

The Nittany Lions have two home games and one road game left. The next game is on Sunday at home against Rutgers. Rutgers is also 17-11 on the season, but just 3-6 on the road, making this a must win for Penn State.

After that, the Nittany Lions will travel to Northwestern. The Wildcats are an impressive 20-8 on the season and 13-4 at home. Winning this game would be massive for Penn State’s tournament chances, but it’s going to be tough.

The final regular season game will be against Maryland next Sunday on Senior Day. The Terrapins have been one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season with a 19-9 record and an outstanding 15-1 home record. With that said, Maryland is 2-7 on the road, which is the third worse road record in the conference.

Winning at least two of these games is key, but that’s not the end of the check list. The Nittany Lions will still need to make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament, winning at least one game and possibly two.

Penn State Basketball still has plenty of work cut out for it, but the opportunity is there for the program to make it March Madness for the first time since 2011.

Home/Penn State Basketball