Penn State men’s basketball is off to a 3-0 start in Year 2 of the Mike Rhoades era. Known as a defensive coach, Rhoades’s team has started the year with a red-hot offense that has scored 108 points in the season opener against Binghamton, 103 against UMBC, and 92 in Tuesday’s victory over Saint Francis. On Friday night, at a neutral site in Baltimore for the Hall of Fame series, the Nittany Lions will put their explosive offense to the test against 3-0 Virginia Tech.
The Hokies began the year with blowout wins over Delaware State and South Carolina Upstate, and on Monday held on for a 58-52 low-scoring win over Winthrop in Blacksburg. This will be the first game away from home for both programs in 2024.
So far, both teams have been led by European big men who transferred up to their current power conference program from a mid-major this offseason. Rhoades is familiar with 6-foot-8 Virginia Tech forward and leading scorer Toibu Lawal. The London, England product played for Rhoades at VCU in 2022-23 and transferred to Virginia Tech this offseason. He is averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting 61.9% from the field.
Penn State’s impact transfer, Yanic Konan Niederhauser came to Happy Valley from Switzerland via Northern Illinois. Through the first three games of the season, the Nittany Lion’s seven-footer is averaging 15.0 points a game on 65.2% from the field with nearly eight rebounds and two blocks.
It’s shaping up to be a battle of the big men in Baltimore on Friday night and the Nittany Lions are 6.5-point favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Here’s how you can watch this matchup.
How to watch Penn State vs. Virginia Tech
- Date: Friday, November 15
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: CFG Bank Arena
- How to Watch (TV): Peacock
- Streaming: fubo TV | Peacock
- Penn State Record: 3-0
- Virginia Tech Record: 3-0