How to watch Penn State vs. Rutgers men’s basketball in Big Ten conference play

With a team like Penn State, which is not a perennial contender in men’s basketball, it takes a bit more time and even more proof to believe in them. Well, in Mike Rhoades’s second season in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions got off to a solid start in non-conference play, 6-1 with a loss to Clemson, but in the Big Ten opener, he gave more than enough proof that this Penn State team will compete in the conference. 

Last Thursday at the Bryce Jordan Center, Rhoades’s Nittany Lions knocked off then No. 8 Purdue 81-70 behind 17 points from veteran point guard Ace Baldwin. Baldwin, the Big Ten’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, tortured Purdue point guard Braden Smith, forcing him into three turnovers and holding him to six points. In total, Penn State forced 24 turnovers and capitalized on them in transition. 

On Tuesday against Rutgers, Baldwin could face a more talented foe than Smith, but a much less experienced one in true freshman Dylan Harper. Harper and fellow five-star freshman Ace Bailey have led Steve Pikell’s team to an up-and-down start to the 2024 season. The Scarlett Knights are 0-1 in conference player after an 80-66 loss to Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday. 

The Nittany Lions gave proof, but apparently, they still need more time, ranking outside the AP Top 25. Wins this week over Rutgers and Coppin State could continue the climb. Here’s how to watch this Big Ten men’s basketball matchup. 

How to watch Penn State vs. Rutgers

• Date: Tuesday, December 10
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Jersey Mike’s Arena (Piscataway, New Jersey)
• How to Watch: Peacock
• Penn State record: 8-1(1-0)
• Rutgers record: 5-4 (0-1)