Head coach Mike Rhoades entered his second season in Happy Valley with expectations of an improvement upon the previous year. Penn State finished the 2023-24 season sub .500 at 16-17, but they battled in Big Ten conference play as they finished with a 9-11 record.
Penn State is currently 11-2 with a 1-1 conference record. They’ve handled business in games they were supposed to win, yet dropped two games to Clemson at a neutral site and Rutgers in Piscataway.
Ace Baldwin Jr. is the biggest reason why the Nittany Lions have 11 wins already, as he leads the team in points (14.8), assists (8.6), and steals (2.1) per game this season.
Nick Kern Jr. has been exceptional for Penn State as well, shooting a blistering 66% from the floor on nearly 12 points per game. He’s really taken his game to a new level on both ends of the floor and will be essential for Penn State’s success this season.
Most did not anticipate Penn State already being on “bubble watch” this early in the season, but here they are. It’s never too early for bracketology, and the analysts have already begun to release their projections. Let’s see where Penn State is projected as we kick off 2025.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi - 10 seed
Lunardi last updated his bracketology on Christmas Eve, and it has Penn State in the field as a 10 seed, projected against 7 seed St John’s. His previous editions have included Penn State in the Last Four In, which would mean Penn State plays in the First Four in Dayton before the Round of 64 commences. Lunardi has ten Big Ten teams in his projected bracket.
CBS Sports’s Jerry Palm - 10 seed
Similar to Lunardi, Palm has Penn State as a 10 seed, this one against Houston. Palm has three Big Ten teams on the 10 line. Those three are Penn State, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, then Palm has Iowa and Northwestern in his Last Four In. This is contrary to Lunardi, as the ESPN expert has Iowa, Northwestern and Nebraska on the outside looking in.
FOX Sports’s Mike DeCourcy - 12 seed (Last Four In)
DeCourcy is lower on the Nittany Lions than most, pushing them to just inside the bubble. His projection has Penn State facing off against Vanderbilt in a First Four matchup. He has 11 Big Ten teams in his bracket projection.
T3 Bracketology on X - 11 seed
T3 Bracketology released an update on Dec 15th, so it might be slightly outdated, but he has Penn State as an 11 seed, avoiding the First Four. They also recently released a “Berth Watch” graphic on X that placed Penn State on the bubble, alongside Ohio State, Northwestern, Nebraska and Iowa.
First Berth Watch of the 24/25 season! - 12/30
— T3 Bracketology™️🏀 (@T3Bracketology) December 30, 2024
-Locks: none as of 12/30
-Almost locks: 1 & 2 seeds today
-Should Be In: 3 seeds through 8 seeds today
-Bubble: 9 seeds through first 14 out today
-Almost Flat Bubble: Long under consideration list
-<1%: Good Luck
What stands out? pic.twitter.com/tt9sZAv0HK
Penn State is in a solid spot as they enter the rest of the conference schedule. The biggest key for the Nittany Lions should be taking care of business at home. It’s insanely difficult to win games on the road in this conference, and that’s what makes home games more pivotal.
We just saw Penn State handle one of the Big Ten’s best in Purdue at home just a few weeks ago, and they have to take care of business at the Bryce Jordan Center to keep their tournament aspirations alive.