Penn State Hosts #15 Oregon in Coaches vs. Cancer and Alumni Day Game SundayPenn State Hosts #15 Oregon in Coaches vs. Cancer and Alumni Day Game Sunday
Mark Selders

Penn State Hosts #15 Oregon in Coaches vs. Cancer and Alumni Day Game Sunday

Nittany Lions look to remain undefeated inside Bryce Jordan Center at 4 p.m. Sunday

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s basketball team returns to the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday afternoon to host #15 Oregon in Penn State’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer and Alumni Day game. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. and the game will air nationally on Big Ten Network.  

FOLLOW ALONG

OPENING TIPS

  • Penn State is 12-4 on the season, 2-3 in Big Ten play, and plays its second of three-straight games against top-20 opponents Sunday when the Nittany Lions host #15 Oregon.
  • The Nittany Lions are a perfect 9-0 in home games at the Bryce Jordan Center this season and are averaging 93.6 ppg inside the BJC.
  • Five Nittany Lions are averaging double-digit points, led by Ace Baldwin Jr.'s 13.9 ppg.

IF PENN STATE BEATS #15 OREGON

  • Penn State would win its 13th-straight home game dating back to last season and move to 10-0 inside the Bryce Jordan Center this year.
  • Penn State would earn its fourth win over a top-15 ranked opponent in the Mike Rhoades era.

SCOUTING THE DUCKS

  • #15 Oregon is 14-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play.
  • Oregon is coming off back-to-back wins over Maryland (83-79) and at Ohio State (73-71). The Ducks also USC 68-60 in their first-ever Big Ten game on Dec. 4.
  • Oregon's two conference losses came at the hands of UCLA (73-71) and Illinois (109-77).
  • Nate Bittle leads Oregon with team-best marks of 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Jackson Shelstad follows with 12.3 points per game and a team-leading 43 assists.

AGAINST THE DUCKS

  • Penn State and new Big Ten member Oregon have met just once before, a Dec. 6, 1974 neutral site matchup at the Steel Bowl Tournament in Pittsburgh. The Ducks won that meeting 76-40.

COACHES VS. CANCER

  • Penn State will host its annual Coaches vs. Cancer game Sunday, with $5 from every ticket purchased at this link donated to the Penn State chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer.
  • The Penn State chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer has raised over $4.3 million since its mission first began in 1995, including $260,000 in 2024.
  • Coaches vs. Cancer of Penn State has allocated over $754,000 in grants to the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund – ensuring financial support and resources in the fight against cancer right here in Central PA.
  • The American Cancer Society has granted over $22.2 million to Penn State, funding research grants at Penn State University and the College of Medicine. The very first being in 1963.
  • The American Cancer Society supports cancer patients and their families across their cancer journey through lodging and transportation services, prevention programs, 24/7 information and support, and groundbreaking research funding.

HOME SWEET HAPPY VALLEY

  • Penn State is a perfect 9-0 inside the Bryce Jordan Center this season and has won 12-straight games in Happy Valley dating back to last season.

Stat

PSU average inside BJC this season

PPG

93.6

FG%

52.2%

3FG%

36.8%

3FG made per game

8.7

Assists per game

20.0

Turnovers forced per game

18.0

Steals per game

10.8

IN SEARCH OF ANOTHER

  • The Nittany Lions are looking for their fourth win over a top-15 ranked opponent in Mike Rhoades' tenure when #15 Oregon comes to town Sunday.
  • Since Rhoades arrived ahead of the 2023-24 season, Penn State is 3-0 vs. top-15 opponents when playing said opponents in Happy Valley with home wins over #8 Purdue (81-70, 12/5/24), #12 Illinois (90-89, 2/21/24) and #11 Wisconsin (87-83, 1/16/24).

12-4

  • The Nittany Lions are off to a 12-4 start to the season, their best record through the first 16 games of the season since the 2019-20 campaign.
  • The Nittany Lions own a top-10 win over then eighth-ranked Purdue and a victory over Northwestern in conference play as Penn State sits at 2-3 in Big Ten action.
  • The Nittany Lions have been within three points in the final two minutes of three of their four losses.
  • The Nittany Lions rank top 25 in the country in turnovers forced per game (10th), turnover margin (15th), points per game (19th), steals per game (24th) and assists per game (24th).

REWRITING HISTORY…ALREADY

  • The Nittany Lions have accomplished the following Penn State milestones through just the first 16 games of the season:
    • Finished non-conference play at 10-1, marking just the sixth time since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1992-93 that the Nittany Lions have finished regular-season non-conference action with one or fewer losses.
    • Big Ten-opening win over #8 Purdue was Penn State's first win over a team ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll since Dec. 2019.
    • Started the season 6-0 for the first time in 25 years (since the 1999-2000 season).
    • Started the season 8-1 for the first time in 10 years (since the 2014-15 season).
    • Scored 100+ points in back-to-back games for the first time in program history (108 vs. Binghamton, 103 vs. UMBC).
    • Scored 80+ points in six-consecutive games for the first time in program history.
    • Scored 100+ in three games in the same season for just the second time in program history. The 1954-55 team scored 100+ on three occasions.

NATIONAL NUMBERS

  • The Nittany Lions currently rank in the top 25 in the country in a number of statistical categories through games on Jan. 9:

Team Stat

Value

National Rank

Turnovers forced per game

16.75

10

Turnover margin

5.0

15

Points per game

84.6

19

Steals per game

9.7

24

Assists per game

17.3

24

Individual Stat

Value

National Rank

FT% - Ace Baldwin Jr.

94.5%

3

Assists per game – Ace Baldwin Jr.

8.0

4

Blocks – Yanic Konan Niederhauser

36

12

HIGH OCTANE

  • Penn State is averaging 84.6 points per game, a mark that ranks 19th in the country.
  • The Nittany Lions have scored 80-plus points in 11 of their 16 games this season.

BALANCED ATTACK

TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE

  • Penn State ranks 10th in Division I in turnovers forced per game (16.75) and 24th in steals per game (9.7). The Nittany Lions have owned a 327-177 advantage in points scored off turnovers through the first 16 games of the season.

ONE OF ONE

  • Graduate student Ace Baldwin Jr. is the ONLY active Division I player and one of just nine Division I players since the 1947-48 season (77 years) with 1,500+ career points (1,519), 700+ career assists (746) and 300+ career steals (303).
  • Baldwin Jr. is Division I's active career leader in steals (303) and his 746 career assists are second amongst active Division I players.

GOT AN ACE UP OUR SLEEVE

  • Ace Baldwin Jr. currently ranks fourth in the country with his 8.0 assists per game and third in free throw percentage (94.5%). He is averaging stellar marks of 13.9 points, 8.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He's notched five points-assists double-doubles and has tallied double-digit assists in more games (6) than he did all of last season (4), including a single-game school record 16 helpers on Dec. 14 vs. Coppin State.
  • The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Baldwin Jr. earned a spot on the Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List this preseason, in addition landing on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List and being named a Preseason All-Big Ten selection.

BIG FELLA BURSTING ONTO THE SCENE

  • Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State's mobile and versatile seven-foot forward, is averaging 12.3 points and team-best marks of 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. The Switzerland native transferred to Penn State ahead of the 2024-25 season following two years at Northern Illinois.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser

PSU (2024-25)

NIU (2022-24)

Points per game

12.3 ppg

5.1 ppg

FG%

60.8%

51.4%

Rebounds per game

6.8 rpg

3.2 rpg

ZACH ATTACK

  • Senior Zach Hicks leads the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (43.5%) and his 2.5 triples ranks third in the conference.
  • Hicks has led Penn State thus far in conference play, averaging team-best marks of 13.8 points per game while making 2.6 3-pointers per game at a 46.4 percent clip.

KERN COMING ON

  • Senior Nick Kern Jr. has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 13 games, including two 20-plus point efforts. He has shot 63.9 percent (76-119) from the field this season while averaging 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

CONSISTENCY

  • Puff Johnson has been a consistent threat for the Nittany Lions this season, averaging career-best marks of 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54.4% from the field. He's already tallied more double-digit scoring games this season (8) than all of last year (7).

READY FREDDIE

Dilione V

Nov.

Dec.-Jan.

PPG

8.1

11.0

Assists/game

1.0

2.4

FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

  • Head Coach Mike Rhoades has inked the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history and the 21st-ranked class in the country as three highly-touted prospects signed to join the Nittany Lions during the November early signing period.
  • Penn State's three-member class ranks 21st in the nation per 247 Sports. The three-member class is comprised of Mason Blackwood (Rochester, N.Y.), Justin Houser (Camp Hill, Pa.) and Kayden Mingo (Farmingdale, N.Y.). The three new Nittany Lions join the program as the Class of 2029 and bring accomplished athletic and academic pedigrees to Penn State.

The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.