Penn State Basketball vs. Washington: Preview, Odds

Penn State (10-14, 1-12) started another losing streak by dropping games to Michigan and USC last week. The team is four games below .500 and has won only one conference game and one road game this season. 

The Nittany Lions have battled through several injuries this season, and Sasa Ciani and Tibor Mirtic are “day-to-day,” but guard Eli Rice will be available this week, Rhoades said.

Freshman point guard Kayden Mingo missed several games last month, and freshman forward Ivan Juric returned against USC on Sunday after being sick the previous week.

“I didn’t know he would be able to play as many minutes as he did just because he had a tough week being sick,” Rhoades said of Juric, who played 26 minutes against the Trojans. “He felt a lot better yesterday when we got on the plane and he looked pretty good yesterday moving around in the arena. Hopefully, he’s feeling better and better.”

Freddie Dilione V leads the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game and has had six 20-point performances this season. Josh Reed has also been stepping up, and at times playing positions he wouldn’t normally play as Penn State has been forced to play a small-ball lineup. Ciani and Mirtic being out has severely limited the Nittany Lions’ big-man rotation.

“It’s hard to do a small-ball lineup when the league is bigger, stronger, faster,” Rhoades said. “We’re doing it, but we’re doing it out of necessity. When you have guys hurt and big guys hurt, you’re going to have to play differently.”

About the Washington Huskies

In its second season in the Big Ten, Washington has a 4-9 conference record and is 12-12 overall. The Huskies are also on a two-game losing streak after dropping games to UCLA and Iowa. Washington has performed better at home, winning eight games, including three of four in the Big Ten.

Hannes Steinbach, Washington’s 6-11 freshman forward, leads the team by averaging a double-double (17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds) per game. Sophomore guard Zoom Diallo, who averages 14.9 points per game, was pointed out by Rhoades for his ability to “find different ways to attack you.”

After committing 17 turnovers against USC, which the Trojans turned into 42 points between turnovers and second-chance opportunities, Rhoades said taking care of the basketball is a priority in this matchup against Washington.

“They play really big and they have a number of big guys that can beat you around the basket and get those second shots,” Rhoades said. “We have to find a way for five guys, as I like to say, gang rebound and find ways to limit them to one-and-dones. They really attack you so we have to sit down and guard.”

When Penn State is rebounding well, its games are much closer. But if Washington gets off to a hot start on the glass, it will be tough for the Nittany Lions to come back. 

“I really feel that our guys have handled the adversity of the last month and two weeks the right way, but you want to see results, I get it,” Rhoades said about what he wants to accomplish as the season starts winding down. “So it’s, continue to improve and get better so you have a chance to give yourself a chance to win the next 40 minutes when you put on the uniform. That should never change. We have to take pride in doing that.”