Penn State men’s basketball heads to Minnesota with chance to build on Nebraska win

If Penn State wants to make the Big Ten Tournament, it has to finish the season strong to claw into the top 15 of the conference standings.

The Nittany Lions started a possible late-season push with an 89-72 win over Nebraska on Wednesday night to improve to 14-13 and 4-12 in Big Ten play. Their first chance to prove whether their win can turn into a late-season run comes on the road against Minnesota at 2 p.m. Saturday, broadcasting on Big Ten Network.

After a shaky start to the season, Minnesota has climbed out of the basement of the Big Ten standings by winning six of its last nine games, improving to 14-12 and 6-9 in the conference. Most recently, the Golden Gophers won both games in their Los Angeles trip, so Penn State will see a team that’s carrying a good bit of momentum on Saturday.

Part of Minnesota’s recent stretch of games was the team’s 69-61 road win over the Nittany Lions on Feb. 4. With Penn State forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser sidelined, the Golden Gophers took advantage inside the arc, shooting 53% from the field and tallying 40 points in the paint.

The Nittany Lions’ lack of a reliable scorer down low was apparent, as they shot just 34% from the field. Konan Niederhauser has since returned from injury, which improves Penn State’s chances on Saturday, especially in defending Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia.

The standout forward has led Minnesota’s offense, averaging 19.7 points per game. Against Penn State, Garcia tallied 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting from 2-point range by often driving to the basket for shots.

Assuming Penn State has its 7-foot shot blocker on the floor Saturday, Garcia could see a tougher challenge down low, but Konan Niederhauser will see a tough challenge as well with Garcia coming off of a 32-point showing against UCLA on Tuesday.

Offensively, Konan Niederhauser could bring his team a boost from its 34% shooting outing. If the Switzerland native replicates his 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the Nittany Lions’ game against Nebraska, Penn State could be in a better position Saturday.

Elsewhere for Minnesota’s offense, guards Lu’Cye Patterson and Mike Mitchell Jr. round out the top three scorers, averaging 11.7 and 10 points, respectively. Penn State found success against Nebraska behind strong on-ball defense, so guards Ace Baldwin Jr. and Freddie Dilione V need similar performances in Minnesota.

Another aspect of Penn State’s defense from its guards could be the perimeter defense. Minnesota has shot 32.8% from deep this season, which isn’t necessarily a concerning clip.

However, the Nittany Lions would be wise not to let similar performances happen on Saturday, such as Mitchell’s 3-for-6 showing from deep on Feb. 4. Penn State will likely have a lot on its plate with Garcia, and a different Golden Gopher consistently knocking down 3-pointers could prevent it from double teaming Garcia down low.

The Nittany Lions will get their rematch with Minnesota, this time with Konan Niederhauser presumably on the floor. If Penn State can limit the impacts of Garcia to an extent while taking command of the paint, it could find itself in a more advantageous position to win on Saturday.

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