Penn State basketball saw its Big Ten Tournament run come to an early end on Tuesday after falling to Northwestern.
Following the loss, head coach Mike Rhoades pointed to a few issues that ultimately decided the game.
Penn State entered the matchup hoping to build momentum heading into postseason play, but the Wildcats’ defense and ability to capitalize on mistakes became the issue, something we’ve said all year. Throughout the game, Northwestern forced turnovers and converted those into points.
“I thought the key to the game was the turnovers and the points off turnovers,” Rhoades told reporters in Chicago postgame, per The Daily Collegian. “I thought that was the game right there.”
Turnovers have been an issue for Penn State throughout the season, particularly when facing teams in the Big Ten. Against Northwestern, its aggressive half-court defense hurt Penn State’s offensive rhythm and forced the Nittany Lions into difficult decisions with the basketball.
Rhoades said that Northwestern’s defensive approach is designed to create those types of mistakes.
“Northwestern plays very physical and very aggressive in their half-court,” Rhoades said. “They get turnovers in their half-court defense.”
Beyond turnovers, Rhoades also highlighted rebounding as another major factor, another problem we’ve seen. When a team struggles to secure rebounds, it leads to extended possessions for the opponents and often, points.
“I told our guys, the two things that were the key to the game is we can't turn the ball over and we have to rebound,” Rhoades explained. “Because if you go down there and you don't rebound, you have to sustain your defense for another full length of a shot clock.”
Penn State’s inability to get rebounds all season has been such an issue.
While the loss was disappointing for the Nittany Lions, Rhoades’ comments show the specific areas the team must improve moving forward. It’s only his job to figure it out right now.
Depending on whether he keeps his job, this portal will be as important as any in Penn State history. Rhoades either needs to get his guys or he needs to lose his job. Perhaps this is Penn State’s fault, but whatever it is, it usually falls on the coach.