It was a roller coaster of emotions for the Nebraska men’s basketball team against Northwestern on Sunday afternoon. 

Down by as much as 20 points in the second half, the Huskers pulled off their largest comeback in nearly 30 seasons by topping the Wildcats 68-64 in Evanston to add another quality win to their resume in a quest for a second-straight NCAA Tournament berth. 

Trailing 41-21 early in the second half, NU out-scored Northwestern 47-23 over the final 19:15 with Brice Williams sealing the win with a pair of go-ahead free throws with 1:33 remaining in the game. Nebraska’s leading scorer held up his reputation with a team-high 21 points. Juwan Gary added 17 points while big man Braxton Meah added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. 

The win kept the Huskers alive in the NCAA Tournament race with five games remaining before the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. Wednesday’s game at Penn State is listed as a Quad 2 matchup, giving NU another opportunity to pad its resume. 

Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers travel to State College for a weeknight showdown against the Nittany Lions. 

How to Follow Along 

Penn State Scout

Head Coach: Mike Rhoades | 2nd Season at PSU; 21st as HC | 29-30 (.492) at Penn State; 402-219 (.647) Career HC Record | 3x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 4x NCAA DIII Tournament Appearances | 2x A10 regular season titles, 1x A10 Tournament titles, 4 ODAC regular season titles, 1x ODAC tournament title | 1x A10 Coach OTY (2019) | Previous head coach at VCU, Rice and Randolph-Macon | Previous assistant at VCU and Randolph-Macon.

2023-2024 Record: 16-17 (9-11 B1G, T-9th) | B1G Defensive Player OTY, 1x All-B1G Third team, 1x B1G All-Defensive team, 3x Honorable Mentions | Did not qualify for the postseason.

All-Time Series: Penn State leads 14-13 (February 17, 2024 last matchup, 68-49 NU). 

Key Returners: Ace Baldwin Jr., G, Gr. | Nick Kern Jr., G, Sr. | Zach Hicks, F, Sr. | Puff Johnson, G/F, Gr. | D’Marco Dunn, G, Sr. 

Key Additions: Yanic Konan Niederhauser, F, Jr. (Northern Illinois) | Freddie Dilione V, G, R-Soph. (Tennessee) | Kachi Nzeh, F, Soph. (Xavier). 

Key Departures: Kanye Clary, G, Jr. (Mississippi State) | Qudus Wahab, F (Eligibility) | Jameel Brown, G, Jr. (Temple) | RayQuawndis Mitchell, G (Eligibility) | Demetrius Lilley, F, Jr. (La Salle) | Leo O’Boyle, F (Eligibility). 

Outlook: Year two of the Mike Rhoades era at Penn State is looking eerily similar to year one. Coming off a 16-17 campaign last season, the Nittany Lions look headed for a .500 record in the final stretch of the year. 

There was turnover at key spots for the Nittany Lions over the offseason as leading scorer Kanye Clary (16.7 PPG) took his talents to the SEC and Mississippi State. Plus, fellow starter and big man Qudus Wahab (9.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG) exhausted his college eligibility. The rest of the departures were contributors off the bench, but PSU lost six of the 12 players last season to play at least 20 games. 

That forced Rhoades to replenish a roster that lost some production. What resulted was a strategy that balanced transfer portal acquisitions with a strong freshman class. Five true freshmen arrived in State College over the offseason with Dominick Stewart (19 GP) and Jahvin Carter (21 GP) leading the way. 

Seven-foot junior forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser from Northern Illinois has been the big addition through the transfer portal for the Nittany Lions. He’s third on the team in scoring and one of five players to average double figures at 12.2 PPG and 6.2 RPG. Having played 18 games for Tennessee – who reached the Elite Eight last season – Freddie Dilione V transferred from the Volunteer and has averaged 9.2 PPG in his redshirt sophomore season for PSU. Xavier transfer Kachi Nzeh hasn’t stuffed the stat sheet too much at 3.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG, but he’s played in 24 of the 26 games this season off the bench. 

Dead last in the Big Ten standings, the Nittany Lions will be motivated to get out of the cellar in order to qualify for the 15-team Big Ten tournament in March. It’s been a rough stretch for Penn State having lost seven-straight games dating back to January. Their last win came in a 80-72 victory over Rutgers on Jan. 20th.  

Offense hasn’t been an issue for PSU at 79.5 PPG which is seventh in the conference, but the Nittany Lions are bogged down by their defense with opponents scoring 73.5 PPG which is third-highest in the Big Ten. Turnovers are also an issue with PSU averaging 12.2 per contest – second highest in the conference. 

I think being on the road for a weeknight game in what’s known as a lackluster environment at State College will hurt Nebraska. It’s a trap game of sorts, but Sunday’s comeback win may remind the Huskers they can’t let their foot off the gas no matter the opponent. Give me a Nebraska victory on the road, but this could be one that NU has to grind out. 

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