Nebraska

How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Published

11 months ago

February 18, 2025

How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball vs. Penn State: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

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 men's basketball head coach Mike Rhoades

Penn State coach Mike Rhoades. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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).

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.

Penn State leading scorer Ace Baldwin Jr.

Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State’s leading scorer, dribbles the ball against USC’s Desmond Claude earlier this month. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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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Nebraska

Pillen labels actions “destructive partisanship” as senator responds

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Pillen labels actions “destructive partisanship” as senator responds

A political dispute broke out on the first day of Nebraska’s legislative session after Governor Jim Pillen accused State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of removing portraits from the capitol walls. Cavanaugh says she was following building rules and denies the move was political.

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Nebraska

Pillen: Nebraska senator tears down historical exhibits by PragerU from Capitol walls

Published

22 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Pillen: Nebraska senator tears down historical exhibits by PragerU from Capitol walls

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Parts of a temporary historical exhibit inside the Nebraska State Capitol were torn down by a state senator, Gov. Pillen alleges.

Gov. Pillen said Wednesday on social media that several displays of historical figures, key events in the American Revolution and portraits of those who signed the Declaration of Independence were “ripped off the walls” by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha.

A 40-second video shared by Pillen appears to show Sen. Cavanaugh taking down several displays and a photo showed the items on the floor of her office.

A 40-second video shared by Gov. Jim Pillen shows Sen. Cavanaugh taking down several displays and a photo showed the items on the floor of her office.(Governor Jim Pillen’s office)

The displays featuring material made by the controversial conservative group PragerU were put up in the state Capitol as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

“Celebrating America during our 250th year should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship. I am disappointed in this shameful and selfish bad example,” Pillen wrote.

Cavanaugh told 10/11 that senators are prohibited from putting items on the walls in the hallway outside their offices. She said the posters line the entire hallway around the first floor, but she only took down the ones outside her office.

“When I walked in this morning and saw these poster boards lining the hallway of my office, I thought well I’m not allowed to have things lining the hall of my office… I tried to take them down as gently as I could and not damage any of them, and I stacked them inside of my office and I let the state patrol know that they were there,” Cavanaugh said.

PragerU has previously faced criticism for making content that historians, researchers and scholars have considered inaccurate or misleading. Some parents and educators have also spoken out against the nonprofit, saying its content spreads misinformation and is being used for “indoctrinating children.”

The Founders Museum exhibit in particular has been criticized by The American Historical Association for blurring the line between reality and fiction, according to NPR.

The exhibit is supposed to remain on display during public building hours through the summer.

Nebraska’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday includes showcasing historical figures and events in our most important public space, our beautiful State Capitol. These include Declaration of Independence signers and prominent women in American history, among others.
Sadly,… pic.twitter.com/MZ8Tbvg5nr
— Governor Jim Pillen (@TeamPillen) January 7, 2026

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Nebraska

Oregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Oregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska

Nebraska has picked up a third linebacker commitment from Oregon State transfer Dexter Foster, a sophomore with three seasons of eligibility remaining, including a redshirt year.

The 6-foot-3, 236lb linebacker started in seven games this fall for the Beavers, totaling 52 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. As a true freshman in 2024, he appeared in 12 games, totaling 43 tackles with two tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries.

Foster held just two offers coming out of high school prior to committing to Oregon State, but was at one point a target for new Nebraska defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, when Aurich was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Idaho in 2022-2023.

The sophomore joins a linebacker room that has seen a bit of a facelift through transfer portal additions. San Diego State linebacker Owen Chambliss led the Aztecs in tackles this season and has now signed with the Huskers, following Rob Aurich to Lincoln. Iowa State freshman linebacker Will Hawthorne committed to the Huskers on Tuesday. Nebraska fell just short of Iowa State when Hawthorne was coming out of Gilbert (Ia.) in the 2025 cycle.

Foster is the seventh transfer portal addition for the Huskers this cycle and the fourth defensive addition. The Huskers are expected to be done with linebacker portal recruiting at this point and will turn attention to needs up front, both at defensive tackle and edge rusher.

Quick look at what Nebraska is getting in Foster

Standing 6-foot-3, and north of 235lbs, Foster is rangy and athletic in space. Has the versatility to play true strong-side or weak-side linebacker and could even spin down to edge rusher if needed. Possesses the athletic and physical range to track down ball-carriers in space, arm length to keep would-be-blockers at bay. Shows good eye discipline working through traffic, quick to react and trigger downhill, with the fluidity to change directions quickly. Still more read-and-react than anticipatory at this point in his development, but gets to his spots quickly. Has the athleticism to stick in coverage against running backs, tight ends and even slot receivers.

Has the experience, size and play-style to factor into Nebraska’s linebacker rotation immediately, and could even push to start alongside San Diego State linebacker transfer Owen Chambliss. Has the versatility to be a chess piece of sorts for Aurich and stick on the field regardless of personnel.

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