Penn State Basketball: 3 Big Picture Takeaways as Nittany Lions Beat Robert Morris 68-58

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Penn State Basketball went on the road and defeated Robert Morris in Moon Township 68-58, Friday evening.

In a scrimmage set up to help raise funds for Coaches vs Cancer, the Nittany Lions held the lead for almost all 40 minutes in the first public game in the country for new Head Coach Mike Rhoades.

3 Key Penn State Basketball Takeaways

Ace Baldwin is as advertised (but he isn’t enough to win a game himself).

Baldwin was everywhere, fully impacting the game on both ends of the court until he left late with an apparent minor injury. He finished with 13 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds and was a force on the defensive end. The reigning A10 Player of the Year does have offensive limitations, however. Baldwin finished 6-14 from the field, and despite being the best player on the roster, he can’t carry an offense himself.

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Defense, Defense, Defense

Mike Rhoades’ VCU teams were known for their defense and this year’s Nittany Lions team appears to be following suit. Penn State consistently applied full court pressure, earning 8 steals and forcing 16 Colonial turnovers.

Hopefully Puff Johnson and/or Leo O’Boyle can provide an offensive spark.

While Kanye Clary (8 points), Zach Hicks (11) and and Nick Kern (6) on the wings, Penn State will need more offense. With both Johnson (spoiling his homecoming) and O’Boyle out nursing injuries, Rhoades has to up he can get some offensive production or both. Both teams agreed to play this scrimmage to help donate to Coaches vs Cancer. Please donate here if you are able: https://donate3.cancer.org/?campaign=coachesvscancer&lang=en To listen a preview of the 2023-2024 Nittany Lion Basketball team, listen to Shots Gotta Fall, the premiere, the best, the only Penn State Basketball Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043844

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Evan Smith

Evan Smith is an alum of Penn State (Marketing, Economics, 2011) and a basketball season ticket holder since 2006.

NittanyCentral is his second reporting job following the Men's Basketball program. He co-founded and co-hosts the Shots Gotta Fall - The Penn State Basketball Podcast (the premiere, the best, the only) with Steve Travis.

Smith's most proud moment covering the team was seeing the national No. 9 ranking during Pat Chambers' last year. His most embarrassing moment was spending almost a thousand dollars to travel 2,000 miles in 46 hours to watch the Nittany Lions lose to Temple in the 2011 NCAA Tournament (screw you Juan Fernandez).