Both No. 15 Oregon and Penn State have been humbled by Illinois this month and can compare notes when they meet Sunday at University Park, Pa.
While the Ducks learned from the loss to the Illini and posted back-to-back quality wins, the Nittany Lions will take their first step toward regaining some confidence while coming off a lopsided loss to Illinois.
Oregon (14-2, 3-2 Big Ten) opened the calendar year with an ugly 109-77 loss at the hands of then-No. 22 Illinois that led coach Dana Altman to say he was “embarrassed” by the performance.
The Ducks have since posted victories over Maryland (83-79) and Ohio State (73-71) to generate a bit of momentum. Jackson Shelstad finished with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting against the Buckeyes, including a huge 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining, to guide Oregon to the victory.
Nate Bittle added 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, helping the Ducks rally from a late deficit.
“We really picked it up the last seven, eight minutes,” Altman said. “Our ball movement was better, we quit turning the ball over. Nate was such a presence in there, he did such a tremendous job. He challenged so many shots and made it tough every time someone drove into the lane. He really made the difference.”
Penn State (12-4, 2-3) took its turn against the Illini on Wednesday and it didn’t go well either. The Nittany Lions absorbed a 91-52 blowout as Ace Baldwin Jr. missed all six of his shots in 15 minutes before exiting with a back injury.
Fellow Penn State starter Puff Johnson did not play at all against Illinois due to an undisclosed injury.
“We need those guys back, but we got to make sure they’re healthy,” Nittany Lions coach Mike Rhoades said.
Rhoades noted that if Johnson isn’t ready to face the Ducks, his team would lean on guard Nick Kern Jr. and forward Zach Hicks. Baldwin’s absence would be more challenging.
“We’ve got to do it by army,” Rhoades said of replacing Baldwin, who entered the weekend fourth in the nation with 8.0 assists per game.
Penn State does have a versatile offensive group that includes skilled forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser along with the sharpshooter Hicks. Yet nothing has clicked over the past two games, as the Nittany Lions have dropped back-to-back contests for the first time this season, losing to Indiana last weekend.
“Other teams have had injuries too,” Rhoades said. “When somebody goes down, next man up. There’s no asterisk next to the game, you’ve got to figure it out.”
It won’t be easy against the Ducks, who feature Bittle (13.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) and Shelstad (12.3 points, 2.7 assists). Moreover, each of the top six scorers for Oregon this season have made at least 14 3-pointers, led by Keeshawn Barthelemy (28).
By comparison, the Nittany Lions only have two players with 14-plus 3-pointers: Baldwin (18) and Hicks (40).
–Field Level Media
