BASKETBALL | It’s time to believe in Penn State hoops

CHICAGO, IL — On Thursday, the Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team knocked off the Illinois Fighting Illini in Round 2 of the Big Ten tournament. Penn State basketball is now slated to face Northwestern in Round 3 — if the Nittany Lions can win three more games, Penn State’s first ever Big Ten title banner will hang from the roster of the Bryce-Jordan Center. If one thing has become clear after today’s matchup, it is that it’s time for fans to believe in Penn State hoops.

Penn State basketball improves to 20-12 with win over Illinois

Despite leading by as much as 10 points throughout the first half, Penn State basketball only led by one by the end of the first half. The Nittany Lions were taking good shots, making a solid percentage of their field goals, yet could not seem to get a rebound on either end of the floor.

The Nittany Lions and Fighting Illini battled it out throughout the remainder of the second half — neither team wanted to give an inch in this massive Big Ten matchup — though Penn State basketball managed to pull away towards the end of the game. The win means a lot for Penn State, it is the Lions’ third win over Illinois this season, their first Big Ten tournament win in years, and gets the team to 20 wins for the first time since 2019-20.

Additionally, Penn State’s win all but cements the Nittany Lions’ place in the NCAA tournament.

FINAL: Penn State 79, Illinois 76

Believe in Penn State hoops

Penn State basketball is just three games from winning a Big Ten tournament title and just weeks from likely making an appearance in the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade. As a reminder, we are only in the second year of Micah Shrewsberry’s tenure, and the Nittany Lions are already this far along and recruiting better than the program ever has. If the 2022-23 season proves anything, it’s that the time has come for Penn State fans to believe in PSU hoops.

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