Penn State basketball should go all in on its non-conference schedule

Penn State basketball had a solid first season under head coach Mike Rhoades, finishing with a 16-17 (9-11 Big Ten) record. The Nittany Lions struggled with consistency issues, but with a roster made up almost entirely of transfers, that was to be expected.

Now heading into year two, Rhoades will look to establish a culture with his own recruits, a new wave of transfers, and returning veterans from last season’s team, such as star guard Ace Baldwin.

Non-conference scheduling is holding Penn State basketball back

However, part of what has held Penn State basketball back in the past is scheduling. The Nittany Lions have rarely scheduled home-and-home games with other power conference teams. The only decent teams that Penn State regularly plays in the non-conference over the last decade come from the Big Ten-ACC challenge, the Gavitt Tipoff, or other preseason tournaments.

The lack of a solid non-conference schedule impacts Penn State on power rating sites like KenPom, NET, and BPI, all of which are factored into the NCAA Tournament selection criteria. There are two sides to that coin because the Nittany Lions still have to win those games. But winning against a team ranked No. 300 doesn’t do much for the program’s strength of schedule compared to going 1-1 against good competition.

Additionally, strenghtening the program’s level of non-conference competition could help to increase the national brand recognition of Penn State basketball. Mike Rhoades and the Nittany Lions could boost their presence on the recruiting trail by reaching audiences that are currently unavailable to them.

The kicker is, Penn State wouldn’t even have to travel far to face good competition. In many cases, the Nittany Lions wouldn’t even have to leave the Keystone State.

The Nittany Lions need to schedule the Philadelphia schools

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia is one of the richest basketball cities in the country. Penn State has started to dip its toe into the city by playing games at the Palestra in recent years. But scheduling home-and-home series with some of the top teams from the area would help even more.

The premier scheduling matchup would be Villanova. The Wildcats have been the most consistent and nationally relevant team in the Philadelphia area for the past two decades, bringing the championship-level pedigree and attention that Mike Rhoades and Penn State basketball are aspiring toward.

But plenty of other teams would help increase Penn State’s exposure to the Philadelphia recruiting base. Temple, St. Joe’s, Drexel, Lasalle, and Penn would all be potential matchups that could drum up more interest and give Penn State alumni in the area a chance to catch a game.

Other potential regional opponents

On the other side of the commonwealth, Penn State basketball can always rekindle the in-state rivalry with Pitt. The two schools haven’t faced off consistently in years, but there isn’t a really good reason why they can’t play every season, given the non-conference schedule typically is 11 games a year. No matter how talented the two squads are at the time, the rivalry alone would help build interest from students and alumni and add some intensity to the non-conference slate.

Leaving Pennsylvania, scheduling teams within the Northeast would be good for the Nittany Lions’ brand. A team like Syracuse brings the same level of history as Villanova, as well as a tough road environment. It would allow Mike Rhoades to get his team on national television and increase the program’s visibility.

As a conference, the Big East has multiple teams that would be a short trip from Happy Valley but would capture the nation’s attention. Back-to-back National Champion UConn would be a difficult game, but once again, it would be an incredible team to host at the Bryce Jordan Center. Other teams such as Providence, Georgetown, St. John’s, and Seton Hall would all also be short trips but great road matchups.

Invest now to gain later

There are plenty of great teams within the Northeast footprint that would be awesome games for the Bryce Jordan Center if Penn State is willing to schedule them.

Perhaps in the beginning, some top programs like UConn or Villanova might require a two-away-and-one-home format to get the schools to commit. In that case, Pat Kraft and the athletic department should still do it because the positive of bringing a national power like that to campus once far outweighs the extra home game against Loyola Maryland.

Will any of these opponents ever end up on the schedule? It’s hard to say. But Kraft and Rhoades seemed to be at least aligned in putting resources into the Penn State basketball program.

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