PREVIEW: New era of Penn State basketball underway with season opener vs. Delaware State

A new era of Penn State basketball is officially underway. The Nittany Lions open the 2023-34 season tonight in the Bryce Jordan Center against the Delaware State Hornets. From new coach Mike Rhoades to a whole host of transfers, there will be many new faces on the court for the Blue and White this evening. What should we expect from Penn State in game one?

Who is Delaware State?

The Delaware State Hornets have been playing basketball since the 1971-72 season. The Hornets play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Delaware State has won the conference three times in the regular season and once in the conference tournament. The only NCAA Tournament appearance in school history came in 2005, where the Hornets lost in the first round.

Last season Delaware State finished 6-24 and was one of the worst teams in all of college basketball. The Hornets haven’t won more than 10 games since 2017 and haven’t had a winning season since 2012. This year the Hornets enter ranked No. 329 out of 362 teams in the preseason KenPom rankings.

Penn State vs. Delaware State predictions:

This is probably the most optimal opponent for Penn State basketball to open with this season. Mike Rhoades had to build almost the entire roster through the transfer portal, and some easier early-season opponents will help with developing the team chemistry and discovering which lineups work best.

The Nittany Lions are not expected to be a high-scoring team like under Micah Shrewsberry, but rather will focus more on playing good defense and not wasting possessions.

Penn State basketball should take care of Delaware State quite easily in this game. The Nittany Lions should win this game by 20+ points. Expect to see a lot of the bench players get minutes in this one. The player to watch for the Nittany Lions will be Ace Baldwin. A star point guard who transferred with Mike Rhoades from VCU in the offseason, Baldwin is expected to be one of the leaders for Penn State basketball this season.

The game will be broadcast on BTN+, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Betting Odds:

Spread: Penn State -18

Moneyline: Penn State -4000

Total: O/U 139

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