February 28, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades shares a moment with guard Kayden Mingo (4) and forward Josh Reed (10) after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Image Penn State looks to finish the regular season strong and continue its spoiler role when the Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Wednesday in University Park, Pa.
The Nittany Lions (12-17, 3-15 Big Ten) are in last place in the conference, but they didn’t play like they did in Saturday’s 71-69 win over Iowa. The Hawkeyes were trying to earn a double bye by beating No. 8 Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament.
The Buckeyes (18-11, 10-8) began an upset of then-No. 8 Purdue strengthened its challenge to Iowa with an 82-74 tiebreaker on Sunday and improved its odds of advancing to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid.
Ohio State welcomed center Christoph Tilly against the Boilermakers after he missed the previous game with an ankle injury. John Mobley Jr. adjusted to playing with a broken finger, which forced him to improvise as he scored 21 points against Purdue.
“I’m not used to having two fingers together on my shooting hand,” Mobley said. “Obviously you want to spread out four fingers, but I spent a lot of time in the gym with my dad, and I knew the right mechanics to shoot with the tape.”
Coach Mike Rhodes said Monday the Nittany Lions may fall short against the Buckeyes because guard Kayden Mingo is dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Mingo was hit in the face midway through the second half of the Iowa game after playing without a mask to protect his broken nose for the first time since January. He is averaging 13.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds.
Josh Reed was the only player honored on Senior Night, giving him added incentive to play against the Buckeyes. After spending three seasons in Cincinnati, he is averaging 11.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
“I think this has been the best year of my career,” Reed said. “I was able to play with confidence on the court, have the support of my teammates and the trust of my coaches and teammates. That definitely helped me a lot.”
–Field level media
