USC Men's Basketball Gets Ready To Face Penn State

Sunday, February 8

University Park, Pa.

9 a.m.

USC

Penn State

Jacob Cofie drives to the basket against Indiana

USC Men's Basketball Gets Ready To Face Penn State

February 07, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Trojans are 1-2 all-time against Nittany Lions.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – USC Men's Basketball (17-6, 6-6 Big Ten) hit the road for its last two-game road trip of the regular season, kicking off the trip against Penn State (10-13, 1-11 Big Ten). This is just the third time these two teams have played each other, and this will be the first time the Trojans have played in State College in school history.

WHEREABOUTS
Game #24 at Penn State
Sunday, Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. PT
Bryce Jordan Center | State College, Pa.
TV: Big Ten Network

LAST TIME OUT
USC rode its backcourt of Alijah Arenas and Kam Woods to an 81-75 win over Indiana for the team's third consecutive win. Arenas led the way with 29 points, while Woods chipped in 18; the duo scored 30 of their 47 points in the second half. The Trojans needed every point from the pair to fend off a comeback attempt from Indiana, who cut a 14-point deficit to three points with less than a minute to go.

In a game where USC's offense was humming throughout, the Trojans outshot the Hoosiers by connecting on 46.3% of their field goals compared to their opposition's 41.3% clip. USC's defense also held Indiana to shooting just 28.6% from three, which was well below their 35.7% clip. Additionally, the Trojans outrebounded the Hoosiers by a 40-25 margin.

SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS

Penn State is coming into this game off a 110-69 loss to No. 2 Michigan in Ann Arbor. The game before that, the Nittany Lions got their first Big Ten win against Minnesota in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Kayden Mingo has been crucial for Penn State on Defense. He leads the Big Ten in steals, snagging 2.15 per game. He is also second on the team in points, averaging 13.7 per game.
Freddie Dilione V has led the offensive efforts for the Nittany Lions, averaging 14.1 points per game. He has contributed a season-high of 25 points twice this season – against Purdue and in the team's win over Minnesota.
Of the 13 players on Penn State's roster, eight of them are freshmen, including Mingo.
Only one player has started in at least 22 of the team's 23 games, and that is the sole senior, Josh Reed. He is averaging 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
The Nittany Lions are coached by Mike Rhoades, who is in his third season. He has a 42-45 overall record in State College. Prior to Penn State, he also coached at VCU, Rice and Randolph-Macon. He has an overall record of 415-234.

ARENAS ACTIVATED
Alijah Arenas has made his official debut with the Trojans, playing his first game for the Cardinal and Gold against Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 21. He is coming off a breakout game against Indiana, where he set multiple career highs with 29 points and six rebounds. Arenas led the Trojans in scoring and scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half to help the Trojans pull away from the Hoosiers.

UNDER PRESSURE
USC is 6-1 in one-possession games and 2-0 in overtime games. The Trojans lead the Big Ten in one-possession wins, topping Nebraska, who has four, and Rutgers, who has three. USC also leads all high-major institutions in one-possession wins, topping Virginia Tech and Clemson.

INJURY UPDATE
USC has been hit with the injury bug this year. Guard Rodney Rice is out for the season following his shoulder surgery, while forward Amarion Dickerson is sidelined for three to four months with a hip injury. Jordan Marsh missed three games with a turf toe injury, but returned against Indiana on Feb. 3. Alijah Arenas is back on the court after missing the first 18 games due to a knee injury.

According to EvanMiya.com, USC is the most injured team in the nation when it comes to production lost to injury.