Penn St. @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 29, 2020 ) Indiana 49, Penn St. 64

As the regular season approaches its final two weeks, No. 9 Penn State and Indiana enter Sunday's Big Ten matchup in Bloomington jockeying for position in the conference standings and, in the Hoosiers' case, trying to solidify their NCAA Tournament credentials. The Nittany Lions fell two games behind first-place Maryland after a loss to Illinois this week and are one game ahead of four teams in the loss column.

Tuesday night's 62-56 home loss to Illinois ended Penn State's eight-game win streak, but the Nittany Lions remain in good position to secure second place and possibly challenge front-running Maryland for the regular-season title. Four games remain after Sunday, and tough tests include a visit to No. 20 Iowa and at home against Rutgers and Michigan State. Indiana finds itself in a much more precarious position in ninth place in the Big Ten and possibly a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament if it struggles to the finish line. The Hoosiers gained some confidence with a resume-enhancing 68-56 victory Wednesday night at Minnesota.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT PENN STATE (20-6, 10-5 Big Ten): Better shooting will be important for the Nittany Lions after hitting 36.2 percent from the field and 21.1 percent on 3-pointers in the loss to Illinois. They've been missing one of their best shooters, Myreon Jones, for the past three games with an undisclosed illness and that puts an added burden on Lamar Stevens, the team's leading scorer at 17.5 points per game who totaled 13 points and nine rebounds against Illinois. Coach Patrick Chambers said Jones, averaging 14.1 points per game and leading the team in 3-point percentage at .41.3, is making the trip to Indiana, but a decision on whether he plays Sunday rests with the team trainer.

ABOUT INDIANA (17-9, 7-8): The Hoosiers played one of their worst games offensively in a 64-49 loss at Penn State on Jan. 29, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 18.2 percent on 3-pointers. Redshirt sophomore Race Thompson didn't play in that game, but was a significant contributor in Wednesday's win at Minnesota with nine points and 10 rebounds. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman, was a force against Minnesota with 27 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Penn State's No. 9 ranking equals the highest in program history.

2. Penn State's last win at Indiana came in February 2014, but the last four meetings in Bloomington were decided by eight points or fewer.

3. Indiana Gs Rob Phinisee, Al Durham Jr., Devonte Green and Armaan Franklin produced a total of 10 and seven turnovers in the January loss at Penn State.

PREDICTION: Penn State 64, Indiana 63