Penn State vs. Northwestern: College basketball game preview, TV schedule, prediction

Penn State and Northwestern are both coming off of heartbreaking losses. So, which team can get things back on track and pull out a much-needed win?

TV schedule: Saturday, Jan. 20, 2:00 p.m. ET, BTN

Arena: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL

This is a very important game for both teams, as they both sit in the bottom half of the conference standings. A win would put them in a much better position moving forward.

For Penn State (13-7, 3-4), they are just a few possessions away from three more conference wins under their belt. But, their youth has shown, as they have been unable to pull out numerous close games this season.

Earlier this week, the Nittany Lions fell to a depleted Minnesota squad at home, 95-84 in overtime. The Nittany Lions really should have won this game, and had a shot to win at the end.

As for the Wildcats, they continue to have a disappointing season. They currently have an 11-9 record and are just 2-5 in the Big Ten. They really need to rattle off some wins here in conference play, and that starts with the Penn State game.

The Wildcats are coming off of a 71-65 loss to Ohio State earlier this week. Although this loss was to be expected, the Wildcats still just can’t seem to get anything going on the offensive end.

That starts with point guard Bryant McIntosh (12.9 ppg, 5.7 apg). He has really struggled shooting the ball since he came back from an injury, which has really hurt the Wildcats. In the game against the Buckeyes, he scored just 10 points and was two for seven from the field. The game before, he had seven points, shooting one for six from the field in a loss to Indiana.

The key to this game will be whether or not he can get going. Penn State has guys like Tony Carr (19.6 ppg) who will have something to say about that. The Nittany Lions have loads of young talent.

Next: Where do these teams rank in current bracketology?

Despite the experience of the Wildcats, it is expected that the young guards of the Nittany Lions will outplay the Northwestern guards. Penn State should come away with a solid road win to move them a little higher up the middle of the pack in the Big Ten.

Prediction: Penn State 76, Northwestern 71