Penn State went into the Big Ten Tournament losers of three straight. After getting embarrassed in John Harrar’s last game at Bryce Jordan, the Lions battled, but ultimately faltered, against both Illinois and Rutgers on the road to close the regular season.
The Big Ten Tournament provided a sort of fresh start for the Nittany Lions, a win-or-go home scenario that would have to do, as their record is not conducive to the ultimate win-or-go-home goal each team aims for.
They faced a Minnesota team that they’d seen four times before in this environment, and each of those times it’s led to a loss.