How to watch Penn State basketball open Big Ten play at Maryland

The challenge in front of the Penn State men’s basketball program is clear. For head coach Mike Rhoades and the Nittany Lions, it’s also two-fold.

Set to open Big Ten play on Wednesday at Maryland (7 p.m., BTN), the Nittany Lions have two immediate obstacles to overcome. The first is to start off the conference slate on a positive note, an appetizer that doesn’t get any easier as Penn State follows with a tilt against Ohio State on Saturday before rounding out the nonconference portion of the schedule.

The second is to do it while riding a four-game losing streak. Burdened by performances that have reflected a discontent within the Nittany Lion program, poorly handling the ramifications of a Thanksgiving Day loss to No. 12 Texas A&M, Rhoades has pushed his team to rely on its foundational elements as it tries to snap out of its funk.

“I believe how we do things work. Sometimes you got to you got to change a couple of things here and there or mix some things up. But I believe our approach, how we do it, we improve as the year goes on. So I’m not going to steer away from that,” Rhoades said on Monday. “I do think with having a new team and the way we’re playing, which is new to these guys, that it’s still taking more time to get them more comfortable and steady. We played some good teams in Florida and it exposed us, without a doubt. But I know there’s some things that we do, we just got to do it better. Got to do it harder. And it’s got to turn into routine.

“We’re trying to do that while we go into playing some really good teams. But that’s what we sign up for. It doesn’t matter who our opponent is. We got to make sure we’re right. We’re gonna respect everyone. But, we’re gonna make sure we’re right and we’re improving and stacking days to take the next step of going out and beating people.”

To get ready for Penn State’s first Big Ten game, catch up on our conversation detailing the program’s current rut with the BWI hoops podcast. Then, check out the details of how to watch the Nittany Lions in action later on Wednesday.

Game time, how to watch: Penn State (4-4, NET 167) at Maryland (4-4, NET 210)

Venue: XFINITY Center

Tip time: 7 p.m. ET – Wednesday, Dec. 6

TV: Big Ten Network 

Stream: Live stream on Fubo! For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite and Premier plans for the first month!

On the call: Kevin Kugler (play by play) & Stephen Bardo (analyst)

Radio: Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)

National radio: SiriusXM Ch. 385 & SXM App Ch. 975

Live stats: StatBroadcast

Game Notes: Penn State

What is the Penn State-Maryland spread?

The Nittany Lions are 7.5-point underdogs at Maryland on Wednesday evening. And, the over/under betting total is 139 points. 

Penn State injury updates

• Two new injuries emerged for Penn State ahead of last Saturday’s game against Bucknell at the Bryce Jordan Center. Sophomore guard Jameel Brown appeared with his foot in a CAM boot and spent the game on the bench in street clothes. The second new injury was to fellow sophomore Demetrius Lilley, who also was on hand for the game but spent it sitting on the sidelines in street cloths. According to Rhoades, Lilley is expected back soon while his timeline for Brown was slightly less optimistic in tone.
  “Meech should be back soon. Real soon,” Rhoades said. “Jameel is in a boot. It shouldn’t be long, but we’re just waiting for him to get back. He’s gotta get right first, though.”
• Favour Aire remains on the mend with a broken finger. Though Aire’s cast has come off, Rhoades indicated last week that he doesn’t know when the transfer center will be available to play. He has not appeared in any games so far this season.