Penn State Men’s Basketball Drops Five Straight to Open 2026: A Closer Look at the Struggles and Silver Linings
The new year hasn’t been kind to Penn State men’s basketball. After limping to the finish line in 2025, the Nittany Lions entered 2026 looking to reset and regroup. Instead, they’ve extended their losing streak to five straight games, each one dealing a different kind of blow - some close, some not so much - but all leaving the same result: another tally in the loss column.
Over this five-game stretch, Penn State has lost by an average of 10.4 points. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Let’s break down what’s gone wrong, what’s shown promise, and where things stand after a tough opening to the Big Ten slate.
Game 14: vs. No. 20 Illinois (The Palestra - Philadelphia)
Kicking off the new year in one of college basketball’s most storied venues, the Palestra, Penn State faced off against a ranked Illinois squad that came in as heavy 18.5-point favorites. And while the Nittany Lions ultimately fell 73-65, they didn’t go down quietly.
The first half was rough - Penn State trailed 40-26 at the break, largely due to a significant shooting gap and a rebounding deficit that saw them grab 14 fewer boards than the Illini. But after halftime, the Lions showed some bite.
They tightened up defensively, found better rhythm offensively, and even outperformed Illinois in a few key second-half metrics. It wasn’t enough to flip the result, but it was a glimpse of resilience.
Freshman guard Kayden Mingo led the way with 16 points - the only Nittany Lion in double figures. Both teams struggled mightily from deep, each shooting under 20% from beyond the arc, which kept the game within reach even as Penn State’s offense sputtered early.
Game 15: vs. No. 2 Michigan
This one might sting the most - not because of the margin, but because of how close Penn State came to pulling off a massive upset.
Facing the No. 2 team in the country, the Nittany Lions once again found themselves trailing at the half. But in the second half, they came alive. Ivan Jurić posted a career-high 20 points in a breakout performance, while Freddie Dilione V added 17 and nearly played the hero.
With the game on the line, Penn State had the ball and a chance to win it. But the final play didn’t unfold as drawn up, and Dilione was left without a clean look at the basket as time expired. The Lions were right there with a shot to knock off a national title contender - but execution in the clutch came up just short.
Game 16: @ No. 5 Purdue
Penn State’s first true road test in Big Ten play took them into the lion’s den - Mackey Arena - where they faced a Purdue team ranked in the top five. And while the final score of 93-85 suggests a competitive game, this one felt more lopsided than it looks on paper.
Braden Smith put on a clinic for the Boilermakers, dropping 26 points and dishing out 14 assists in a performance that showed why he’s chasing Bobby Hurley’s all-time assist record. Add in a near-perfect 23-point night from big man Oscar Cluff, and Penn State’s defense simply couldn’t keep up.
Freddie Dilione bounced back with 25 points, while Melih Tunca and Eli Rice chipped in double figures. Statistically, Penn State held its own in several categories - in fact, they led Purdue in many key areas - but a glaring turnover disparity (three times more than the Boilermakers) proved costly. The Lions had the firepower to hang with Purdue, but self-inflicted wounds kept them from threatening late.
Game 17: vs. UCLA
Back at home, the Nittany Lions faced a UCLA team that took full advantage of Penn State’s offensive inconsistency - and the absence of Kayden Mingo, who missed his second straight game.
Without their freshman spark plug, Penn State managed just 60 points - their lowest total in Big Ten play so far. Dom Stewart led the team in scoring, but the Lions couldn’t find any rhythm from deep, shooting just 18% from three compared to UCLA’s 38%. That, combined with another rebounding deficit (32-21), sealed the 71-60 loss.
Both teams shot 48% from the field overall, but the difference came from the perimeter and the glass - two areas where Penn State has struggled to find consistency all season.
Game 18: @ Maryland
The road woes continued in College Park, where Penn State ran into a red-hot Diggy Coit. The Maryland guard torched the Nittany Lions for 43 points - just one shy of the program’s single-game record - and earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Penn State welcomed back both Mingo and Dilione, though neither looked fully back to form. Mingo logged over 30 minutes while sporting a protective black face mask, and Dilione returned after rolling his ankle against UCLA but played only 15 minutes.
Despite the reinforcements, the Lions couldn’t keep pace with Coit’s offensive explosion, and the result was another frustrating defeat.
Where Things Stand
Five games into 2026, Penn State is still searching for its first win of the new year. The effort has been there - particularly in the second halves against Illinois and Michigan - but the execution, especially in crunch time and on the boards, hasn’t matched up.
There are bright spots. Jurić’s emergence, Dilione’s scoring flashes, and Mingo’s return all offer hope.
But if the Nittany Lions want to turn this season around, they’ll need to start turning close calls into wins - and fast. The Big Ten doesn’t get any easier from here.