Penn State’s upset of No. 12 Wisconsin leaves everyone wondering, “What if?”

MADISON, Wis. — It feels fitting.

Penn State’s Big Ten opener in December featured a monumental win over No. 8 Purdue.

The expectations soared. A March Madness appearance felt like a guarantee.

At one point, sites had Penn State making the NCAA Tournament.

Then, it all came crashing down.

Injuries, late-game execution, poor on-ball defense, you name it. It all led to a seven-game losing streak and a 1-11 stretch.

Penn State men’s basketball will miss the Big Ten Tournament.

So, it feels fitting that one of the most underachieving teams in program history closes the season with an 86-75 upset of No. 12 Wisconsin in Madison, breaking a 30-year drought since Penn State’s last win at the Kohl Center.

The 2024-25 season finale leaves a sour taste in the mouth of fans.

Yes, it’s a great win, but many have to be thinking, “What if?”

What if Puff Johnson never gets hurt?

What if Ace Baldwin Jr. doesn’t draw an offensive foul at the beginning of the Illinois game, saving him from a back injury?

What if the team didn’t hit its worst stretch of the season during a month with nine games and minimal days off?

What if Penn State built a winning season that led to an elite home atmosphere after the Purdue game that kept fans returning to the Bryce Jordan Center weekly?

What if one of Baldwin Jr.’s three late-game jumpers went in?

What if Mike Rhoades used a timeout? (x4)

There’s a lot. The reality is that the elite teams don’t have this many because they overcome them.

The 2024-25 Penn State basketball team was never elite.

They were a solid group that failed to execute when it mattered most, and they fell short of the high expectations set in December after a marquee win.

That’s why Saturday’s win in Madison, the first of its kind for Penn State since 1995, feels like such a fitting period at the end of a long journey to the end of this novel.

How it happened

Penn State found itself in an early 10-point hole at the under-16 media timeout.

Wisconsin’s early lead topped out at 16-3 via a four-for-four start from the three-point line. The Badgers opened six-of-eight from the field while Penn State began one-for-five.

The Nittany Lions cut back into the Wisconsin lead as a four-of-five start from beyond the arc made it a 26-21 Badgers lead at the under-12 media timeout.

Nick Kern Jr. knocked down a corner triple. It marked just his fifth three of the season.

Wisconsin extended its lead to 13 again with four minutes to play in the first half.

The Nittany Lions trailed Wisconsin by 13 three different times.

Penn State closed the opening frame on an 8-0 run.

Heading into halftime, Wisconsin led 40-35.

The two teams went blow-for-blow in the opening ten minutes of the second half.

Six-straight points for Freddie Dilione V gave Penn State a 48-47 lead, its first of the contest.

At the under-eight media timeout, Penn State led 65-60.

Rhoades’ patented zone defense shut down Wisconsin in the second half, limiting the Badgers to 35 points in the final 20 minutes.

Wisconsin made only three three-pointers in the second half, finishing 10-for-31 from beyond the arc after a hot start.

The defense and D’Marco Dunn geared the winning effort for Penn State.

Dunn’s career-high 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting boosted Penn State into a 51-point performance in the final frame, out-scoring Wisconsin by 16.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser posted a double-double in the team’s finale, tallying 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Zach Hicks (14) and Nick Kern Jr. (12) also finished in double figures.

After struggling all season to close games in the clutch, a 12-3 Penn State run ballooned the lead to nine with 40 seconds to play.

Playing the free throw game the rest of the way, the Nittany Lions iced the game and prevented Wisconsin from securing a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

Rocco Pellegrino is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email rdp5387@psu.edu.