Penn State men’s basketball has opened the 2024-25 season with a 7-1 record for the first time in five years and is third in the nation in scoring.

However, as head coach Mike Rhoades put it: It’s time for the Nittany Lions to “step up a weight class.”

In the latest AP Poll released Monday, Clemson was the only team Penn State has faced to receive votes with 25, which would put the Tigers at No. 37 in the nation.

With No. 8-ranked Purdue set to come to Happy Valley for Penn State’s first game in conference play on Thursday night, the Nittany Lions know they haven’t seen a test like the Boilermakers yet this year.

Despite the difficult competition, Rhoades is not shying away from welcoming one of the best teams in the country into the Bryce Jordan Center.

“I’ve said it before, experience is your greatest teacher. This is what I signed up for. I’m excited about it,” Rhoades said. “We want to chase that type of culture and that type of approach, but it also allows us to see where we’re at playing against programs and cultures like that.”

Ace Baldwin Jr., who leads Penn State with 14.9 points, 8.4 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, echoed Rhoades’ thoughts, saying talented opponents can’t deter the Nittany Lions from their playing style.

Identity has become a major theme within the program since Rhoades took over, and Baldwin isn’t changing anything ahead of the conference opener.

“Just be us, for real. Our style of play, just don’t change anything up, just stay true to who we are,” Baldwin said.

While they may accept the opportunity to take on a highly-ranked team like the Boilermakers, the Nittany Lions still know what lies ahead.

Following a trip to the national championship last season, Purdue also began this year with a 7-1 record, featuring wins over No. 10 Alabama and No. 23 Ole Miss, with its only loss coming to No. 5 Marquette.

With experience against top competition out of multiple conferences and a winning formula, Penn State sees the trouble the Boilermakers could cause on Thursday.

“Coach [Matt] Painter is such a great coach. They have a winning culture. They’re very talented. They have high-IQ guys that know how to make plays,” Rhoades said. “I think they’re very physical. I don’t think they get enough credit for how physical they are and how they physically impose their style of play on you on both ends of the court.”

Rhoades said experience can teach a team a lot about its play, and fifth-year forward Puff Johnson is looking back on his experience from a year ago to prepare himself and his teammates for Big Ten play.

After transferring from North Carolina and joining the Nittany Lions last season, Johnson saw the physical brand of basketball within the conference, and after gaining 15 pounds of muscle over the offseason, he feels his experience taught him a lot to get ready for this year’s schedule. Similar to Rhoades, Johnson expects the physicality to begin with Purdue.

“Us returners, we know what to expect from Big Ten play. The way they ref games, and the way that other teams play, it’s nice to know that now coming into this year,” Johnson said.

Penn State will travel to Rutgers, which was ranked No. 25 in the preseason AP Poll, next Tuesday, but the Nittany Lions said their one-game-at-a-time mentality has them focused solely on Purdue.

“I think that formula has worked for us in getting better. It’s also keeping your eyes on the prize, and the next 40 minutes is your prize. That’s it,” Rhoades said. “I just don’t look down the schedule, I don’t prepare ahead, that’s not how we do it. We got to be in the moment.”

The clash between the Nittany Lions and Boilermakers is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, at the Bryce Jordan Center and will be televised on FS1.