Penn State Sports Magazine
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O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 4 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State demonstrated that com- mitment again this offseason with its Big Ten schedule. BWI confirmed on Sept. 5 that Penn State is set to return to The Palestra, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, for another conference matchup. First reported by Jon Rothstein on X (formerly Twitter), the Nittany Li- ons will play host to Indiana on Jan. 5. Although yet to be formally announced by Penn State, Indiana or the Big Ten, the matchup marks the first known con- ference opponent and location for the Nittany Lions in 2024-25. As with its previous trips to the historic venue, the upcoming Palestra game will count as a home date for Penn State. But, given the reception that greeted the Lions in their 79-73 victory over Michigan last January, it's an unfamiliar environment in which they will again be thrilled to play. "I'll play anybody anywhere," Rhoades said. "If it's in The Palestra, even better. That's cool. So yeah, it would be great [to play more games at the venue]. Be- ing down this way is good for so many reasons — players on the team [with Philadelphia ties], recruiting, our fans are here. "My grandfather played at Villanova. Late '20s, early '30s — he played in the Palestra. I got to coach Penn State in my home state and beat Michigan in The Palestra. It's pretty cool. That's the fun part of that stuff. It's one game. It's a cool game. We got the win. I got to coach a team in The Palestra." The Hoosiers are one of three Big Ten teams that Penn State will face both home and away this coming season. The others are Minnesota and Rutgers. Home-only opponents include Mary- land, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue and Washington. The away-only opponents are Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin. Penn State's victory over the Wolver- ines last year represented a significant step in the team's 9-11 Big Ten season. The opportunity to host a game at The Palestra was one that Rhoades cher- ished, and he's looking forward to doing it again. "It's an absolute honor and privilege to be able to coach Penn State [at The Palestra]. For all our staff and our team, we don't take it for granted. What a great opportunity. That's the fun part of it," he said. "To go into Philadelphia, show off our Penn State alumni, and go to them in the Philadelphia area, it's a huge area for us. And in terms of re- cruiting, all of the connections we have there from our staff and me with all the high school coaches and the basketball people in Philadelphia, we're honored to be at The Palestra and be in Philly representing Penn State." Penn State is 3-1 in its recent Big Ten games at The Palestra. The Nittany Lions first defeated Michigan State, 72-63, in January 2017 under then-coach Patrick Chambers and followed that effort with an 89-86 win over Iowa in 2020. Under Chambers' successor, Micah Shrews- berry, Penn State lost to No. 1-ranked Purdue, 76-63, in 2023. ■ Rhoades Sees A Winning Culture Emerging At Penn State After finishing up summer workouts in early August, the Penn State men's basketball team disbanded for a short break before reuniting at the start of the fall semester on Aug. 26. The Nittany Lions are set to begin their fall camp on Sept. 23. Taking on Binghamton to open the 2024-25 season just six weeks from that date, the Lions hope to deliver on one of the objectives that head coach Mike Rhoades and his staff have been emphasizing for the past 17 months. Rhoades has been determined to build a produc- tive culture, and he came away from the team's summer workouts feeling optimistic that those traits are flourishing. "The returning guys are better leaders, and they're better workers, and they're more dis- ciplined than they were a year ago," he said. "For the new guys to catch on quicker maybe than guys did last year or the year before, that's how you build it. And then the other side of it is competing the way we compete every day. Not everybody wants to do that. We've got to find guys who do that. "I really like our group so far this summer because of the way we compete. They go after each other with purpose. It's not like we're not getting something out of it. We're competing to win around here every day. But there's a purpose to each drill that we're competing in, or a scrimmage, or whatever it may be, the competitions in the weight room or on the hill out- side. You're competing but understanding the purpose of why we're competing. That's how you move along faster." Looking to turn those offseason successes into wins on the hardwood in November and be- yond, Rhoades believes the Nittany Lions have created a foundation on which they can build. "I do like our depth. I like our depth and our competition every day," he said. "I think it's bringing out the best in everybody, and when competition brings out the best in everyone, that's when you get somewhere." — Nate Bauer Mike Rhoades is eager to get his second season at Penn State underway after guiding the Nittany Lions to a 16-17 overall record (9-11 Big Ten) during the 2023-24 campaign. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL