Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
3 8 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State head coach Mike Rhoades and his staff were hoping for a big finale in early November with the early signing period for the 2025 class approaching. Having landed two prior verbal commitments, they awaited a de- cision from one more. Kayden Mingo, the nation's No. 43 overall prospect and No. 4 point guard according to the On3 Industry Rank- ing, didn't disappoint. Announcing his decision Nov. 1 on the nationally syndi- cated radio show "The Breakfast Club," the four-star New York prospect se- lected Penn State over Georgia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Mingo is a 6-foot-3 point guard and an honor roll student at Long Island Lu- theran. He's also the highest-ranked prospect ever to join the PSU program. "I felt like it was the best fit, best op- portunity, and also the best relation- ships with the coaches," Mingo said in announcing his decision. "It's the place I could thrive the most." During his junior season, Mingo av- eraged 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He shot 54 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three-point range, according to reports. Mingo developed strong relationships with Penn State's staff during his re- cruitment, and his excitement about the Nittany Lions intensified after taking an official visit in early September. "The visit was excellent overall. The energy at Penn State is second to none," Mingo told On3. "The program is great, I really enjoyed watching their practice. The facilities were beautiful, and they really impressed me. The coaches told me they … want me to be their point guard and run the show. "I like how they play with their g u a rd s. T h ey 're to u g h , a n d t h ey play real gritty and they win basket- ball games. They go after hard-nosed guards whose main focus is winning. If you keep winning, everything else will come along with it. They're able to score, lock up defensively and make plays. The Big Ten is a great conference, and I believe they're going to be winning a lot of games." The centerpiece of Rhoades' second full recruiting cycle with the Nittany Lions, Mingo has been a high-priority target for the past two years. Penn State put on a full-court press for his com- mitment in the summer, believing that he's a perfect fit for the program. The Lions will need a point guard to pick up for Naismith Award candidate Ace Baldwin Jr. after the 2024-25 sea- son, and Mingo's on-court play matches the identity Rhoades wants from the position. "His aggressiveness is the takeaway from watching Kayden Mingo play," On3 national analyst Jamie Shaw told BWI. "He is aggressive with everything he 2024-25 Schedule Date Opponent Time/TV Oct. 25 Lafayette (Exh.)* W, 79-64 Nov. 4 BINGHAMTON W, 108-66 Nov. 8 UMBC W, 103-54 Nov. 12 SAINT FRANCIS (Pa.) W, 92-62 Nov. 15 Virginia Tech** W, 88-64 Nov. 20 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 7 p.m./B1G+ Nov. 25 Fordham^ 4 p.m./CBSSN Nov. 26 Clemson or San Francisco^ TBA/CBSSN Dec. 1 BUFFALO 2 p.m./BTN Dec. 5 PURDUE 6:30 p.m./FS1 Dec. 10 at Rutgers 7 p.m./Peacock Dec. 14 COPPIN STATE 12:30 p.m./BTN Dec. 21 at Drexel Noon Dec. 29 PENN 1 p.m./Peacock Jan. 2 NORTHWESTERN 7 p.m./Peacock Jan. 5 Indiana^^ Noon/BTN Jan. 8 at Illinois 9 p.m./BTN Jan. 12 OREGON 4 p.m./BTN Jan. 15 at Michigan State 7:30 p.m./BTN Jan. 20 RUTGERS 6:30 p.m./Peacock Jan. 24 at Iowa 9 p.m./FS1 Jan. 27 at Michigan 6:30 p.m./BTN Jan. 30 OHIO STATE 6:30 p.m./FS1 Feb. 4 MINNESOTA 7 p.m./BTN Feb. 8 at UCLA 4 p.m./BTN Feb. 11 at USC 9 p.m./BTN Feb. 15 WASHINGTON 2 p.m./BTN Feb. 19 NEBRASKA 6:30 p.m./BTN Feb. 22 at Minnesota 2 p.m./BTN Feb. 26 at Indiana 8:30 p.m./BTN Mar. 1 MARYLAND Noon/BTN Mar. 8 at Wisconsin 1 p.m./Peacock Mar. 12-16 Big Ten Tournament# TBA * at Lebanon Valley College ** Hall of Fame Series, Baltimore ^ Sunshine Slam, Daytona Beach, Fla. ^^ at the Palestra, Philadelphia # at Indianapolis Four-Star Guard Highlights Penn State's 2025 Recruiting Class N AT E B A U E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Penn State's 2025 Class Name Pos Ht Wt Home School Mason Blackwood SF 6-7 210 Rochester, N.Y. New Hampton School (N.H.) Justin Houser C 7-0 210 Camp Hill, Pa. Phelps School Kayden Mingo PG 6-3 160 Farmingdale, N.Y. Long Island Lutheran Listed in the On3 Industry Ranking as the nation's No. 43 overall player, Kayden Mingo chose Penn State over Georgia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. PHOTO COURTESY KAYDEN MINGO