Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538407
4 2 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M B y the end of November, the deci- sion had to be made. Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades announced that transfer wing Eli Rice would miss the re- mainder of the Nittany Lions' 2024-25 campaign due to a lingering injury that required surgery. Citing university policy that prevented him from discussing specifics of the situation, Rhoades emphasized that his priority was Rice's health, wellness and safety. Even though the Nebraska transfer had been an integral part of PSU's plans to build the program moving forward, only one option remained. Nearly three months later, mired in a stretch of close losses in Big Ten play, Rhoades revisited the decision when asked to explain the thought process be- hind it. "We got to a point where it wasn't improving and it was only stunting his growth as a player," the coach said in Feb- ruary. "You can't play injured all the time. You can't play to your best, and you sure can't get better, because all you're doing is putting all your time and energy into be- ing able to get to practice the next day or feel a little bit better for the next practice. That doesn't work. "Sitting with the doctors and our train- ers, that was the decision we made, and I stand behind it. Do we really need him right now? Heck yeah. But his health is most important." One of only three players from last year's Penn State roster returning for the 2025-26 campaign, Rice has been a full participant in the team's offseason work- outs. His progress was visible to reporters for the first time this summer. Now a redshirt sophomore — and sud- denly one of the most experienced players on the roster after spending the 2023-24 season with the Cornhuskers — Rice con- firmed his clean bill of health. "I'm definitely 100 percent now. I've been practicing every day," he said. "I started coming back, practicing in the spring after the season, kind of working my way back up. Probably two months ago, I was feeling like myself again." Rhoades and the Nittany Lions are grateful for it. Expected to fill a crucial need on a team that lacked consistent three-point shoot- ing last season, Rice has worked to round out his game and improve his versatility. At Nebraska, he played a reserve role, notching double-digit points three times in limited action across 17 games. Shelved for the final 13 games of the Cornhusk- ers' season — and again for all but seven minutes at Penn State last year — Rice ex- pressed confidence in what he can bring to the Nittany Lions. "I feel like I've gotten so much better maturity-wise, and I think that's what has helped my game the most," he said. "I think I'm going to surprise a lot of people with how I play. As a whole group, we're going to surprise a lot of people. "It sucked not playing last year, but I learned a lot from just sitting on the side- line — a lot of mental reps. I'm feeling good. I'm ready to go for the season." It's taken time for him to regain the rhythm he felt on the court before the injury. Combined with a physical trans- formation — adding weight during his recovery and dropping back down this offseason — Rice anticipates his work will pay off. "Throughout the season, I probably gained like 15 pounds because I couldn't run and I was just lifting," he said. "And MEN'S BASKETBALL Healthy Again, Eli Rice Seen As Impact Player For Nittany Lions NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Rice has been a full participant in Penn State's offseason workouts after missing nearly the entire 2024-25 season with an injury. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS