Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538407
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 4 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M then since we've been here [this summer], I've slimmed down a little bit. I probably lost like 5 to 7 pounds. This is probably the best I've ever felt, strength-wise and just moving. I feel great." Part of a roster that will feature 10 new faces this season, Rice is among the play- ers Penn State will rely upon to help lift the team in the months ahead. "He had a great spring. He was live this spring. I thought he did a great job this year of absolutely changing his body," Rhoades said. "He looks completely dif- ferent. He's moving well. I thought he had a great spring. He's been working really hard. "We're going to ask a lot of him — from leadership to his play on the court — but he's really excited for that as well." Blackwood's Potential Has Rhoades 'Fired Up' Reporters had good reason to direct their attention elsewhere. After all, Mike Rhoades and his staff had just landed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history, headlined by the addition of four- star point guard Kayden Mingo. But when the conversation eventually turned to the third and final signee in the Nittany Lions' 2025 class, Rhoades was unequivocal in his assessment. In Ma- son Blackwood, a 6-foot-7 small forward listed at No. 126 in the Rivals Industry Ranking, Penn State had reason to be ex- cited. "I'm fired up about him. He's getting better by the day," Rhoades said. "He's got an edge." In his first months as a Nittany Lion, Blackwood has backed that up. Joining a large influx of new faces in mid-June, Blackwood quickly turned heads with his performance. On and off the floor, he's fit seamlessly into the program's culture, embracing the new strength routine from the start. For a program needing early contribu- tions from a true freshman class that ac- counts for eight of 13 filled roster spots, Blackwood has shown his readiness for Big Ten basketball. Teammate Eli Rice said that's been especially evident on the defensive end. "He's a strong defender," Rice said. "I think we're going to use him a lot — sometimes on the best player defensively. He can defend him." A big part of that equation is Black- wood's size. He arrived carrying 220 pounds on his 6-foot-7 frame. Said by Rhoades to have the kind of versatility that departed standouts Nick Kern Jr. and Puff Johnson brought to the team the past two years, Blackwood is a physical player suited to Penn State's style. "He plays with an edge and a motor, and he loves playing defense," Rhoades said. "I just think he's going to fit that mold. He can play the wing, and when we play small, he could play the four. He could be on the front of our press or any- where else in the press." Looking the part during the team's summer access, Blackwood delivered on the traits that made him a priority recruit. If he continues to develop through the summer — both on the court and in the weight room — he could have a signifi- cant role in the Nittany Lions' rotation. "I'm just really impressed with him. He's going to come here and give us a lot of juice," Rhoades said. "I think he'll be a fan favorite quickly because of how hard he plays and the way he goes about it." ■ 2025-26 Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Elig. Home School/Last College 1 Mason Blackwood F 6-7 220 Fr. Rochester, N.Y. New Hampton Prep (N.H.) 3 Ivan Jurić F 7-0 244 Fr. Zagreb, Croatia Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) 4 Kayden Mingo G 6-3 — Fr. Farmingdale, N.Y. Long Island Lutheran 5 Freddie Dilione V G 6-5 195 R-Jr. Fayetteville, N.C. Word of God Christian Academy/Tennessee 7 Dominick Stewart G 6-5 195 So. Ocean Springs, Miss. Southern California Academy 9 Melih Tunca G 6-5 — Fr. Istanbul, Turkey FMV Ayazağa Işık High School 10 Josh Reed F 6-8 220 Sr. Atlanta, Ga. Pace Academy/Cincinnati 11 Eli Rice G 6-8 220 R-So. Gallatin, Tenn. IMG Academy/Nebraska 12 Reggie Grodin G 6-5 180 Fr. Larchmont, N.Y. Newman School (Mass.) 16 Tibor Mirtič F 6-9 — Fr. Ljubljana, Slovenia Gimnazija Moste 21 Justin Houser F 7-0 210 Fr. Camp Hill, Pa. Phelps School 22 Saša Ciani F 6-10 240 Jr. Nova Gorica, Slovenia Koder School/UIC/Xavier 30 Chris Lotito F 6-7 200 Fr. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Don Bosco Prep True freshman Mason Blackwood has impressed his new teammates this summer with his defensive prowess. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS