Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 41 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Lions' defensive connectivity did not materialize. "We had a lot of defensive break- downs that gave guys open shots," Rhoades said. "When you have a young team, when you have defensive break- downs and teams go on scoring runs, you think you can get it back on offense the next possession, but it's the com- plete opposite. I really thought it snow- balled because of some of our decisions on offense." Even though Penn State entered the matchup with an 8-1 record, the de- fensive issues were not a one-off. The Lions were ranked No. 213 in scoring defense, allowing 74.3 points per game despite holding New Haven to 43 points on Nov. 8 and Sacred Heart to 59 on Nov. 29. On-ball defense has been a steady complaint of Rhoades. With Yanic Konan Niederhauser off to the NBA, the Nittany Lions have had virtually no rim protection out of their contingent of big men, Tibor Mirtič, Ivan Jurić and Saša Ciani. Defending the three-point line has been another sore spot. The resulting efficiency numbers look ominous with Penn State bracing for the resumption of the Big Ten schedule in January. As a team, the Nittany Lions' field goal percentage defense ranked 333rd at 47.6 percent, with three-point defense ranked No. 291 at 35.4 percent. In EvanMiya.com's advanced analytics, the Lions' defensive rank of No. 194 was by far the worst in the Big Ten through 10 games. Taking some solace in individual pos- sessions and sequences showing signs of improvement, Rhoades was unequiv- ocal about the need for continued prog- ress against opponents that will only get stronger. "We've got to get better on the de- fensive end. I feel we're getting better at guarding this action or this stuff, and then we take a step back here. That's part of coaching," Rhoades said. "But you've got to be able to defend people. You've got to be able to sit down in half-court and guard. When you have a young team, that's really hard to do. "We knew that coming in. It's been an emphasis. We've had some really good defensive possessions throughout the year that show we're trying to build that standard." W h i l e c a l l i n g t h e p e r fo r m a n c e in Bloomington a disappointment, Rhoades and his team were undeterred. "That's just how it goes. That's part of life in the Big Ten. We've got to continue to get better," Rhoades said. "These ex- periences have got to toughen us up, give us some scars, and continue to build and get better. We've got a lot of work to do. That's the fun of all this." ■ MEN'S BASKETBALL SUPERLATIVES N O V . 3 — D E C . 9 THREE STARS 1. Kayden Mingo | G | Fr. The first weeks of Mingo's career with the Nittany Lions have backed up his place as the highest-rated recruit in program history. Through 10 games, he was leading Penn State in scoring with an average of 15.4 points per game to go along with a team-high 4.0 assists and only 1.1 turnovers. He notched Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Dec. 1 for his role in wins over Boston College and Sacred Heart. 2. Melih Tunca | G | Fr. Not far behind Mingo, Tunca has also started his Penn State career well. Second only to his fellow freshman in minutes played at 28 per game, the Turkish import was averaging 12.8 points and 3.5 assists per game to go with 2.9 rebounds. 3. Ivan Jurić | F | Fr. A late pickup in Penn State's 2025 class, the three-star prospect has shown promise. His 9.7-point scoring average was fifth on the team, while his 4.0 rebounds per game led the Nit- tany Lions. KEY MOMENT In its first Big Ten game of the season on Dec. 9 at Indiana, Penn State found itself on the wrong end of a colossal 113-72 blowout at Assembly Hall. Hoosiers guard Lamar Wilkerson delivered a historic performance, hitting a program-record 10 three-pointers as part of a career-high 44-point effort. The scoring outburst was the biggest by Indiana in a Big Ten game since the 2017 season. Meanwhile, the Lions were swarmed by an Indiana defense that capitalized on their mis- takes. While building a 58-26 first-half lead, the Hoosiers scored 20 points off 11 Penn State turnovers. BEST HIGHLIGHT After battling through a first half marred by turnovers and defensive lapses in the paint in its home opener against Fairfield on Nov. 3, Penn State spent much of the second half in the same predicament, falling behind by as many as seven points. Having struggled to stop the visitors in key moments, Rhoades urged improved defense. "I said to them, 'You guys get three stops, we'll win the game.' And the last 3:28, we went on a 16-2 run." The result: a 76-68 comeback victory. BOLD PREDICTION Points shouldn't be a problem for Penn State this season. Even in the blowout loss to Indi- ana, Mingo and Tunca showed the Nittany Lions' guard play can create on the offensive end. Defense, however, is a different story. It will remain a challenge for a team that doesn't defend well on the ball and has no discernible rim protection. Allowing 113 points to the Hoosiers is merely the opening salvo. — Nate Bauer