Penn State Sports Magazine
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4 8 A P R I L 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M in the middle of the experience rankings enjoyed success this season. However, it is a sign that Penn State can't be vastly younger and less experienced than its Big Ten competition. In December, Rhoades met with re- porters toward the end of a nonconfer- ence slate that ranked 336th nationally. Culture, identity and approach had all been points of pride and emphasis, he said, taking stock of his program with the Big Ten season looming. Alluding to the shifting landscape of compensation in college basketball, Rhoades acknowl- edged the challenges that he and athletics director Patrick Kraft had encountered in trying to enhance Penn State's competi- tive position. "I think we've had some signature [re- cruiting] wins where we raised the bar," Rhoades said. "I don't think we've had the consistency and enough of the pieces to take this huge jump. But I like where we're heading right now, I really do. I like the approach Pat Kraft and I are taking mov- ing forward from here. I like the way we're approaching recruiting with our staff and our general manager. So, I like that; I think that's going to work. "I love the development of our players. I don't want a new team every year, but if we don't address certain things, you're going to have a new team every year. "I really like how we're developing our players. At a place like Penn State, if you're not always going to go out and get the highest-ranked guys every time, you've got to develop dudes. That's im- portant. I think we're doing that. Now we've just got to take the next step in a lot of things." The Task At Hand From a developmental perspective, the Nittany Lions did have some obvi- ous wins this season. Freshman point guard Kayden Mingo lived up to his bill- ing as the highest-ranked recruit ever to commit to the program, finishing second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game, while also averaging 4.3 assists. Freshman big man Ivan Jurić, a late ad- dition to the 2025 recruiting class, blos- somed late in the season and finished with averages of 10.2 points and a team- leading 5.3 rebounds per game. Throw in Mason Blackwood's first career start in the loss to Northwestern and Justin Houser's flashes of utility when called into action, and four true freshmen have taken early strides and demonstrated value moving forward. For a coach who doesn't want a new team every year, the potential for conti- nuity is there with a considered and in- tentional approach to retention. In the same vein, the next step for Penn State to escape its dungeon at the bottom of the Big Ten standings is straightfor- ward. The Nittany Lions need the kind of funding for player acquisition that is beyond anything previously committed to their roster. PSU must also continue to make the kind of evaluations that trans- formed Yanic Konan Niederhauser from an underutilized mid-major player into a first-round NBA Draft selection last off- season, the first in Nittany Lion men's basketball history. Counting on Kraft and his deputies to fulfill the first component — a commit- ment that shouldn't be much trouble to honor now that elite recruit Dylan Mingo has chosen North Carolina over Penn State — Rhoades and his staff have a two- fold task at hand. They need to convince their priority players to trust them and stick with the program after this year's doldrums, and they also have to surround them with ready-to-play, experienced additions via the transfer portal. Without the budget, the second part isn't possible. However, given the nec- essary funding, the impetus on Rhoades and his staff to maximize their support is paramount. The Nittany Lions are at a crossroads in which progress demands institutional commitment and the abil- ity to implement it successfully. In that sense, Penn State's next basketball season has already begun. ■ 2025-26 Results (12-20 overall, 3-17 Big Ten) Date Opponent Result Oct. 19 at Dayton (Exh.) L, 78-62 Oct. 26 SHIPPENSBURG (Exh.) W, 86-67 Nov. 3 FAIRFIELD W, 76-68 Nov. 8 at New Haven W, 87-43 Nov. 11 NAVY W, 80-71 Nov. 15 La Salle* W, 83-69 Nov. 19 HARVARD W, 84-80 Nov. 22 Providence** L, 77-65 Nov. 25 BOSTON U. W, 96-87 Nov. 29 SACRED HEART W, 90-59 Dec. 2 CAMPBELL W, 87-76 Dec. 9 at Indiana L, 113-72 Dec. 13 MICHIGAN STATE L, 76-72 Dec. 21 Pitt^ L, 80-46 Dec. 29 N.C. CENTRAL W, 90-67 Jan. 3 Illinois^^ L, 73-65 Jan. 6 MICHIGAN L, 74-72 Jan. 10 at Purdue L, 93-85 Jan. 14 UCLA L, 71-60 Jan. 18 at Maryland L, 96-73 Jan. 22 WISCONSIN L, 98-71 Jan. 26 at Ohio State L, 84-78 Jan. 29 at Northwestern L, 94-73 Feb. 1 MINNESOTA W, 77-75 Feb. 5 at Michigan L, 110-69 Feb. 8 USC L, 77-75 Feb. 11 at Washington W, 63-60 Feb. 14 at Oregon L, 83-72 Feb. 18 RUTGERS L, 85-72 Feb. 21 at Nebraska L, 87-64 Feb. 28 IOWA W, 71-69 Mar. 4 OHIO STATE L, 94-62 Mar. 8 at Rutgers L, 74-62 Mar. 10 Northwestern# L, 76-66 * at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia ** Hall of Fame Showcase at Uncasville, Conn. ^ at Giant Center, Hershey, Pa. ^^ at the Palestra, Philadelphia # Big Ten Tournament at United Center, Chicago "I really like how we're developing our players. At a place like Penn State, if you're not always going to go out and get the highest-ranked guys every time, you've got to develop dudes. That's important. I think we're doing that. Now we've just got to take the next step in a lot of things." M I K E R H O A D E S