Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545007
3 6 J U N E / J U L Y 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 B efore Penn State's difficult 2025- 26 season came to a close, head coach Mike Rhoades was asked what would come next. In a sport that has transformed dra- matically in recent years, roster man- agement has come into sharp focus. This past season, the Nittany Lions were among the nation's youngest and least experienced teams. Faced with the need to evaluate the players they hoped to retain and those for whom a parting of the ways might be more appropriate, the staff found multiple questions com- ing to the forefront. What would go into those evalu- ations? How much weight would be placed on the best version of a player? What about the worst version? Would a balance exist between proven perfor- mance and potential? "It's everything. It encompasses ev- erything," Rhoades said. "When you're recruiting, there are certain things at that time that are important to you, that you have to continually balance. It could be positional size, it could be a specific skill, it could be their age, it could be an older player, winning program versus other types of programs. All of that stuff comes into it. "And also, [it's a matter of ] what you can afford. That's very important, because if you spent all this time on a player in the end you're not going to get, you wasted time on getting players that you can't get to help move your program forward. You've got to balance it all. "As you weigh all that, what positions you're looking for, the identifiers may change. Year-to-year, it changes based on your needs and what you're capable of getting, as well as the style of play and how you're approaching it moving forward." Two months later, the Nittany Lions' roster has been radically transformed. Of the 13 players pictured in the 2025- 26 team photo, two of whom would be considered traditional walk-ons, only one exhausted his college eligibility. Yet the departures were extensive, begin- ning with Melih Tunca and also includ- ing Freddie Dilione V, Dominick Stew- art, Kayden Mingo, Tibor Mirtič, Mason Blackwood, Eli Rice, Saša Ciani and Justin Houser. Nine departures in all, leaving only rising sophomore forward Ivan Jurić retained alongside sophomore forward Chris Lotito and sophomore guard Reggie Grodin. In their absence, Rhoades and his staff have reshaped the roster. The process started with Jurić's retention and the first additions via the international mar- ket — Roko Prkačin, a 23-year-old fresh- man wing originally from Croatia, and François Wibaut, a 21-year-old freshman small forward playing professionally with Rouen Metropole Basket in France. By the end of April, the Nittany Li- ons had also added a projected start- ing point guard in 24-year-old senior Jay Rodgers from Central Connecticut State, two proficient junior guards in Brant Byers out of Miami (Ohio) and Roberts Blums of Davidson, and a 6-11 big man to pair with Jurić in Buffalo ju- nior Tim Oboh. Across the board, Penn State ad- dressed what ailed it throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Wanting veteran players, the Nittany Lions set out this offseason to build a roster full of them. "Jay is a veteran guard who has devel- oped into one of the premier distribu- tors in college basketball throughout his career," Rhoades said. "He is a play- maker who can create for both himself and his teammates at a high level." Welcoming an influx of proven play- ers with a mix of collegiate and pro- fessional international experience, the Nittany Lions capped their April sign- ings by picking up a commitment from MEN'S BASKETBALL Nittany Lions Prize Experience In Roster Overhaul N A T E B A U E R | N A T E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M After finishing 12-20 last season with one of the youngest rosters in the nation, coach Mike Rhoades wanted to rebuild around players with ample college or international experience. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS