Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M in the frontcourt. Forced to rely on the 6-foot-8 Reed to defend the post at times last season while navigating inexperi- ence, injuries and size issues among the forwards, Penn State projects to be con- siderably stronger with 7-0, 250-pound sophomore Ivan Jurić and 6-11 junior Tim Oboh, the latter a Buffalo transfer, form- ing the nucleus, and the 6-9 Prkačin and Reed also expected to be available. Jurić remains the centerpiece of that rebuild, with Rhoades expressing confi- dence in what lies ahead for the rising star. "He's probably 40 pounds bigger and stronger than he was this time last year. He's done a phenomenal job in the year he's been with us of taking care of his body, but also adding great strength to it," Rhoades said. "He's a determined young man. He wants to be a really good player. He knows you've got to continue to build your body as a young player at this level of college basketball, and he's doing that. But even on the court, he's continuing to become more versatile and continuing to work on his game. I've really been proud of his approach this summer." Meanwhile, Rhoades and his staff have also worked to turn Penn State's three- point shooting into a strength. After fin- ishing last season at 32.4 percent from beyond the arc, the Nittany Lions tar- geted perimeter shooting in the transfer portal. They expect to find it with the addition of redshirt junior swingman Brant Byers, a career 40.1 percent three- point shooter formerly of Miami (Ohio), and junior guard Roberts Blums, who hit 37.1 percent of his attempts from deep in two seasons at Davidson. " We go t b i g ge r, a n d we 've go t more skill. We've got more shooting," Rhoades said. "We're just going to play differently." Factoring in the veteran backcourt potential of senior Jay Rodgers, formerly of Central Connecticut State, and grad- uate Dasonte Bowen, a St. Bonaventure transfer, and the roster more closely resembles the experienced, physically mature group the staff wanted to build. "I'm excited about it," Rhoades said. "It's been a lot of fun this summer work- ing with the guys on it. We've got to de- fend at a really high level, different ways. We've got to execute at a very, very high level, and then we've got to finish plays. "I think at this level in the Big Ten, when everybody is bigger and older and there's unbelievable depth, you've got to be able to finish plays with whoever you have out there. That's probably one of my biggest emphases going into this year — making sure we defend and ex- ecute and really finish plays to give our- selves a chance to be successful." Reed's return, along with the expected arrivals of Wibaut and Prkačin, will not guarantee success. But it will flesh out the offseason blueprint Rhoades has de- scribed — building a roster that is older, bigger, more skilled and more experienced to meet the demands of the Big Ten. ■ Palestra To Host Intrastate Clash Between Penn State And Pitt Penn State is going back to its home away from home. Announced in early July, the Nittany Lions will face Pitt in a nonconference game Nov. 8 at the Palestra in Philadelphia. The matchup marks a pair of milestones. The famed Ca- thedral of College Basketball is celebrating its 100th anniversary, while the Nittany Lions and Panthers are getting set to meet for the 150th time. The Lions have played at the Palestra 64 times, including a 73-65 loss to Illinois last January. Ahead of that game, Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades explained why he wants the historic venue to remain a regular stop for his program. "Playing in great environments when they're sold out and it's packed, that's just fun," he said. "You enjoy that. Those are the dreams and the goals you have as a young kid, to play in front of great crowds like that. It's a great opportunity for them to experience that. "The Palestra has been around for such a long time, and so many great teams and great players … have played in this place. You get to experience that as well. I think that's really cool." The game will mark the second consecutive season Penn State and Pitt have met at a neutral site after facing off last year in Hershey. Penn State leads the all-time series, 76- 73, despite the Panthers' 80-46 victory in the most recent meeting. While the Palestra is a familiar venue, the Lions will be venturing to a new locale later in the nonconference season. The Nittany Lions will travel to Paradise Island in the Baha- mas to take part in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament Nov. 25-27. PSU will be joined by Memphis, Mississippi State and Wake Forest, and it will be guar- anteed to face two of those teams under the tournament's format. The other side of the bracket will include Marquette, Texas A&M, Virginia and Xavier. — Nate Bauer Penn State has been a frequent visitor to the Palestra in recent years. In January 2025, the Lions fell to Indiana, 77-71, at the famed Philadelphia arena. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS