Tag: Mike Rhoades

Penn State earns commitment from former Nebraska guard

Penn State basketball adds its third player from the transfer portal.

Although we are deep into the football offseason, Mike Rhoades and company are working to add to Penn State’s basketball roster.

The Nittany Lions have already signed two players from the transfer portal: [autotag]Kachi Nzeh[/autotag] and, most recently, [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag].

After adding two big men to the portal, Penn State stayed with the theme of adding size. This time, it was former Nebraska guard [autotag]Eli Rice[/autotag], a 6-foot-8 guard who averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game as a freshman this past season. Rice announced his commitment to [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and Penn State with an Instagram post. Rice will have three years of eligibility remaining.

In limited minutes last year, Rice proved to be a decent shooter, hitting 37% of shots behind the arc. Rice should provide the Nittany Lions with solid rebounding numbers, given his size in addition to his long-range shooting.

The Tennessee native’s commitment leaves Penn State with one more scholarship to fill before the transfer portal closes.

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Penn State basketball lands transfer center from Xavier

After losing three centers from last year’s roster, this transfer addition addresses a big need for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State and head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] hope this offseason isn’t quite as crazy as last year’s when they had to put together an entire team through the transfer portal or else there wouldn’t be enough players to compete.

Despite being able to add some fairly high-profile players in the portal, Rhoades has stated he wants to build his program through recruiting, not transfers. It’s something that he did at VCU when he had a successful tenure there and that’s his strategy for building a sustainable program in Happy Valley.

In the meantime, Rhoades must utilize the portal since there was more roster turnover this offseason.

The Nittany Lions lost all three centers from the 2023-24 roster after Qudus Wahab graduated and Demetrius Lilley decided to put his name in the transfer portal alongside Favour Aire. The good news is that Penn State has found a replacement.

Rhoades and his staff landed Xavier transfer [autotag]Kachi Nzeh[/autotag] on March 30 after a quick process led him back to Pennsylvania where he played high school basketball.

The 6’8″, 230-pounder was a three-star recruit in the class of 2023, being ranked as a Top-150 player by 247Sports and the No. 2 overall recruit in the state.

Nzeh received some playing time as a freshman last year at Xavier. He appeared in 19 games and averaged 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds during his average of 9.9 minutes per game.

This is a win for the Nittany Lions as he decided to commit to Penn State despite having offers from schools like Creighton, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Miami, New Mexico State, Seton Hall, and TCU, among others.

With multiple years of eligibility remaining, Nzeh should finish his career in Happy Valley as he continues to develop.

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Mike Rhoades seems to be the right man for the job after first season in State College

The leader of Penn State basketball gives spirited quote at end of season presser.

March Madness may be going on, but that doesn’t mean Penn State fans have to sit out the basketball hype. [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] held his end-of-season press conference on Thursday and it should have fired up every Penn State fan for the future.

Clearly, he is the man for the job and wants to be at Penn State.

Rhoades’ first season in State College was a success. A 16-17 overall record doesn’t tell the whole story, as most of Rhoades’s roster was made up of transfers, and he had to meld it all together. He did that magnificently, finishing with nine Big Ten wins, the second-highest by a first-year head coach in program history.

It was just the eighth time in Penn State’s 32-year history in the Big Ten that the program collected nine or more conference wins.

One of Rhoades’s main calling cards was his defensive understanding, but the Penn State offense finished the season averaging 75.1 points per game, ranking as the highest-scoring offense since the 2019-20 squad.

Rhoades’ first season in Happy Valley included two top-15 wins over No. 12 Illinois and No. 11 Wisconsin.

Without a doubt, Penn State basketball is going in the right direction and the right hands with Rhoades at the helm.

Penn State fans should be fired up after reading this quote from their head coach. He understands the mountain he has to climb but also knows Penn State can make that climb. Keep an eye on Penn State basketball’s offseason because Mike Rhoades is not messing around. Maybe March basketball is in the cards next season for the Nittany Lions.

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Best photos from the Penn State 2023-24 men’s basketball season

Let’s take a look back at some of the best photos we gathered from throughout the men’s basketball season.

Penn State came into the 2023-24 season with a new head coach and a reworked roster, but the goal remained the same; to make it back to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. That goal ultimately was unfulfilled as Penn State went through a challenging year without much luck on the road or on a neutral court, and the first season under new head coach Mike Rhoades has come to a close.

But the season was not without its bright spots and moments worth cherishing and remembering moving into the offseason. It was unexpected Penn State would have much success this year given the circumstances, but the work is already being done to build a program that will be more competitive in the years to come with more frequent trips to the NCAA postseason hopefully on the horizon. But before we look ahead, let’s take a few moments to look back.

Here is a look back at some of the best photos we gathered from this past men’s basketball season.

Penn State vs Maryland men’s basketball: How to watch on TV and live stream on Sunday

Penn State looks for a win in their final home game of the season

Penn State men’s basketball is looking to avoid limping into the Big Ten Tournament after dropping their last two games. The Nittany Lions welcome in the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday evening, hoping to keep hold of the Big Ten Tournament’s No. 11 seed and possibly move up a seed line if other games fall Penn State’s way.

Maryland sits right behind Penn State in conference standings, making the matchup that much more impactful.

It is senior night in Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions will honor seven seniors, including players like [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Qudas Wuhab[/autotag], and [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag].

Baldwin Jr. looks like the frontrunner for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the country in steals (83) and fifth in the country in steals per game (2.77). His 2.77 steals per game rank second amongst Power Six conference players and track to be the most by a Big Ten player in a single season in the last 31 years (since 1993 – Pat Baldwin (Northwestern) 2.96 steals per game).

Baldwin Jr.’s defensive matchup this evening will be Maryland star guard Jahmir Young, who leads the Terps, scoring 20.9 points per game and 28 points in the two program’s matchup earlier this season.

A win would mark nine conference wins for the Nittany Lions under first-year head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and would give Penn State a much-needed boost entering the Big Ten Tournament.

Penn State vs. Maryland Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Sunday, March 10
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel: Big Ten Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

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Social media basks in Penn State basketball victory, roasts Indiana

Penn State beating Indiana in basketball once again set Indiana social media on fire.

It used to be that Penn State basketball beating Indiana was a rarity. But after a victory in the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions completed a regular-season sweep and extended its winning streak over the Hoosiers to four. And those observing and reacting on social media sure took notice of the latest developments with these two programs.

Penn State continued to trend up in the Big Ten standings while the Hoosiers slipped into the bottom four of the Big Ten standings. In what has been an up-and-down season for the Nittany Lions, Penn State could be building some momentum at the right time. Two wins in a row at home this week have led some Penn State fans to beaming with pride and raising expectations after going through a tough stretch recently.

Here is a look at some of the social media reactions to Penn State basketball’s victory over the Hoosiers.

Best photos as Penn State basketball tops Indiana in the Bryce Jordan Center

Take a look at some of the best photos as Penn State completed a regular-season sweep of Indiana.

Penn State continued to frustrate Indiana on the basketball court on Saturday with an 83-74 victory in the Bryce Jordan Center. The win was a pivotal one for the Nittany Lions as they continue to fight to improve their seeding situation in the upcoming Big Ten men’s basketball tournament. The win was fueled by a balanced scoring effort from the entire starting lineup and led by Ace Baldwin Jr.’s 23 points and solid defensive efforts.

Penn State has now won four consecutive games against the Hoosiers, which is pretty remarkable given the two histories between the two programs overall and in head-to-head meetings over the years. After taking an earlier road game in Bloomington, Penn State has its first sweep of the Hoosier sin a regular season since 2009.

Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s latest win against the Hoosiers.

Penn State vs Indiana men’s basketball: How to watch on TV and live stream on Saturday

Penn State vs. Indiana: Two teams jockeying for Big Ten Tournament seeding tipoff Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center

The Penn State men’s basketball team is coming off arguably their best win of the season against 12th-ranked Illinois. It was a thriller of a game that took three clutch [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] free throws to seal the Nittany Lions’ 90-89 win.

With the addition of another top-15 win under its belt, Penn State will be back in action against the Indiana Hoosiers at home this weekend. This time, though, the game will be at the Bryce Jordan Center instead of Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions hope to recreate the magic and atmosphere on Saturday that was present Wednesday evening during their defeat of the Illini.

A win would mark a regular season sweep of the Hoosiers after beating them in Bloomington earlier this month. Penn State sits at 7-9 in the Big Ten Conference after Wednesday’s thriller and looks to improve their conference tournament seeding.

Defensive Player of the Year candidate [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] leads the Nittany Lions with 13.9 points per game and a Big Ten-best 2.78 steals per contest. Last time out against Indiana, Baldwin Jr. dropped 22 points and 8 eight assists to spur the Nittany Lions to victory. With Indiana on Penn State’s heels regarding conference tournament seeding, a repeat performance from Baldwin would go a long way in separating the Nittany Lions from the last five seeds.

Scoring 90 points against Illinois and 85 against Indiana on February 3 has Penn State entering Saturday’s game averaging 75.3 points per game in head coach Mike Rhoades’ debut season. Another solid offensive output from the Nittany Lions could extend the Hoosiers losing streak to four games.

Here is how to watch Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten contest from the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State vs. Indiana Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • Channel: Big Ten Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

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What a rush! Best photos from Penn State basketball’s upset of Illinois

Penn State basketball gave fans a memorable experience in Rec Hall. Here are some of the best photos from the night.

Penn State basketball has been enjoying quite the up-and-down regular season but the emotional highs have been plentiful when playing at home and even more so in historic venues. Earlier this season Penn State came away with a win in The Palestra in Philadelphia, but on Wednesday it played in a venue molded in the style of The Palestra that it once called home, Rec Hall. And the Rec Hall setting was perfect for what transpired Wednesday evening.

Penn State took on no. 12 Illinois with the Illini trying to keep pace and setup a possible opportunity to grab the top seed in the Big Ten basketball tournament. And for a while in the second half, it appeared Illinois was going to leave Rec Hall with an expected win, but the Nittany Lions turned on the defensive pressure to a level Illinois was not equipped to handle and Penn State stormed back in the final minutes for a stunner. Zach Hicks drained three free throws in the final seconds to complete a memorable comeback for the Nittany Lions and the defense prevented a good look for a last-second basket by the Illini, leading to a good old-fashioned court storming by the whiteout crowd in Rec Hall.

Here are some of the best photos from a memorable evening in Rec Hall.

Kanye Clary removed from Penn State men’s basketball roster

Penn State’s leading scorer Kanye Clary no longer part of the program

The up and down season for the Penn State men’s basketball programs after news was released that their leading scorer, [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag], was no longer part of the team after comments from head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] on Monday.

“Kanye’s no longer with the team. Coach’s decision. We’re going to just keep moving forward with and focus on the guys we got, the task at hand,” Rhoades said at the Bryce Jordan Center.

This shocking turn of events comes after the sophomore guard didn’t make the trip to Nebraska on Saturday where the Nittany Lions lost 68-49. He is now no longer on their online roster after Rhoades’ comments.

Clary was one of the biggest surprises in the Big Ten this year, becoming one of the conference’s top scorers before an injury caused him to miss two games. He returned in a bench role for the next three games.

During his absence, Penn State won games over Rutgers and Indiana on the road. They also beat Iowa at home when Clary returned from injury but lost against Northwestern and Michigan State.

This announcement comes at a strange time in the season.

The Nittany Lions only have five more games remaining before the Big Ten tournament begins and will need a Cinderella type of run to get back into March Madness.

At the time of his dismissal, Clary was averaging 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

“Next man up. Let’s continue to build this the right way, work really hard, keep putting it together,” Rhoades said.

Whether this is a direct shot at the sophomore guard is unknown, but it’s peculiar messaging after someone as talented at Clary was dismissed.

He was a holdover from Micah Shrewsberry’s first Penn State recruiting class after he decided to stay in Happy Valley upon the hiring of Rhoades. It seemed like things were working out early as he improved just about every aspect of his game from year one to year two.

Now, [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] will be the feature guard with [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] and [autotag]Jameel Brown[/autotag] getting more playing time in the backcourt.

How this impacts the team will be seen, but it’s a shocking announcement at this point in the year.

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