Tag: Penn State Basketball

5 things to know about new head coach Mike Rhoades

Penn State has made Mike Rhoades the next head coach of the basketball program. Here are five things to know about Coach Rhoades

It seems like Athletic Director [autotag]Pat Kraft[/autotag] has made his first big hire in his Penn State tenure. After the departure of [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] to Notre Dame, all eyes were on Kraft to see how he would approach finding a replacement.

[autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] will be named the next head coach of the Penn State basketball program, leaving VCU after six seasons.

After an amazing March that was highlighted by a Big Ten Championship appearance and first round victory in the NCAA Tournament, it was clear there is a basketball fanbase at Penn State. These fans have been clamoring for the school to take basketball more seriously and put resources into the program.

Kraft said that he is willing to prioritize the basketball program. Those words were going to be tested after the Shrewsberry seemingly left for greener pastures in South Bend.

On the surface, it looks like Kraft delivered on his statement. Hiring Rhoades away from a strong mid-major program shows a commitment to getting top talent. It’s reported that Rhoades will be paid more than $3 million per year, double what his salary was at VCU.

With the new head coach set in stone, here are five things to know about Mike Rhoades.

Another Penn State player enters transfer portal

A fourth Penn State basketball player has entered the transfer portal.

It’s almost standard at this point in college athletics for players to enter the transfer portal whenever there is a head coaching change. That’s exactly what Penn State is going through right now as their fourth player has hit the market following the news of [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] leaving for Notre Dame.

Upcoming sophomore [autotag]Jameel Brown[/autotag], is the latest to explore his options by putting his name on the growing transfer portal on Wednesday.

It should be noted that just because a player enters the portal, doesn’t mean they are officially gone from the school where they were previously enrolled. This just allows them to be in contact with other coaches and programs to see if there is a good fit for them elsewhere. These players could all come back to Penn State if they feel like the new coaching staff matches what they’re looking for.

Brown appeared in 14 games his freshman season, averaging 4.6 minutes per game.

Even though the stats aren’t eye-popping, Brown was a former three-star player from Philadelphia and was expected to play a more prominent role in the upcoming season. There were going to be many opportunities for the younger players to carve out their roles with the senior-laden roster graduating.

If Penn State isn’t able to re-recruit Brown and get him back in State College, the roster for the upcoming season will be very thin. With a lack of 2023 commits after two players asking for their NLI release, the next coach will need to hit the transfer portal hard.

As of now, there are over 700 players who entered their names in the transfer portal. Plenty of options for a coach who will need to get players into the program quickly.

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2024 four-star includes Penn State basketball in Top 4

Despite a coaching change, Penn State remains in the top four for this four-star basketball player in 2024.

It’s been a trying week for the Penn State basketball program. The head coach leaving, players hitting the transfer portal and player decommitments have put a damper on the positive momentum that was surrounding the team.

Friday, the program got some news they desperately needed. Four-star forward [autotag]Royce Parham[/autotag] cut his list of top schools down to four. Penn State was included in the list of the Top 100 player out of Pennsylvania.

On3 has the 6’9″ 200 pound prospect ranked as the 81st player in the country for the class of 2024. After receiving 14 scholarship offers, Parham decided to cut his list of schools to focus on before his senior year.

The news may come as a surprise to Penn State fans and others across the country as there is no head coach as of now. The coaches and staff involved in his recruiting process could potentially all be in new locations by the time Parham make’s his decision.

However, it’s still a positive sign to be in the mix for a Top 100 talent.

The three other schools on his list are Pittsburgh, Xavier and Marquette.

Despite the unknown at head coach, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine still has Penn State favored to land Parham. The Nittany Lions are listed with a 33.6% chance to get the four-star, while Notre Dame is second with 17.8% and Marquette third with 15.3%.

The machine hasn’t been updated since Parham cut his list to four schools, so it’s to be seen if Penn State are still the favorites when factoring in the coaching changes.

However, the decision could come down to more than just who is leading the program. Parham spoke about Penn State with Joe Tipton of On3 saying, “Having PSU be a local school and my mom being an alma mater, it’s been a really important school for me my whole life. I’ve built a great bond with the players coaches and seen the whole campus too.”

With the current state of the program being unknown, landing a talent like Parham would go a long way for Penn State basketball.

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Long time Penn State assistant signs extension with Fordham

Scratch this former Penn State assistant off the watch list for Penn State’s next head basketball coach.

With the opening for a men’s head basketball coach at Penn State the focus of the athletic department at the moment, many names have been floated on who could and should replace [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag].

Assistant coach [autotag]Adam Fisher[/autotag] has been a popular name among the former players. Recently, a report surfaced that Penn State might be eyeing Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry.

Longtime Penn State assistant [autotag]Keith Urgo[/autotag] was highlighted as someone to keep an eye on regarding the open position. Urgo was an assistant for nine years in State College, coaching under [autotag]Pat Chambers[/autotag] for the majority of the time.

In 2021, Urgo left to be the associate head coach of Fordham and was eventually named the head coach for the 2022-23 season after [autotag]Kyle Neptune[/autotag] left for Villanova.

However, rumors about him returning to State College were put to bed on Friday after he signed a long-term contract extension with the Rams that keeps him in the Bronx until at least the 2027-28 season. Urgo led Fordham to a 25-8 record, the second most wins in program history. This earned him Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year honors.

Urgo may have never been a realistic candidate for the job. Even with his past ties to Penn State, he doesn’t have a connection with the current athletic department.

Big picture, this might be a good thing for the program overall. It would have been easy for it to go back to something familiar, such as a past assistant to take over the program. That’s not a shot at Urgo. He proved he has the ability to be a great coach this past season at Fordham.

But this is an opportunity for Penn State’s athletic department to show it is actually committed to building a basketball program by devoting finances and resources to improve the current infrastructure.

This hire has to be the right one, not the easy one.

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Should assistant Adam Fisher be the next basketball head coach?

Adam Fisher has been a hot name to replace Micah Shrewsberry as head coach. Is he the right man for the job?

The announcement of [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] reportedly packing his bags and heading to Notre Dame has caused some ripple effects for the Penn State basketball program.

After a Big Ten championship game appearance and first-round NCAA Tournament victory, the program looked to be on the rise. That momentum escaped the building quickly after the news of Shrewsberry’s departure broke this week.

Now, Athletic Director [autotag]Pat Kraft[/autotag] is tasked with the first big hire of his tenure at Penn State. There have been some great hires and there have been some misses in his previous locations. If Penn State truly ever wants its basketball program to be a serious player in the Big Ten conference, this decision has to be the right one.

With multiple candidates being potential options, maybe the best one is already in State College.

[autotag]Adam Fisher[/autotag] served as the associate head coach under Shrewsberry at Penn State. The Pennsylvania native was an integral part of getting the recruiting classes and transfer players into the program these past two seasons.

There’s been growing support for Fisher to take over the head coaching role. Let’s take a look at his profile to see if the best candidate is already at Penn State.

Report: Two programs expressing intrest in Texas interim HC Rodney Terry

Penn State and Cal are reportedly pursuing Terry for their head coach openings. 

Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry has provided much need stability since taking over the role in December. Continue reading “Report: Two programs expressing intrest in Texas interim HC Rodney Terry”

NEC Player of the Year visiting Penn State

It sure seems as though Micah Shrewsberry is planning to be at Penn State next year judging by this key transfer visit.

It’s been a packed March for Penn State basketball.

First, it was their run to the conference tournament title game, then it was upsetting Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament and giving two-seeded Texas a scare in the second round.

Now, Penn State fans sit by their phones hoping to hear news about an extension for head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag]. John Rothstein of CBS Sports previously reported Penn State is expected to make a long-term commitment to Shrewsberry.

While waiting for any update regarding a possible extension, there has been some great news for the Penn State basketball program.

The Northeast Conference Player of the Year is in the transfer portal and was scheduled to meet with Shrewsberry and Penn State on Monday.

[autotag]Josh Cohen[/autotag] is a 6’10” upcoming senior who played at Saint Francis (PA) last season. He averaged 21.8 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.5% from the field.

Cohen would provide some much-needed size and rebounding that the Nittany Lions were clearly lacking this season. The track record of transfer players impacting the program positively could play a huge role in landing the NEC Player of the Year.

The success of [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag] and [autotag]Camren Wynter[/autotag] last season should comfort any player in the transfer portal who is looking for their next home.

Cohen has two years of eligibility remaining, making him a desired transfer target for multiple programs around the country.

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Perspective on No. 2 Texas’ huge win over No. 10 Penn State

We look at what a trip to the Sweet 16 means for the program and Rodney Terry.

The Texas Longhorns advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008. On the surface, Texas defeated a bad basketball program historically and a mere No. 10 seed. In reality, the win gives the program a monumental boost in perception and internal confidence.

The Penn State Nittany Lions entered the game as one of the better three-point shooting teams in the country. The team shot especially well against the Texas A&M Aggies two days earlier. Thanks to some luck and what was at times an excellent defensive performance by the Longhorns, Penn State went cold from the three-point line.

On average, Penn State connected on just over 10 three-point baskets per game. Against Texas, the Nittany Lions made just 8 of 28 from long range. Albeit, the Longhorns shot a much worse 1-for-13 from behind the arc.

Let’s look at what Texas accomplished by pulling out an improbable win.

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The key for No. 2 Texas against No. 10 Penn State

Texas can’t let Andrew Funk touch the basketball.

Ignore their seeding. The Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the more dangerous teams in the NCAA Tournament. Continue reading “The key for No. 2 Texas against No. 10 Penn State”

Texas Basketball: Looking at the challenge Penn State presents

Penn State is an entirely new challenge than the Longhorns have faced.

Texas cruised past its first opponent in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Winning likely won’t come as easily in the team’s second game.

The Longhorns will face the No. 10 seeded Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night. The two teams gave perhaps the most impressive performances of the tournament so far. Albeit, Texas’ performance paled in comparison to what Penn State accomplished against Texas A&M.

The matchup problem the Aggies had against the Nittany Lions is the same issue many Penn State opponents have ran up against of late. Penn State facilitator Jalen Pickett’s old fashioned style of play creates mismatches teams aren’t accustomed to facing.

The staple plays for Pickett revolve around backing down opponents and scoring or dishing to the open man. Three-point threat Andrew Funk was one of the beneficiaries of Pickett’s offense against Texas A&M, but even Nittany Lion post players got involved.

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Texas might need to make difficult decisions in what it allows on the defensive side of the floor. The Longhorns can provide help to stop Pickett or defend his role playing scorers, but they cannot do both.

The two teams will face off Saturday at 6:45 p.m. CT on CBS.

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