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ESPN Events Invitational: Best photos from Penn State’s game vs. VCU

Penn State came up short against VCU in their final game in the ESPN Events Invitational. Here are the best photos from the VCU game.

Penn State’s Thanksgiving weekend did not offer too many things to be thankful for. Penn State went 0-3 in the ESPN Events Invitational this weekend after losing the 7th-place game on Sunday morning against VCU. VCU celebrated a win over their former head coach, [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag], and former teammates [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] as the Nittany Lions were left looking to regroup back at home after a rough weekend.

Penn State lost to VCU by a final score of 86-74 in a game where leading scorer [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] left early due to an injury. Baldwin scored a game-high 27 points against his former teammates from VCU, but VCU got a big game off the bench from guard Alphonzo Billups III who scored 23 points in 27 minutes on the court.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s most recent setback against VCU from the ESPN Events Invitational.

ESPN Events Invitational: How to watch Penn State vs. VCU on Sunday

Penn State, led by a handful of former VCU Rams, will face VCU in the 7th place game of the ESPN Events Invitational.

Well, this might get a little awkward. Penn State will take on VCU in the 7th place game in the ESPN Events Invitational on Sunday morning in Kissimmee, Florida, and it will be quite the reunion.

Penn State head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] should be somewhat familiar with Penn State’s final opponent this Thanksgiving weekend in Florida as he was the former head coach of VCU before being hired by Penn State. Penn State’s roster also includes a couple of VCU transfers with [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr[/autotag].

Penn State and VCU have each lost their first two games in this holiday weekend tournament, so it is safe to say both teams would love to leave Florida with a win under their belts. This could be one of the more intriguing 7th-place games in any basketball tournament given the storyline with VCU losing its head coach and two key players to Penn State in the offseason.

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Penn State lost the opening game of the tournament to Texas A&M and was defeated by Butler in the first consolation game. VCU was defeated by Iowa State in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational and then lost to Boise State by four points in their first consolation round game. The Rams are 3-3 coming into Sunday morning’s game with Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 4-2.

Here is how to watch today’s basketball game as you fill up on some Thanksgiving leftovers and prepare for tonight’s football game between Penn State and Michigan State.

Penn State vs. VCU Men’s Basketball

Date: Sunday, Nov. 26
Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPNU

Here is the full schedule of games for the entire ESPN Events Invitational.

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2023 ESPN Events Invitational: Full college basketball tournament schedule and results

Here is your updated schedule for the ESPN Events Invitational with updated matchups beginning today.

Penn State men’s basketball will ramp up the level of difficulty in non-conference play by participating in this year’s ESPN Events Invitational in Florida. The Nittany Lions are one of eight programs participating in this year’s event over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they will help get things started in the first game with a rematch with Texas A&M on Thursday afternoon.

Penn State bounced the Aggies in the first round of last season’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but a lot has happened with Penn State’s program since that meeting. Penn State went through a coaching change and a good amount of roster turnover as well. The Aggies continued to build and will arrive in Florida with a top-15 ranking in the basketball polls. A bit of revenge will be on the mind for Texas A&M in the first game of this week’s ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State could also match up with one of last season’s Final Four teams, FAU, or the former program coached by Mike Rhoades, VCU. This could make for a fun weekend for Penn State.

Penn State is making its second appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational, but the last trip did not go well. Penn State went 0-3 in the 2007 tournament with losses to South Carolina, Rider, and UCF. That year’s tournament was won by NC State with a one-point victory over Villanova. The last Big Ten team to win the tournament was Maryland in 2019. It is the only year a Big Ten school has won the tournament. The Big Ten has been represented in 13 of the 16 events.

Here is a full schedule of this year’s ESPN Events Invitational, with TV and stream information and approximate starting times for each game. This tracker will be updated with final scores, photos, and updated matchups as the tournament unfolds, so be sure to bookmark this post for future reference.

Ranking the Top-10 Big Ten players heading into the basketball season

Ranking the top 10 players in the Big Ten entering the college basketball season.

The long-awaited 2023-24 college basketball season begins today, and the Big Ten’s slate of games features 10 of the conference’s teams in action. Iowa, Indiana, Maryland and Michigan will have to wait one more day.

The Big Ten does not lack star power as the conference boasts the reigning national player of the year in Purdue’s Zach Edey as well as a bunch of premier guards. As we all know, guard play dominates college basketball, especially in March.

Before the games tip off this evening, we take a look at the top 10 Big Ten players. Are any freshmen ranked? Does any supplant Edey as number one?

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): Bruce Thorton (Ohio State), Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska), Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana), Jamison Battle (Ohio State), Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin).

The new guy in charge: A look into Mike Rhoades’ resume

A look into what Mike Rhoades brings to Penn State in his first season as head coach

After a surprising run through the Big Ten tournament culminating with a narrow two-point defeat to No. 1 seed Purdue and beating Texas A&M for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2001, Micah Shrewsberry was off to South Bend to coach Notre Dame and Penn State basketball, was looking for a new leader. In steps former Rice and VCU head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag], who takes over for Shrewsberry after six seasons with the Rams, leading them to four NCAA Tournament berths and two Atlantic 10 regular season conference championships. With a coaching career spanning 27 seasons, Rhoades brings a wealth of experience to State College.

Rhoades began his head coaching career in 1999 at the ripe age of 25 after getting promoted from assistant at Randolph-Macon, a Division III school in Ashland, Virginia. After ten seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Rhoades got the associate head coaching job at VCU under then-head coach Shaka Smart, where he was a part of the famous Rams team that made it to the 2011 Final Four. A brief three-year stint at Rice ending in 2017 was followed by his getting the nod to lead VCU.

Rhoades, a former player at Lebanon Valley College who is no stranger to winning teams, led the Dutchmen to the 1994 Division III national championship and was a two-time All-American, graduating as the college’s all-time leading scorer.

The Rams under Rhoades were 129-62 (72-32 A-10 record) but could never grab that elusive NCAA Tournament win. As the 15th head coach in Penn State program history, Rhoades will hope to buck that winless trend in the big dance. Following one of the most successful Penn State basketball seasons of recent memory, Rhoades and co. have some expectations from fans to give a repeat performance.

The Pennsylvania native’s previous teams heavily emphasized the defensive side of the ball, which frequently includes full-court pressure no matter the game situation. Forcing turnovers and a high-paced transition offense are two staples coming to the Bryce Jordan Center this winter.

For most Nittany Lions’ and Big Ten fans, Penn State’s new up-tempo, ball-movement-centered offense will be a revelation after two years of Shrewsberry’s slow, calculated style. Rhoades brings with him VCU transfers Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr., who, despite being in the fast-paced system before, are expecting an even faster one this season.

Buying into a completely different system is easy when Rhoades comes with such a track record of success. The new aggressive, fast-paced scheme was on display last week when the squad forced 16 turnovers for 12 points in a 68-58 exhibition win against Robert Morris.

Mike Rhoades’ first season and 20th season as a head coach tips off on Monday, Nov. 6th, at the Bryce Jordan Center against Delaware State.

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VCU transfer says Penn State ‘is definitely one of my top choices’

VCU transfer says Penn State is a top choice right now

While most eyes following the Penn State basketball program are likely locked in on VCU transfer player Ace Baldwin, another VCU player is worth watching closely too as he works through his transfer process. Jalen Deloach is one of the many VCU players who entered the transfer portal after Mike Roades left the program to be the new head coach at Penn State.

Not surprisingly, Penn State is among the names at the top of his the list for Delocach as he weighs his transfer options.

“I played for coach Rhoades and he’s the reason why I came to VCU,” Deloach said to 247Sports when updating his thoughts on his transfer process. “Penn State is definitely one of my top choices right now. They’re a great option.”

Deloach played in 34 games for the Rams last season. The Georgia native averaged 9.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. Other schools reportedly in his top six aside from Penn State are Florida State, Indiana, Miami, San Diego State, and, still, VCU. Two of those schools, Miami and San Diego State, are fresh off an appearance in the Final Four, with the Aztecs making it to the national championship game (both lost to UConn in the end). And Indiana is always a worthy threat with its basketball pedigree and history. Of course, a decision to stay put is not unprecedented, so VCU could still end up relying on Deloach if he decides to stay put.

Deloach has played two seasons at VCU, so he would have another couple of years of eligibility at his disposal if he ends up at Penn State.

Penn State has plenty of holes to fill on the roster for next season after seeing its own growing list of players enter the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions have two scholarship players currently on the roster after taking players in the transfer portal out of the equation, at least for now.

Deloach;’s teammate at VCU, and last season’s A-10 player of the year, Baldwin is trending toward a transfer to Penn State according to recent crystal ball predictions in the transfer portal. Given Rhoades is the head coach at Penn State with so many spots on the roster to fill, it is widely expected at least one VCU player will end up transferring to Penn State for the 2023-24 season.

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Penn State may have a VCU home-and-home to plan

Penn State may have agreed to a future home-and-home series with VCU when buying out the contract of Mike Rhoades.

Unlike college football, non-conference matchups in college basketball are not typically mapped out years in advance. But we can probably prepare ourselves for a future home-and-home scheduling agreement for Penn State in the coming years. After buying out the contract of head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] from VCU, the Nittany Lions will reportedly be required to set up a bit of a reunion tour with Rhoades’ previous employer.

According to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, part of the deal to complete the buyout of Rhoades’ contract with VCU is for Penn State to set up a future home-and-home series with the Rams. When the games will take pace remains to be seen, although it may not be likely to happen as soon as the 2023-24 season.

Penn State was previously reported to be lined up as a participant in the 2023 ESPN Invitational. One of the other schools reportedly included in the lineup is VCU, so a matchup between Rhoades’ current and former teams is entirely possible next season. And in part because of that, any non-conference matchup may not take place until the 2024-25 season at the earliest.

Sources: As part of Mike Rhoades' buyout with VCU, Penn State will be required to begin a future home-and-home series with the Rams.

This has been a common practice when VCU has lost its head coaches to power conference programs.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 30, 2023

As noted by Rothstein, a home-and-home deal with a school hiring away its coach is not uncommon. After VCU lost head coach Shaka Smart to Texas, the Rams hosted the Longhorns for a home game two seasons later and visited Texas the following season. And after losing Will Wade to a head coaching opportunity at LSU, VCU hosted the Tigers two years later but had already played at LSU prior to the coaching change. No additional games have since been played.

So, if this pattern holds, count on Penn State making a trip to VCU in 2024-25 or 2025-26, with a return trip to State College to follow the next season.

Penn State officially announced the hiring of Mike Rhoades to be the program’s new head basketball coach. Rhoades is now going all in on filling out a coaching staff and a roster for the upcoming basketball season.

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Mike Rhoades sends thank-you note to VCU fans

Penn State’s new head coach, Mike Rhoades, pens good-bye message to VCU fans.

Penn State ended its search for a new head basketball coach on Wednesday by announcing the hiring of Mike Rhoades. Rhoades, a Pennsylvania native, comes to Penn State following a successful stint as the head coach of the VCU Rams, one of the top programs in the Atlantic-10. While VCU fans were hoping their school would find a way to keep Rhoades as its head coach, Rhoades ultimately decided to move on and take a chance with the Nittany Lions.

But knowing how important the VCU community was to him and his family, Rhoades released a final farewell message to VCU fans and the VCU community as he and his family began to plan their move to State College.

“My family and I want to thank you for 11 awesome years,” Rhoades said in his released statement, via Twitter, referring to his time spent at VCU as an assistant coach and as a head coach. “It was a dream come true to coach with so many special, talented and passionate players and coaches. My players and coaches will always be part of our family… no matter what!”

[autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] is coming off a season in which he guided VCU to the regular season and conference tournament championship in the A-10, which was accompanied by a third NCAA trip with Rhoades as the head coach.

Now, as he takes over the Penn State program, Rhoades will look to build a staff and a roster as quickly as possible to begin preparing for the upcoming season. It would not be shocking to see some VCU flavor on Penn State’s roster next season if any players choose to follow Rhoades to State College, not to mention any assistant coaches.

pic.twitter.com/8LhLjCUpJW

— Mike Rhoades (@CoachRhoades) March 29, 2023

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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.