Penn State Basketball: Coach Mike Rhoades Gets a Vote of Confidence

Athletic Director Pat Kraft says he's confident that Rhoades can build a "consistent" winner at Penn State.

Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Penn State men’s basketball began the season with hopes of making the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. "Why not?" Nittany Lions coach Mike Rhoades asked in October. They answered that question one the Big Ten schedule truly began.

After starting the season 12-2, Penn State took punch after punch in conference action, crawling to a 4-13 record the rest of the way to finish the regular sesaon 16-15. The Nittany Lions did not make the Big Ten Tournament after placing 17th in the conference standings.

While Penn State's 86-75 upset of Wisconsin to close the regular season meant something, it also left a what-might-have-been tast for a team with five seniors and the Big Ten's two-time defensive player of the year. Now Rhoades has much to work on as his program shifts focus to next season.

Examining Penn State’s potential 2025 roster

Penn State is about to get a lot younger by losing those five starters and bringing in three freshmen. As a result, Rhoades likely will seek experience in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Center Yanic Konan Niederhauser is the most important returning player for the Nittany Lions in 2025-26. The 7-footer averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks after transferring from NIU. For now, Konan Niederhauser will be the only fourth-year player on the Nittany Lions’ roster next season, assuming he stays.

"He made a great decision [coming to Penn State], but the other part of it is, even in the last two months, he has a hunger to get better," Rhoades said of Niederhauser before the Wisconsin game. "And when he’s had good days, he’s built on it. When he’s had a bad day or a bad game, he’s taken it to heart to get better. His approach from being here from June 6 of last year is a reason why he’s turned into the player at this level that he has. And I think he’s hungry to do it even to a higher level, which is refreshing."

Elsewhere in the frontcourt, there’s a collection of young returners who will likely step into bigger roles. Kachi Nzeh, who transferred from Xavier last offseason, was efficient in limited minutes this season. However, two members of Rhoades’ 2024 recruiting class, his first at Penn State, will bring some excitement to the frontcourt. 

Hudson Ward (6-7) and Miles Goodman (6-11), both 4-star prospects according to the 247Sports Composite, will have more direct paths to playing time. Goodman appeared in 13 games, averaging 5.9 minutes per game. Ward played in eight games. As Ward and Goodman are paired with Konan Niederhauser, expect to watch a taller Nittany Lions squad next season.

Replacing point guard Ace Baldwin Jr., named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time, is another important task for Rhoades. Among the returners, Freddie Dilione V appears to be the leading candidate to create offense from the guard positions in 2025-26. He averaged 9.4 points per game this season as a Tennessee transfer. Dominick Stewart and Jahvin Carter are two other young guards that could see more minutes.

The 2025-26 season also marks the arrival of point guard Kayden Mingo, the highest-rated recruit in program history. As a 4-star prospect and the No. 38 player in the 2025 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite, Mingo may not get heavy minutes from the jump but should have opportunities on a young team. The other two members of Rhoades’ 2025 class, forward Mason Blackwood and center Justin Houser, are set to provide the Nittany Lions with more young depth. 

Rhoades gets a vote of confidence

Since the day he arrived at Penn State, Rhoades has made his vision clear: to make the NCAA Tournament. He also knew it wouldn’t be easy. With a veteran roster, this season wound up being a significant bump in the road. Next year’s younger squad might not have the same ceiling with which Penn State began this season.

However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Rhoades’ 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes have included some of the highest-ranked recruits in Penn State’s history. The rebuild may be moving at a slow pace, but the hope is that it will pay off down the road.

“Mike's done a remarkable job. I told him the other day after a tough loss, I went in to talk to him more as a therapist, and I said, ‘Mike, look at the expectations that you have built to go to the tournament. Every year is a step forward.’ I don't know if that was the case all the time for Penn State basketball,” Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said in February. “No one's more frustrated and bottled up like Mike is right now. And I'm not making excuses, and he wouldn't either. We've got to get better. But I'm not looking for a quick fix. I'm looking to do this the right way.”

Rebounding, 3-point shooting and late-game execution have been the roots of Penn State’s struggles. Next year, those areas will become focal points of improvement. Kraft remains hopeful that Rhoades’ long-term plan will come to fruition, one small step at a time.

“What I love about Mike is he's learning, and he's asking questions. You got to keep evaluating yourself and looking at it,” Kraft said. “I think it's still a work in progress. Like, I just tell everybody, ‘Stick with us. Sweat with us.’ I'm more than ever confident in what he can do here, but we're not looking short term. I want to build this so that it is a consistent [winner.]”

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