Penn State Basketball Continues International Roster Rebuild

Nittany Lions sign two freshmen from Serbia and the Philippines.

Penn State Nittany Lions basketball coach Mike Rhoades calls out a play to his team against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. | Taj Falconer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades approached a major offseason rebuild in part by pursuing players with international experience. The Nittany Lions have signed two more who will be freshmen for the 2026-27 season.

Penn State announced the signing of Aleksandar Zecevic, a 6-9 forward from Serbia who played professionally in Spain last year. Rhoades also landed 6-1 guard Andy Gemao, a native of the Philippines who played last season at a prestigious school in Toronto.

Both players will join a Penn State basketball roster that will look completely different next season. The Nittany Lions lost nine players from their 2025-26 roster that finished 12-20. That included top scorers Freddie Dilione V, who transferred to Georgia, and point guard Kayden Mingo, who left for Baylor after one season.

Zecevic comes to Penn State after spending the 2025-26 season with Surne Bilbao Basket, which plays in Spain's Liga ACB. Zecevic played for Bilbao Basket's U22 team, averaging 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Zecevic scored in double digits 10 times in 22 appearances with the U22 club team. That included a season-high 26 points in January. He shot 62.2 percent from the field. Zecevic played for the Serbian U19 team KK Vojvodina Novi Sad during the 2024-25 season.

“Aleksandar is a versatile forward who can guard multiple positions," Rhoades said in a statement. "His defensive and rebounding intensity are a great fit for our style of play and his overseas experience will benefit us immediately. We’re thrilled to welcome Aleksandar to the Penn State basketball family.”

From 🇷🇸 ➡ Happy Valley 📍#WeAre | https://t.co/Gf5phNyOSO pic.twitter.com/127uwkwJ2y

— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) May 28, 2026

Gemao has played for the U16 and U19 Philippines National Teams and spent last season Toronto's Royal Crown School, which bills itself as rostering the "#1 basketball program in Canada." The Royal Crown School basketball programs play in tournaments globally and have sent numerous players to the U.S. to play men and women's college basketball.

Gemao was a team captain at Royal Crown last season, compiling 712 points, 256 assists and 122 rebounds in his career with the team. He was a first-team all-star in Canada's National Prep Association and helped Royal Crown to a 19-2 record.

“Andy is a skilled ball handler who played high school basketball in a highly competitive prep league," Rhoades said in a statement. "He is an impressive playmaker with great basketball instincts. We’re excited to welcome Andy to the Penn State basketball family.”

.@andy_gemao is coming to the 814 🫡#WeAre | https://t.co/zh8CWkcfmh pic.twitter.com/InlVFl0bop

— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) May 27, 2026

Penn State previously has signed four transfers, including Roberts Blums, who played for Davidson last season. Blums is from Latvia and played in the Latvian Estonian Basketball League before beginning his college career.

Penn State also retained Ivan Juric from its 2025-26 roster. Juric, from Croatia, was the most productive of the four international players Rhoades signed last season. He led Penn State in rebounding (5.3 per game) and shooting percentage (57.7 percent).

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