Penn State Basketball Undergoes Another Offseason of Dramatic Change

Mike Rhoades is remaking his roster again in his fourth year as the Nittany Lions' coach.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades waves during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State men’s basketball is no stranger to roster turnover, which it's undergoing again this offseason. The Nittany Lions return only three players for the second straight year, rebuilding from the transfer portal and the international market.

Through all of those changes, Nittany Lions coach Mike Rhoades said his team will look a lot different both offensively and defensively. While Penn State doesn’t have as much depth as Rhoades would like, the fourth-year coach raved about the roster getting older after being one of the youngest in the country last season, when it went 12-20 and finished last in the Big Ten. 

“We'll have Big Ten size, and we'll be long and athletic throughout the roster,” Rhoades said at the recent Coaches Vs. Cancer Penn State golf tournament. “I like our skill level. Now, we’ve got to put it together on the court come November, but I do like the pieces we have.”

Rhoades added that he will keep recruiting until he’s told he can’t, so there could still be more additions with two roster spots available. In the meantime, here’s what the Nittany Lions look like for as summer practices start June 15.

Ivan Jurić headlines returning group

Penn State Nittany Lions forward Ivan Juric (3) dunks the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Following a standout freshman season, center Ivan Jurić is back for his sophomore year. He’s the team’s only returning starter, and associate head coach Brent Scott said he was “so excited” to keep Jurić around.

“I wanted him back more than anything, and I was super happy when he made his decision to come back,” Scott said. “He had a great freshman year, but I think he has a chance to be really, really special. I think he's going to continue to grow and get better.”

Rhoades said that Jurić added size this offseason, gaining 30 pounds after being listed at 7-feet and 250 pounds as a freshman. Assistant coach Clay Conner said Jurić has “taken it to the next level” during offseason workouts.

Jurić averaged 10.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game across 30 appearances last season. He shot a team-best 57.7 percent from the field and was also willing to shoot 3-pointers to stretch the floor for Penn State.

Joining Jurić as returning players are redshirt freshman guard Reggie Grodin and sophomore walk-on forward Chris Lotito.

Penn State has a lot of new additions

Miami (Ohio) RedHawks wing Brant Byers (22) dribbles the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament during the NCAA Tournament. A. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions needed to add more 3-point shooting and did just that by signing redshirt junior Miami (Ohio) transfer Brant Byers and junior Davidson transfer Roberts Blums. Both players shot better than 39 percent from 3-point range last season.

“They're both really good shooters and have a really good feel of how to play basketball,” Rhoades said. “Both of them [have] got to make shots for us, but they can. You do your evaluation, we talked to a lot of people. Both of them have good reputations, and the way they approached their team and competed, [they] are the type of guys we wanted.”

Getting the ball in the hands of those two shooters will likely be the job of senior Central Connecticut State transfer Jay Rodgers, who ranked eighth in Division I last season with 6.9 assists per game. Rhoades also mentioned that Alabama-Huntsville transfer Thomas Allard could be a ball handler, as could guard Andy Gemao. 

As a 6-7 graduate student, Allard would bring experience and size to the position. Gemao, who played at a prestigious Canadian academy last season, could see minutes as a freshman in 2026-27.

In the frontcourt, Penn State went overseas for three additions in 23-year-old Roko Prkačin, 21-year-old François Wibaut and 20-year-old Aleksandar Zecevic. While their eligibility is uncertain, they all bring playing experience in Europe.

Prkačin in particular is a candidate to start at power forward, but junior Buffalo transfer center Tim Oboh could see minutes at that position. Rhoades said he could see Oboh and Jurić playing at the same time, highlighting his desire to have a versatile lineup.

Additionally, the Nittany Lions brought in another walk-on in freshman guard Grant Spacciapolli, who attended Pine-Richland High School in western Pennsylvania.

Penn State sees offseason staff moves

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo chats with Western Michigan Broncos head coach Dwayne Stephens. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

Even Rhoades’ coaching staff had some reshuffling this offseason, as associate head coach Jamal Brunt left for Syracuse and assistant coach Joe Crispin took the head coaching job at Air Force. 

In turn, Rhoades promoted Scott to associate head coach, calling it an “easy decision” and a “no-brainer.” Scott has coached the team’s centers for the past three seasons, notably developing Yanic Konan Niederhauser to become a first-round NBA draft pick in 2025.

Rhoades also hired former Western Michigan head coach Dwayne Stephens to be an assistant coach. Prior to his time with the Broncos, Stephens spent 19 seasons on Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State, which Rhoades described as “valuable experience.”

“That's a flagship program that he was at for a long time, was a part of the teams that went to the pinnacle of college basketball,” Rhoades said. “I think that's a valuable resource for us.”

Penn State lost nine to the portal

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo (4) moves the ball up the court as Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) defends during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

After going 3-17 in the Big Ten, Penn State had nine players enter the portal earlier this year. Only two of them transferred to power-conference teams, with guard Kayden Mingo landing at Baylor and guard Freddie Dilione V signing with Georgia.

Four more of those players dropped down to mid-major teams. Mason Blackwood joined St. Bonaventure, guard Dominick Stewart transferred to Richmond, guard Eli Rice landed at Middle Tennessee and 7-footer Justin Houser signed with Florida Gulf Coast.

Guard Melih Tunca reportedly went back to his home country of Turkey to play professionally. It has not been reported or announced whether forwards Tibor Mirtič or Saša Ciani have found new teams yet, but Rhoades confirmed that neither will return to the Nittany Lions.

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