Penn State coach Mike Rhoades under scrutiny as he opens fourth season
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Penn State (12-20, 3-17 Big Ten)
Coach Mike Rhoades finds himself in a tight spot as he enters his fourth season. The Nittany Lions are 40-52 overall since Rhoades replaced Micah Shrewsberry and a woeful 18-42 in Big Ten play. There was a postseason exodus typical in the transfer portal era, with a massive chunk of Penn State’s scoring moving on. Rhoades leaned heavily into the portal and the international market in search of fresh blood to complement holdovers Josh Reed and Ivan Juric.
Players to watch
Reed, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds and is expected to take on a larger role this season. Juric, a 7-foot forward, showed flashes as a freshman while averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds. Guard Brant Byers, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), is a career 40% shooter from 3-point range.
Departures and arrivals
The roster is stacked with seven international players hailing from six different countries: Serbia (Juric and forward Roko Prkacin), Latvia (guard Robert Blums), England (forward Tim Oboh), France (forward Francois Wibaut), Serbia (forward Aleksandar Zecevic) and the Philippines (freshman guard Andy Gemao). Going overseas to find talent is becoming increasingly common in the Power Four conferences, and Rhoades will likely need the group to make a significant impact if he wants to see a fifth season in Happy Valley.
Top games
The Nittany Lions open the season at home against Canisuis on Nov. 2. The nonconference schedule is relatively light save for a meeting with instate rival Pittsburgh on Nov. 8 in Philadelphia and a trip to the Bahamas for the Battle for Atlantis that includes a matchup with Memphis and then either Wake Forest or Mississippi State. Big Ten play begins at preseason No. 3 Illinois on Dec. 12. A difficult conference road schedule includes a late-season swing through Los Angeles to take on preseason Top 25 teams USC and UCLA.
Facts and figures
Blums was impressive in an exhibition win over St. Bonaventure, scoring 17 points while making 4 of 7 3-pointers. … Thomas Allard, a transfer from Alabama-Huntsville, had 18 points and eight rebounds and his 6-7 frame could be a matchup problem out on the wing for opponents. … The Nittany Lions have 10 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, but just three this century. … The biggest challenge for Penn State will be on the glass. The Nittany Lions were last in the Big Ten in rebounding margin last season (minus-6.6).
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