When it comes to Penn State’s recruiting, one tendency was hammered home this offseason.
The Nittany Lions don’t just recruit in the United States. They search all around the globe to find players willing to join them in building a program at Penn State.
“We have got to go everywhere, near and far, to find players that fit what we’re trying to do and are gettable,” Rhoades said in July. “That’s just the name of the game, and that means we got to scour the whole world.”
Rhoades and company have brought in four internationals for 2025-26 — Slovenian forward Tibor Mirtič, Turkish guard Melih Tunca, Croatian 7-footer Ivan Jurić and Slovenian forward Saša Ciani.
While Jurić, who went to Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, and Ciani, a transfer from UIC, played in the U.S. last season, Mirtič and Tunca were overseas in their home countries. As such, it’s tougher to even just find those types of players to recruit.
Still, Mirtič and Tunca are headed to State College for the 2025-26 season, and Rhoades credited the team’s ability to attract foreign players to his coaching staff.
“We’re very fortunate with the staff we have,” Rhoades said. “These guys have been around, and they also have a lot of international contacts and experience from their playing days.”
Coach Mike Rhoades looks at the scoreboard in the Penn State men’s basketball game against Northwestern in the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Wildcats 84-80.
Noah Aberegg
Assistant coach Joe Crispin played for the Nittany Lions from 1997-2001 before enjoying a professional career that included stints in Europe.
Crispin’s team from 2007-09 was Banvit, which was a squad in Turkey. This gives the team a regional tie to Tunca as he played for Turk Telekom of the Basketball Super League in Turkey last season.
Fellow assistant coach Talor Battle was also a Penn State player from 2007-11. He went overseas for professional gigs as well, including signing with Union Olimpija, a team from Slovenia, in 2017.
Battle’s time there gives a connection to Mirtič, who played for the Slovenia-based team of KK Krka in the ABA League this past year.
Penn State has seen a few international players earlier in Rhoades’ tenure, which also helps, and some of the staff has experience recruiting globally before they got to Happy Valley.
“(Assistant coach) Jamal (Brunt) and I have coached long enough, recruited internationally (and) had foreign players on our team from different places we’ve been,” Rhoades said. “Those connections have been huge for us to get some good players this year.”
Forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser (14) dribbles the ball during the Penn State men’s basketball game versus Purdue at the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions defeat the Boilermakers 81-70. The Nittany Lions defeat the Boilermakers 81-70.
Katelyn Supancik
A certain level of talent is needed to compete in the Big Ten. While it remains to be seen how competitive the Nittany Lions can be in the conference this upcoming season and beyond, the staff seem to have looked everywhere to reach that requirement.
“(We) got to go wherever we have to go to get it,” Rhoades said.
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