To say the least, there was some roster turnover for Penn State this offseason.
Veterans Puff Johnson, D’Marco Dunn, Zach Hicks, Nick Kern Jr. and Ace Baldwin Jr. all exhausted their eligibility. Forward Miles Goodman, guard Jahvin Carter, forward Kachi Nzeh, forward Hudson Ward and walk-on forward Joe Sedora all transferred out.
To top it all off, center Yanic Konan Niederhauser left for the NBA draft.
In turn, the Nittany Lions added freshmen Kayden Mingo, the highest-rated recruit in program history, along with six other first-year signees and one walk-on. They also signed Cincinnati wing Josh Reed and UIC big Saša Ciani via the transfer portal.
Thus, this summer is a key developmental period for the overall young squad in State College, and Mike Rhoades shared his philosophy for these months.
“The whole theme of the summer is build and bond,” Rhoades said on July 15. “Let’s build our team together, and we got to bond.”
If the team wants success in the Big Ten, it’s important all of its players build on their talent.
All players line up to sing the alma mater after concluding the Penn State men’s basketball game against Maryland in the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Terrapins beat the Nittany Lions 68-64.
Samantha Oropeza
For instance, Mingo projects as the starting point guard. While he’s exhibited characteristics of a leader to Rhoades this summer, he’s only a freshman, and growing pains have been noticed by the coach.
Nevertheless, Mingo’s natural talent provides a strong base to develop on the bright spots he’s had this summer.
“I want (Mingo) to be super aggressive. I want his natural leadership skills to take over,” Rhoades said. “He plays that way, he acts that way and we’re going to continue to build on that.”
In the frontcourt, Ciani will likely be the starter at the five once the season begins. Standing 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, he’s considered undersized for a starting center in the Big Ten, but his size stacks up similarly to former Nittany Lion standout John Harrar, so it’s possible Ciani can become a reliable starter at the position after an offseason of building.
However, even if Ciani reaches his full potential, there will still be a considerable amount of minutes available for his backup, which is where Ivan Jurić or Justin Houser will come into play.
The two freshmen 7-footers will have to learn and pick up on tendencies relatively quickly. About 15 minutes per game could be available behind Ciani come November, so this summer of building is key for Jurić and Houser.
Now, the players can make strides in their development, but that’s not all it takes for a successful team. They need to have a bond to mesh well on the court, showcasing enough chemistry to correctly run schemes.
Luckily for Penn State, by having summer workouts, the team is already with each other most of the time during these months.
“(We’ve) spent a lot of time together in the gym, in the weight room, on the track early in the mornings and then, of course, we do have free time,” Rhoades said. “We have time to sit around and communicate with each other and interact with each other. That’s how you build a bond that goes beyond the sport we’re playing.”
As the roster stands, there’s 10 new faces and just three returnees — guard Freddie Dilione V, wing Eli Rice and guard Dominick Stewart. Rhoades mentioned that the trio has gone out of their way to start facilitating a bond.
Guard Nick Kern Jr. (3) shoots a free throw at the Penn State men’s basketball THON game against Washington on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 in the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions lost to the Huskies 75-73.
Jacob DeLuca
Dilione, Rice and Stewart have only been in Happy Valley for a year, and they accounted for 15.5% of the team’s minutes and 14.6% of the team’s scoring from last season. While they might be younger than typical returning veterans, it’s a role they’ve “embraced.”
“Everybody wants a new role. Everybody wants a promotion,” Dilione said July 15. “As we take this promotion, we’re learning at the same time, so we’ve been taking it day by day.”
The dividends of a full summer focused on building and bonding will be seen in the coming weeks, but for now, Rhoades has overall positive remarks for his squad.
“I’ve been pleased with our guys,” Rhoades said. “I thought a lot of guys showed up ready to go.”
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