Mike Rhoades is heading into his second summer offseason at the helm of Penn State men’s basketball.

After an initially rocky start to the spring transfer portal that saw multiple role players depart the program, Rhoades and his staff were able to retain its strong core from last season as well as pick up young playmakers with plenty of potential to pair with the existing roster and incoming freshman.

With guard Ace Baldwin Jr. officially announcing his return to the program, here is how the roster looks six months from the Nittany Lions start of the 2024-25 season.

Point Guards

After what felt like an entirety, star Nittany Lion Baldwin announced his return to Happy Valley for one more season last week. With his announcement, Baldwin shores up the entire roster heading into the summer break. The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year will be the leader on and off the court for Penn State this upcoming season.

Backing up Baldwin, incoming freshman Jahvin Carter is the only player who is a natural point guard who could run the offense next season. Carter, rated as the third-best player in Tennessee, per 247Sports, is 6’2″ and 175 pounds. Carter picked the Nittany Lions over Georgia Tech and Middle Tennessee State and would benefit from sitting behind Baldwin for a year.

Shooting Guards

This position group could be one of the strongest for Rhaodes next winter. It’s spearheaded by returning freak athletes, D’Marco Dunn and Nick Kern Jr. Dunn came off the bench most of his first year in State College before finishing the season in the starting lineup. The North Carolina transfer showed off his skill set on both sides of the ball but will need to be more consistent offensively next season. Dunn averaged 6.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

Kern started next to Baldwin for much of the year averaging 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds. Kern, who followed Rhoades and Baldwin to State College from VCU, will have an even bigger role next season as a senior.

Following the loss of Jameel Brown to Temple via the transfer portal, Rhoades brought in Freddie Dilione from Tennessee. Dilione is a former top-50 recruit out of high school and has three years of eligibility remaining. In his two seasons with Tennessee, Dilione appeared in 18 games and played 93 minutes, recording 30 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds, and six steals.

Dominick Stewart is an incoming freshman who signed his letter of intent this past winter. The 6’5″ guard from Castaic, California, will probably not have a major impact next season with the guys in front of him. Stewart was rated as a top-300 player in the country by 247Sports.

Small Forwards

Puff Johnson announced his return for one more season early in the offseason. Johnson transferred to Penn State last offseason after spending three seasons at North Carolina. After a shaky start to his Penn State career, Johnson became one of the best players on the team at the end of the season, averaging 7.3 points per game and shooting 33% from behind the arc.

Zach Hick’s first season wearing the blue and white went very similar to that of Johnson’s. The Temple transfer shot the ball in high numbers throughout the year. Despite getting plenty of shots up it took Hicks late into the year to find his shooting stroke. If both players can be efficient from the field next year, Rhoades and his staff will have a very good position group on their hands.

Eli Rice found his way to Penn State via the transfer portal after spending his freshman season at fellow Big Ten school, Nebraska. Rice appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, shooting 37% from three and 41.3% from the field. Rice stands 6’8″ and will add more athleticism to this group for the Nittany Lions.

Hudson Ward will be a long-term project for Rhoades and Co. Ward was the final commit of the recruiting class and hails from Edmonton, Alberta. Ward is listed at 6’7″ and 210 pounds and picked the Nittany Lions over New Mexico and San Diego.

Power Forwards

After the departures of Demetrius Lilley and Favour Aire combined with Qudus Wahab filling out his eligibility, Penn State had a lot of work to do in the portal. Rhoades went big with all four transfers after rebounding was a major issue last season. This group will have all eyes on them at the beginning of the season and could be the difference in how well the Nittany Lions do in Big Ten play.

Kachi Nzeh was the first of the four transfers to announce his commitment to Penn State. The Pennsylvania native spent one season at Xavier and tallied 47 points and 47 rebounds across 19 games. Nzeh is only 6’8″ but likes to play inside and hopes to see more time returning home to the Keystone State.

Former Northern Illinois men’s basketball forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser will be the tallest member of the Nittany Lions, standing 6’11”. Niederhauser is a native of Fraschels, Switzerland, and brings a unique skill set to Happy Valley. The big man can use his length on the defensive end to disrupt shots but also has a plethora of potential offensively.

Niederhauser started in 28 games over two seasons at Northern Illinois. Last season, he racked up 198 points, 120 rebounds, and 57 blocks. The Swiss big man has a huge upside and could develop a lot over the next two seasons in State College.

The lone freshman is incoming top-100 recruit Miles Goodman. Goodman is teammates with fellow signee Stewart at Southern California Academy. The 6’10” forward highlighted the top-25 recruiting class by 247Sports in Rhoades’ first season on the recruiting trail.