Penn State men’s basketball is just days away!

Year four of the Mike Rhoades era is here, following a disappointing season and a last-place finish in the Big Ten standings. The ensuing offseason firestorm saw all but one rotation player from last season depart, bringing in a whole new roster to Happy Valley.

The Nittany Lions tip off their season on November 2, against Canisius at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Before the season gets underway, our staffers made their predictions for how the blue and white will fare this winter.

Karlee Feger: 14-18 (6-14 Big Ten)

It’s no secret the Big Ten is extremely competitive, and I think it will take time to build chemistry with the slew of newcomers on this roster, including international transfers who bring height to the team.

I expect Josh Reed to lead as he returns to Happy Valley, and I am curious to see how Rhoades uses seven-footer Ivan Jurić. I think a key to this team’s success is all players buying into the process and consistently growing their on-court connection.

Jake Speicher: 16-16 (6-14 Big Ten)

Without knowing yet how this new-look Penn State team performs against some of the Big Ten’s elite, I think there will be an improvement from last season, even if slight.

I like the squad Rhoades brought in, and I think they’ll bring size, scoring, and experience to a team that needs it.

Penn State will grab a few close wins against Big Ten opponents, but I don’t expect them to immediately become a contender in one of the country’s toughest conferences.

Zach Paulhamus: 12-20 (4-16 Big Ten)

I think Penn State is in for another rough season. It’s hard to look at the Big Ten schedule and be confident about where the wins will come from, especially on the road.

Jurić gives me some hope, having a full season of basketball under his belt. If he can take a step forward alongside Brant Byers, a 39% shooter from the arc, and Jay Rodgers, who averaged 6.9 assists last season at Central Connecticut State, Penn State could have some decent pieces.

Still, I’m not convinced Penn State will get enough production across the roster to win consistently. I’m going with 12 total wins, and even that feels a little optimistic.

Cooper Allmaras: 18-14 (9-11 Big Ten)

The number of transfers is concerning, as Jurić is the only returning key piece. The Nittany Lions will get a few Big Ten wins here and there, but not consistently enough to make the postseason.

Jason Perry: 15-17 (5-15 Big Ten)

I think this team is due for an improvement from last season, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be good.

Penn State should win most of its non-conference games, but it’ll struggle in a stacked Big Ten. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an upset or two, but it won’t be enough to earn a significant playoff spot.

Gabe Alpher: 13-19 (4-16 Big Ten)

Penn State has a fairly new team this season, but a fairly weak non-conference schedule and Rhoades’ coaching should get the Nittany Lions to double-digit wins.

Collin Ward: 15-15 (6-12 Big Ten)

Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

Michael Zeno: 15-17 (5-15 Big Ten)

When Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft went on his offseason tangent about not investing in the basketball program, he made it pretty clear where it ranks in the pecking order of importance.

I like a bunch of the players on the roster and think they have upside if Jurić develops into a top-shelf big man, Byers has that instant impact, and Reed acts as the veteran stabilizer, but I don’t see a lot of progress.

They’ll be better than last year, but that’s a low bar considering the entire team was freshmen. If only Penn State still had Kayden Mingo and Freddie Dilione V…

Holden Mostofsky: 14-18 (4-16 Big Ten)

This is a very new team this season, so I couldn’t 100% tell you what to expect yet.

I think the team can pull off a few wins in Big Ten play and win some non-conference matches as well. Rhoades knows how to keep a game close, despite not winning many of them last year. But I don’t see Penn State making the jump just yet, maybe in a few years.

Oscar Orellana: 14-18 (5-15 Big Ten)

I don’t have high expectations for this Penn State hoops squad. I’m just hoping it’s at least fun to watch, with offseason additions like Byers, Roberts Blums, and Andy Gemao.

Rhoades opted to go big after a rather small lineup in 2025-26, so it’ll be interesting to see how it pays off. I just think the lack of upper-Division I experience on the floor will doom the Nittany Lions against the Big Ten gauntlet once more.

I am bought in on Rhoades making the team tougher, though. He’s been adamant about that trait, so I’ll toss them a clean five conference wins to start trending in the right direction (wow, the floor is low).

Cadyn Gill: 13-19 (4-15 Big Ten)

Frankly, I lost any remaining faith in Rhoades after Mingo departed Happy Valley after just one underwhelming season with Penn State.

I don’t think he did nearly enough to bring experienced Power Four talent back into the program after losing multiple contributors from last season, including Dilione, Eli Rice, Melih Tunca, and Dominick Stewart.

The Nittany Lions struggled mightily in crunch time last season, and I don’t think that will improve with less isolated scoring talent in 2026.

I hate being negative, but nothing on paper suggests this season will be any different from another dead-last finish in the Big Ten.

Ryan McInerney: 13-19 (7-13 Big Ten)

This is me being optimistic.

Reed, Jurić, and Blums all showed encouraging signs in the exhibition wins, so there are guys on the roster who give me hope. But looking good in exhibition games and surviving a Big Ten schedule are two different things.

The financial gap between Penn State and the conference’s biggest spenders makes it hard to build and keep a competitive roster. There’s potential for improvement, but how much can we realistically expect without the funds to consistently compete for talent?