SerpApi.Org
It’s not often Penn State finds itself at the bottom of the Big Ten in any metric, but the men’s basketball program has been the conference basement dweller as of late.
The Nittany Lions were picked to finish last in the conference prior to the 2025-26 season and lived up to expectations (or lack thereof) by finishing 3-17 against Big Ten competition plus a first-round tournament exit. Heading into this season, Mike Rhoades and Co. are once again expected to be the caboose of the conference standings.
A large part of that stems from the team’s lack of NIL funding, which Rhoades notably stated was “at the bottom” of the conference during a media availability on Tuesday.
“No coach is ever going to say they have enough, and everybody wants more in the arms race,” Rhoades said. “It is what it is. You’ve got whatever you’re given and you’ve got to try to do the best you can with it and make no excuses and figure it out.”
The financial situation required a reworked strategy for the Nittany Lions’ offseason talent acquisition process. After relying heavily on a youth movement last year, Rhoades quickly realized that surviving the gauntlet of Big Ten play demands veteran presence, physical maturation and depth — Penn State had none of those.
“Last year we went with a really young team. We went with a lot of freshmen and everybody in the league got bigger and older and we just couldn’t do that,” Rhoades said. “(This offseason) we were trying to get some older guys, guys with experience and find a way to get them here. I think we did a good job with what we have.”
The staff made a firm commitment to pivot toward battle-tested talent rather than developmental projects. Rhoades didn’t mince words when describing his desire to avoid the roster construction mistakes of the past.
“I never want to be the youngest team in Power 4 basketball ever again,” he said.
That shift in philosophy meant searching the transfer portal for immediate and proven contributors while operating within budget constraints. The program brought in six transfers this offseason, all from small-market schools, prioritizing production.
Key among those additions is Pennsylvania native Brant Byers, who saw an ideal match between his personal trajectory and the program’s vision.
“(The) opportunity and then the vision that we want to get Penn State basketball to, and then just the relationship I was able to build with coach Rhoades and the rest of the staff played into that,” Byers said.
Byers appeared in all 34 games for Miami (Ohio) last season, which mounted a historic 32-2 record and an NCAA Tournament bid. Rhoades noted that Byers was high on the coaching staff’s wishlist from the moment he entered the portal.
“We wanted to make sure we tried to find older guys with skill that can really shoot the ball,” Rhoades said. “(Byers) was one of the guys at the top of the list … he’s working his butt off and I’m really proud of him.”
While portal additions were essential, the roster composition also relied heavily on retaining forward Ivan Jurić, a bright spot from last season who returned to the program with an improved physical profile. Though Penn State couldn’t retain star guard Kayden Mingo, who portaled to Baylor with a hefty NIL valuation, Jurić opted to stay despite likely fielding some outside interest.
Rhoades said he’s “probably 40 pounds bigger and stronger than he was this time last year.” And while the Nittany Lions almost certainly gave him an NIL bump to stick around, part of Jurić’s decision to return hinged on the plan the staff laid out for him, banking on their track record of development at center.
With Rhoades’ fifth season in Happy Valley drawing closer, the contrast in conference finances remains vast. Despite the added challenge, he has experience in an underdog role, referencing previous stints with Randolph-Macon and Rice where his teams were consistently at a talent and/or resource disadvantage.
“You’ve just gotta keep knocking on doors and talking to people and educating people on what it’s gonna take and how we go about it,” Rhoades said. “The Big Ten is the richest conference in basketball and you see that with the teams that are being put together.”
Rather than dwelling on what the program lacks compared to rival payrolls, the staff is banking on frugal portal finds and internal growth to close the gap on the court.
“This year we’re much older, guys have more experience, and guys came from winning cultures so they know what it takes to win,” Jurić said. “Having that experience is really going to help us decide 50/50 games.”
The Nittany Lions were 3-7 in Big Ten games decided by 10 or fewer points last season, including a two-point loss to eventual national champion Michigan and an eight-point loss to then-No. 5 Purdue.
For Rhoades, building a successful squad at Penn State comes down to finding the right fits.
“It’s all about the players we have here, the guys that wanna be here, and they’re going to work super hard for us and represent us the right way,” Rhoades said.
