Penn State Basketball Update: Rhoades Focused on Building Through Adversity, Not Job Pressure
As Penn State navigates a grueling Big Ten schedule and a West Coast swing, head coach Mike Rhoades isn’t dodging the tough questions. With the Nittany Lions sitting at 10-14 overall and just one win in conference play, the heat is on - at least from the outside. But if you ask Rhoades, he’s not sweating the pressure.
“Nobody puts more pressure on me than me,” he said during a Tuesday Zoom press conference while on the road. “That’s how I’ve always been.
My focus every morning is, ‘How can I make this program better?’ Some things you can control.
Others, you can’t. But you keep pushing forward.”
That’s been the theme since Rhoades arrived in Happy Valley ahead of the 2023-24 season. Now in the third year of a seven-year deal, he’s made it clear he’s committed to the long haul. And with four years left on his contract, he’s not shying away from the challenge of building a program that’s historically struggled to find consistent footing in the Big Ten.
Let’s be honest - Penn State basketball doesn’t carry the same historical weight as some of its conference rivals. Rhoades knows that.
He said as much, calling the program’s tradition “not great.” But that’s not an excuse - it’s a reality he’s embraced.
“We have a very good staff,” he said. “We’ve just got to continue to try to find ways to make our program better and build it so we can fight in this landscape. That’s important.”
The numbers don’t lie - Penn State is 1-12 in Big Ten play this season and just 5-27 in its last 32 games against power-conference opponents. But Rhoades isn’t backing down. He’s been in the grind before, and he’s not afraid of it now.
For those keeping track, his buyout sits at $9 million this season. It drops to $6 million next year, then to $3 million in 2027-28, and $1.5 million in the final year of the deal.
Coast-to-Coast: Nittany Lions Head West
This week’s challenge? A two-game road trip out west, starting with a late-night tipoff against Washington on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions flew out Monday, with a refueling stop in Bismarck, North Dakota, before landing in Seattle.
“We got in the gym last night, got some work in, a lot of shots up,” Rhoades said. “Guys handled it well. We’re preparing for Washington.”
This is Penn State’s second West Coast trip since the Big Ten’s expansion added USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. Last season’s swing through Los Angeles didn’t go well, with losses to both the Trojans and Bruins. But Rhoades isn’t making a big deal out of the travel.
“If you make it a big deal, it becomes a big deal,” he said. “I’ve ridden buses for six, eight, ten hours.
I’ve driven the white vans. So flying across the country to play a Big Ten game?
It’s all about how you approach it. You won’t hear a complaint or an excuse from me.”
Ivan Jurić Returns - and Impresses
One bright spot in Sunday’s narrow 77-75 loss to USC was the return of freshman 7-footer Ivan Jurić, who had missed two games due to illness. And despite still feeling some lingering effects, he made a noticeable impact.
“I was really impressed with how much he played and how he played,” Rhoades said. “I thought he’d be coughing up a lung a couple times and have no energy.
But he’s a tough dude, man. I thought he played very well.”
Jurić logged 13 points, eight rebounds, and three steals in 26 minutes, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 1-of-3 from deep. His +7 plus-minus led the team - a strong sign of the impact he had on both ends of the floor.
Though he admitted postgame that his lungs still weren’t 100%, Rhoades said Jurić looked better during Monday’s travel day and Tuesday’s practice session.
Injury Updates: Rice Ready, Others Still Day-to-Day
The Nittany Lions could be getting another key piece back for the Washington game. Wing Eli Rice, who exited the Feb. 1 game against Minnesota after a head-to-head collision, is expected to return.
“Eli will be good to go today at practice,” Rhoades confirmed. “He’ll be available to play this week.”
Rice had been listed as “out” for the USC game but participated in pregame warmups, signaling he was close to returning.
As for forwards Tibor Mirtič and Saša Ciani, both remain day-to-day.
Mirtič has been battling through a tough string of injuries - first a knee issue suffered in the Jan. 6 game against Michigan, then a shoulder injury during his return to practice. He was seen wearing a sling during the Jan. 29 game against Northwestern but has since ditched it.
Ciani, meanwhile, hasn’t played since Jan. 26 against Ohio State due to an ankle injury.
Looking Ahead
With a tough road still ahead and the Big Ten gauntlet showing no mercy, Penn State finds itself in a fight to stay competitive. But Rhoades isn’t flinching.
He knew the job wouldn’t be easy. And even amid the struggles, there’s a clear sense that he’s still fully locked in on the long-term vision.
That vision might not yield immediate results, but it’s rooted in something more sustainable - building a foundation, brick by brick, even when the scoreboard doesn’t offer much validation.
And for now, that’s the mindset Penn State is taking into every game - including this week’s cross-country test.