Hoops season gets rolling at Penn State on Nov. 2, and the slate opens with a pair of home games that both feature plenty of turnover.
The Penn State men host Canisius at 7:30 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center, with both teams entering at 0-0. Mike Rhoades is back for his fourth season in Happy Valley, where his career record sits at 44-52.
Penn State went 12-20 last season, and this year’s roster looks very different: 14 players are on the team, and only two saw action a year ago, 7-foot-0 center Ivan Juric and 6-foot-8 shooting forward Josh Reed. Juric averaged 10.2 points per game, while Reed put up 11.5.
The Nittany Lions also bring in seven international players, plus four notable transfers: Jay Rodgers from Central Connecticut State, Dasonte Bowen from Iowa, Brant Byers from Miami, Ohio and Roberts Blums from Davidson. Byers, a 6-foot-8 shooting forward, was a high school star in Chambersburg.
Penn State got a pair of tuneups in, beating Saint Bonaventure and Drexel in scrimmages. Canisius, meanwhile, dropped exhibitions to LeMoyne College and Robert Morris.
The Mirror prediction: Penn State 72, Canisius 56.
At Pitt, the men’s opener comes against Rider at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center. Both teams are 0-0, with Pitt listed at 0-0 in the ACC and Rider at 0-0 in the MAAC. Bill Hillgrove is back for his 58th season on the Panthers Radio Network, a familiar voice for a program that has a heavily remade roster of its own.
Pitt lost an exhibition game at Providence, 87-64, and only one scholarship player from last season returns: Macari Moore. The Panthers added 11 transfers and two freshmen, with North Carolina transfer Jonathan Powell, Syracuse transfer Naithan George and Georgia Tech transfer Baye Ndongo expected to be among the team’s top players.
Rider, coached by Kevin Baggett for the last 14 seasons, went 4-25 last year and brought in 14 new players this season. Pitt has won both previous meetings with Rider, which is based in Lawrenceville, N.J., and has five players from the Philadelphia area on its roster.
Pitt was picked 12th in the 18-team ACC preseason rankings, while Rider was slotted 13th out of 13 in the MAAC. The Mirror prediction: Pitt 75, Rider 57.
The women’s action at Penn State features Cleveland State at 11-18 Penn State, with both programs under new leadership. Cleveland State went 26-10 in ‘25-‘26, reached the Horizon League semifinals, and settled for a WNIT berth after winning 24 games through that point.
The Vikings won two games in the WNIT before losing to Arkansas State in the quarterfinals, and they’ve now won at least 20 games in five straight seasons. Bob Dunn is taking over at Cleveland State, while Tanisha Wright is stepping in at Penn State.
The Lady Lions won the only previous meeting, a Jan. 19, 1985 matchup.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans May Notice One Strange Thing About Seattle Tickets
Penn States first Big Ten win under Matt Campbell gave the program a needed lift, but the attention around the next trip is turning to something a little less on-field: the cost of getting into Seattle. Ticket prices for the upcoming game against Washington are sitting in the $53 to $75 range, a number shaped by Washingtons recent play and the fact that the matchup is on the road in Seattle.
Even with those prices landing in the same neighborhood as Washingtons final home game against Indiana, attendance is expected to be light for the Penn State game. That makes the market feel a bit unusual for a high-profile nonconference trip, with the price tag not exactly matching the level of local demand the Huskies might normally expect. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Could Be Headed For A Bowl Matchup Fans Didn't Expect
Baylors turnaround under interim coach Joe Klanderman has put the Bears back into the bowl picture, and that in turn has created a few possible postseason paths that could matter to Penn State fans. After beating UCF to move to 5-3, Baylor needs one more win to lock up bowl eligibility, and the projections around the program have started to widen, with several outlets floating a range of opponents from Missouri and Florida to FAU, Army and Penn State.
For the Nittany Lions, the interesting part is not just that Baylor has re-entered the conversation, but that the matchup options are still unsettled enough to leave room for a surprise. Baylors recent form and the players driving it have made the Bears a more credible bowl draw than they looked earlier in the year, and the challenge they could present would depend heavily on which version of the team shows up in December. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Snap Counts Hint At A Sudden Role Shift
Penn States latest snap counts against Purdue offered a clearer look at how the staff is sorting through its rotation as injuries and game flow continue to shape who is on the field. The numbers showed changes in playing time on both sides of the ball, with several offensive and defensive pieces taking on different workloads than they had earlier in the season, while Cam Wallaces rushing production and Yvan Kemajous defensive presence stood out in the box score.
Amid those shifts, Matt Campbell singled out freshman Amarion Jackson for praise, a noteworthy sign that the staff is comfortable expanding his role as the season moves along. For a team still adjusting week to week, the snap distribution suggests the depth chart is anything but settled, and the next round of game reps should reveal whether these changes are temporary fixes or the start of something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]