Penn State’s basketball season opens with a pair of home tests at the Bryce Jordan Center, and both teams are bringing plenty of new faces into the mix.
The Penn State men tip off first against Canisius at 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten+. Mike Rhoades is entering his fourth season in Happy Valley with a 44-52 record, and last year’s team finished 12-20.
This roster looks very different from the one that took the floor a year ago: 14 players are on the team, and only two saw action last season. Those returners are 7-foot-0, 250-pound center Ivan Juric, who averaged 10.2 points per game, and 6-foot-8, 220-pound shooting forward Josh Reed, who averaged 11.5.
Penn State’s lineup also includes seven international players and four transfer additions who stand out right away: Jay Rodgers, a 6-foot-3 guard from Central Connecticut State; Dasonte Bowen, a 6-foot-2 guard from Iowa; Brant Byers, a 6-foot-8 shooting forward from Miami, Ohio; and Roberts Blums, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Davidson. Byers was a high school star in Chambersburg.
The Nittany Lions got two scrimmage wins, beating Saint Bonaventure and Drexel. Canisius arrives with a completely rebuilt roster of its own, as head coach Jim Christian has 15 players and all 15 are new.
The Golden Griffins dropped two exhibitions, falling to LeMoyne College and Robert Morris.
The Mirror prediction has Penn State winning 72-56.
Later in the evening, Pitt hosts Rider at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center on ACC Network Extra. Bill Hillgrove is back for his 58th season on the Panthers Radio Network, and Pitt comes in after an 87-64 exhibition loss at Providence.
The Panthers are also nearly starting from scratch: Macari Moore is the lone scholarship player back from last season, while the roster now features 11 transfers and two freshmen. Three newcomers are expected to drive the action for Pitt - North Carolina transfer Jonathan Powell, Syracuse transfer Naithan George and Georgia Tech transfer Baye Ndongo.
Rider, coached by Kevin Baggett for the last 14 seasons, went 4-25 last year and added 14 new players this season. Pitt owns a 2-0 all-time record against the Broncs, who are based in Lawrenceville, N.J., and have five players from the Philadelphia area on their roster.
The preseason polls didn’t show much optimism for either side: Pitt was picked 12th out of 18 teams in the ACC, while Rider was tabbed 13th out of 13 in the MAAC. The Mirror prediction is Pitt 75, Rider 57.
The women’s game at the Bryce Jordan Center comes first, with Cleveland State visiting Penn State at 5 p.m. on Big Ten+. Cleveland State finished 26-10 in '25-'26, reached the Horizon League semifinals, then settled for the WNIT despite winning 24 games at that point.
The Vikings won two games in the tournament before losing to Arkansas State in the quarterfinals, and they’ve now put together five straight 20-win seasons. Both programs are under new leadership, with Bob Dunn taking over at Cleveland State and Tanisha Wright stepping in at Penn State.
The Lady Lions won the only previous meeting, taking a 1985 matchup on Jan. 19.
The Mirror prediction: Penn State 67, Cleveland State 63.
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 🡒]