2025-26 PSU MBB Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Just got back from the game and I echo some of the points on here. My biggest complaint was why Mingo was not guarding Coit and Stewart was. I get that he was in some foul trouble early but he is your quickest player and then if not him, go with Reed who at least wants to play defense,
I hope no one thinks that Stewarts offensive output in the 2nd half meant he had a good game. He and Rice are TERRIBLE defensive players. Not quick enough to keep someone in front of them and do not space themselves to be able to help or recover to a shooter. Overall the guards are so bad compared to other teams. I know we get outrebounded and people constantly claim our big guys suck but Juric and Mirtic were at least battling. Rice and Stewart at 6'7 and 6'8 and combine to average 4 rebounds a game in 50 minutes a game. Most of those 4 are just long rebounds that come to them. The fact that they play so much and dont help defensively or get on the offensive glass shows we need toughness beyond just an increase in talent level
Mingo played well, he would have had 2-3 more assists if his teammates were able to finish around the basket. Dont know how he stays here next year.
I hope no one thinks that Stewarts offensive output in the 2nd half meant he had a good game. He and Rice are TERRIBLE defensive players. Not quick enough to keep someone in front of them and do not space themselves to be able to help or recover to a shooter. Overall the guards are so bad compared to other teams. I know we get outrebounded and people constantly claim our big guys suck but Juric and Mirtic were at least battling. Rice and Stewart at 6'7 and 6'8 and combine to average 4 rebounds a game in 50 minutes a game. Most of those 4 are just long rebounds that come to them. The fact that they play so much and dont help defensively or get on the offensive glass shows we need toughness beyond just an increase in talent level
Mingo played well, he would have had 2-3 more assists if his teammates were able to finish around the basket. Dont know how he stays here next year.
It's sad but I think we all agree it would best for Mingo if he left.
I just don't know how Rhoades keeps his job--especially if Mingo leaves
Reading that I can only assume you are seeing next to no effort out of the players. And yes, someone has to step up at times and say the embarrassment ends here. If that means a technical, so be it.
Getting his brother would be a 4-5 game increase in wins for sure. But they need a couple junk yard dogs to play defense, not these soft three point chucking guys. Even with rice shooting well he’s a net negative most games
Last year - for the first time ever, at least since joining B10 (IIRC) PSU hoops did not make money. They will almost certainly be in worse position this year (higher expenses due to revenue share, west coast travel, etc with no meaningful increases to sustainable revenue likely). The only B10 program (probably the only "Power Conference" program) to not profit from basketball. Really hard to do, given the B10 revenue share agreements.
That said, PSU ain't gonna' drop hoops. (Though if it dropped BOTH men's and women's programs it would be a significant $ saver - break even on men's, save several million on women's).
On the other hand, one could certainly make the argument that unless they somehow become competitive, cutting the budget of each in 1/2 could be reasonably debated.
Best option is to somehow have a reasonably competitive men's program - that would lead to significant ticket sales and other revenues, on the men's side at least.
The women's side? I think that is far less likely to happen (pretty near impossible, given the long-term track record)
You don’t have to be a talented athlete to give and show effort. That’s what blocking out is. Get in a proper position and put a body on someone, even if you are a step slow and can’t jump.
I don't know how it works but let's start with this. PSU has $20,500,000 for revenue sharing. If 10% goes to MBB that would be $2,500,000. Now add another $20 million of NIL with 10% going to MBB that leaves roughly $5 million.
It seems to me that the best way to be competitive with that amount of money is to pay fewer players. Some schools pay 14 players but maybe PSU can only afford to pay 8.
I suspect one thing that hurts PSU is wrestling and hockey. They're pretty good at those two sports and they don't want to lose that. The problem is the more they spend for those programs they less they have for things like MBB.
It would be nice if PSU had a donor to give $10 million to MBB. That would be and extra $1m per year for 10 years which would help but it would still be far short of what's needed to attract kids who demand $3 million+.
I'm sure that Rhoades and his assistants understand the concept. Getting the players to do it is another thing.
Like I said Mingo & Dillione looked like they were playing not to get hurt.
Uh, that is their job. If they are unable to motivate their players then they have no business coaching. Losing is going to happen. Getting crushed and showing no effort is never acceptable.
As was predictable as the sun rising in the East, you knew damn well that, despite losing competitive games to top 10 to 15 teams like MSU, Michigan and Purdue, it wouldn’t translate one bit in a win against another bad team like Maryland. In fact, what also was predictable is that they lost to that bad team worse than they did to the top 10 to 15 teams.
Five million is a bit high from what I hear.
I would like to see Rhoades play more zone, we done have wings willing to help rebound so maybe if they’re down in the short corner they can at least get a couple
Michigan currently has the #1 ranked hockey team and a top 15 wrestling team, and both of their basketball programs are really good, so they’re able to balance all of these programs.
Just based on the awful job that he did with last season’s team, which should’ve been a borderline tournament team, he should’ve been replaced; he’s made this program demonstrably worse than it’s ever been, and this is his third season here. If he were doing a good job, this program at least should be around .500 in the Big 10 in his third season.
It should be fun again when he has to replace basically a whole team after this season with a bunch of Horizon League players, although I can’t imagine that most of the players on the current team would have many other D-1 options.
Last edited:
Oh, we’ve had quite a few worse teams than this based on talent level. But those teams at least played with better effort and toughness. Ed was a terrible recruiter, but a really good X and O guy and his teams played hard even if they were out manned by a significant amount.
I’ve been willing to give Coach Rhodes the benefit of the doubt so far, but watching this in person today was a little embarrassing. Maryland is not very good, and I know that Coit was on a serious heater, but I didn’t see anything strategically done to stop him. It’s the same defensive stuff over and over and over and they just keep giving up 90+ points a game regularly.
I do like the idea of bringing in European players as generally, they are more skilled and have faced grown men in competition over there, but we are getting B and C level players not A. One of the issues with bringing those type of players in though is that they are not necessarily defensive minded or very tough. This team could really use two guys like Nick Kern.
This team is going to end up not beating a single Power Conference school this season, whether conference or non-conference, so this may be the worst PSU team ever. God, they were blown out by below average Providence and Pitt teams; Pitt lost last night at home to Louisville by 41 points and also lost at home in December to Hofstra.
Kraft may just tell Rhoades that he has to get Mingo's brother and make the Dance next year (or simply make it without the brother) or he will be fired at the end of next season. This program is in shambles.
So true. All these moral victory positive thoughts after almost beating Michigan but that was more about Michigan totally not caring than anything about PSU. One thing I have seen about this hoops program under Rhoades, he finds ways to lose...by 2 to the #2 team or by 30 to a bad team but no matter what road he takes the destination is an L.
I have been following this team since 1966. This was the first time I gave up at half time. I don't know what the solution is, but something major has to change.
Same. I stopped just before the half. Teams were competitive in the 60s but that was so long ago.
They would’ve made the tournament in 2020 if it hadn’t been canceled and did make it in 2023 and actually won a game, so they were fairly competitive even earlier in this decade. What’s happening now is a complete abomination under a third year head coach in a sport in which you really only need eight to ten players who can play.
Last edited:
Rhoades is voluntarily gone after this year. He wants nothing more to do with Kraft or PSU.
They've given him nothing to work with.
This game feels like one of those broken clock is right twice a day things.
Don't have any insight on that, but a few possible tangentially relevant items:
In the 2 years after Kraft took over:
PSU Men's BB Spending increased by over 50% (That, obviously, does not address whether or not it was spent on anything useful - or whether it was just "spent". And THAT is critical, of course.)
Recent changes in expenditures, by category, some of the key items:
Expenditures for Coaching Salaries:
More than doubled (largest single expense)
Support Staff Salaries:
More than doubled
Recruiting Expenses:
More than doubled (though it dropped - by around $200,000 - in the last reporting year. Was that an anomaly or a trend? Time will tell)
Overall, the Men's Basketball program has gone from a consistent money-maker (as is the case with all big-time basketball programs) to breaking even, to losing money.
Basically, because revenue has remained flat (approximately 10% increase - less than inflation) while expenses have increased by 60%. PSU has gone from consistently generating a profit (positive cash flow) of about 40% over and above expenses, to losing cash.
What were the root causes? Who was at fault/responsible? Pick your pony.
How does it get turned around? Who knows - but it would be hard to think those currently at the helm have an idea, or they would have already "done it" (One would suppose).
But the current trends/results are that PSU Men's Hoops - right now - has achieved the perfecta of being among the worst performers on the court AND being able to not make money out of what should be (and has been) a consistent ATM machine program.
Most of that info can be found here (within each year's reports):
Financial Reports - Penn State - Official Athletics Website
Is this the last season for this coaching staff. The AD has been very aggressive in that for this cycle. One can only think it's over.
The current coach looks like he's been a hostage for years; I have to think that he probably wants his tenure to end one way or another. He's shown himself to be a Mid-Major coach at best.
While I liked him a lot and liked his prospects initially, it just hasn't worked out for a variety of reasons.
My question remains the same when will PS get serious about men's basketball?
Good question. It's mind-boggling that a school that has an overall very good and sometimes excellent overall athletic program would punt on the second most important college sport. What's more is that in this particular sport, you only need upwards of eight to ten legitimate players to have at least a competitive program; you're not talking about building a football program. Considering that PSU is within hours of many urban areas that produce a lot of good high school basketball players, it's totally unacceptable to have a team like they have this season.