2023-2024 Penn State men's basketball report card: Delaware State

The Mike Rhoades era has begun at Penn State, with the Nittany Lions opening their season with a 79-45 win over Delaware State. It was complete domination from start to finish, as the blue and white never trailed in its victory.

Here are the grades for the win.

Offense: B

Penn State scored 79 points in the season opener and was very efficient shooting the basketball. The Nittany Lions shot over 49% from the field and added 12 made threes.

The Nittany Lions were led by two of their returners from last year's team, guards Kanye Clary and Jameel Brown. The sophomore guards both notched career-high totals, with Clary leading the way with 22 points, and Brown scoring 20 points off the bench.

The only concerning stat for the Nittany Lions was the turnovers, as the blue and white gave the ball away 21 times in the defeat. Penn State also was only able to record 13 assists in the game, a ratio that head coach Mike Rhoades will want to improve on in future games.

Defense: A

The Penn State defense was dominant, not allowing Delaware State to get in any rhythm during the game. The Nittany Lions held the Hornets under 29% from the field and only allowed one made-three on the evening.

The calling card for the defense was its ability to force turnovers, as the Nittany Lions took the ball away 23 times. Penn State also protected the rim very well in the game, recording seven blocked shots.

The VCU transfers were the catalysts on the defensive side of the ball, with guards Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. dominating. Baldwin Jr. had a team-high four steals, with Kern Jr. leading the way with three blocks.

Rhoades has spoken highly of the intensity he wants from his defense, and it was one of the key reasons why the Nittany Lions walked away with a dominating win.

Coaching: A

Mike Rhoades brought many new faces into the program this season and was able to showcase them in a big-time way. Thirteen different Nittany Lions entered the contest, with 10 of them scoring in the game.

Penn State was able to lean on their defensive scheme of full-court pressure all night, forcing turnovers and leading to more possessions for the Nittany Lions. Rhoades also showcased the depth his team has this season, with Penn State recording 29 points from its reserves.

Penn State turns its attention to Lehigh, as the Nittany Lions welcome the Mountain Hawks to the Bryce Jordan Center on Friday at 7:30 p.m. You can listen live on our airwaves here.

Adam Sheetz is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ads360@psu.edu.