Mike Rhoades, Penn State looking to set a foundation of play

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Former VCU men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades was announced as the Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Head Coach on March 31, 2023.

After six years, two Atlantic 10 titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT bid, Rhoades heads back home to central Pennsylvania to helm Penn State’s men’s basketball program, which finished its season in the second round in the NCAA Tournament with a 71-66 loss to the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns. One week after the loss, head coach Micah Shrewsberry left Penn State and headed to South Bend, Ind., to take the Notre Dame head coach position.

With a brand new team, including nine transfers entering this season, Rhoades wants the Nittany Lions to win. However, to do that, you need a sturdy base to find that success.

“We’re trying to really set our foundation of what we’re trying to do,” Rhoades said. “We got a lot of work to do like every team in the country getting ready for their first game.”

The Schuylkill County native inherited three members of last season’s tournament team: sophomore guard Kanye Clary, sophomore guard Jameel Brown and sophomore forward Demetrius Lilley. Along with the three returners, Rhoades brought along two players of his own from VCU in senior guard Ace Baldwin Jr. and junior guard Nick Kern Jr.

Rhoades noted that the three returners to the program saw an opportunity to compete and get minutes on the hardwood. “Right from the get-go, they wanted to compete, and as we brought guys in, they did a great job of making guys feel welcomed here,” Rhoades said.

For Clary, his freshman season had him under the wing of guard Jalen Pickett, who got selected No. 32 overall by the Denver Nuggets. Now, he has Baldwin, a player who has a high, competitive drive to win games, which has aided the sophomore guard.

“He’s been very impactful so far and helped me see different levels of the game,” Clary said. “Understand the change of pace, how to read a defense, learn the system and beat it.”

With Baldwin Jr., he wants to help Rhoades establish that winning culture in State College. “Push the guys, compete every day and just win,” the senior guard said.

Offensively, the former Rams coach likes to play fast and get points in transition, ranking No. 166 in adjusted tempo per 100 possessions according to KenPom. With guards like Baldwin and Clary able to get downhill, the two guards playing off each other can provide a dynamic tempo to the team, which helped make the Virginia Beach native stay in Happy Valley.

“The style of play he was excited about,” Rhoades said. “He could really make plays with the ball in his hands for him and his teammates.”

With a transition offense, it puts the opposing defense in a blender, scrambling to find their matchup. This can leave shooters like Brown to find their stride quickly from downtown.

“If you can run and play in pace, especially when you’re a shooter, that’s when the defense is scrambling,” Rhoades said. “You get to the three-point line quicker than the defense gets set. With guys that give the ball up, you get shots and you get easier shots.”

Brown, who averaged 4.6 minutes per game under Shrewsberry, only made two of his 14 three-point attempts. With the new fast pace system, it may be to his benefit.

“There’s going to be a lot of gaps and a lot of open shots for us because we can shoot,” the sophomore guard said. “A lot of people are going to help off Kanye and Ace getting downhill. That’s going to open up my game for shooting transition threes.

Rhoades also had his hand in the transfer portal, bringing two guards from North Carolina in junior D’Marco Dunn and senior Puff Johnson. He also added height on the low blocks with Miami (Fla.) forward Favour Aire and Georgetown’s forward Qudus Wahab.

Their size helps to space out defenders and make it difficult for them to find a lane. Also, with some guards like Johnson, Temple transfer Zach Hicks and Lafayette transfer Leo O’Boyle having lankiness on the perimeter can provide an offensive threat

“Having those guys with length, size and toughness, but also can stretch the floor, this can create great spacing and allows some of your dynamic guards more space to get downhill,” Rhoades said. “That’s got to be huge for us all year long.”

Penn State travels to Moon Township, the hometown of Johnson, to take on the Robert Morris Colonials in an exhibition game to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

Jonathan Draeger is a fourth-year broadcast journalism major. To contact him, email jonathan.r.draeger43@gmail.com