Before the calendar turns over for 2025, head coach Mike Rhoades sat down with the media to discuss a range of topics including Penn State’s struggles from 3, how Miles Goodman will be integrated into the team, and the depth of his rotation.
Q: So over the last few games, you guys have been struggling to knock down some shots from deep, going like 12-of-55 from that distance. Have there been any internal discussions about that or are there any worries about how teams might defend you once Big 10 play comes up?
A: No I mean we got to make them … Honestly even both the last two games, we had some great open looks with the right guy shooting them, and you know, that’s how a season goes. You have some games where you make a bunch, some games you don’t … You might talk to some guys about maybe getting ready to shoot a little bit sooner, or making sure you take the right ones. But I thought yesterday, early in the game, we had some great inside-outside 3s. They just didn’t fall … We just got to make them. So, we’ve been shooting the ball well all year long. We’ve been making them in practice. You have games like that, you can’t panic, you got to stick to your training.
Q: You’re a lifer when it comes to Pennsylvania basketball, but did you learn anything else about what it’s like competing against other Division I opponents inside the state?
A: Did I learn anything new? Probably not. I mean, number one is there’s great coaches everywhere. And you know I have great respect for the coaches and all the colleges here in PA. I know most of them personally, so I know how they operate, and how they go about their business. So you know, I have great respect for that. And you know, I just think when you play other PA teams, you know, it brings a little bit more of a heightened excitement to the game, or people have, you know, a collective interest in it … I think it’s good for Pennsylvania basketball.
Q: So, when Miles (Goodman) is able to make his return, how do you feel he’ll fit into your game plan with your other bigs in Kachi (Nzeh) and Yanic (Konan Niederhauser)?
A: Well, I mean, he’s a versatile big guy … He can move well, so he could do different things … All I want him to do is get his feet wet and just fly around and throw his body around and play with great activity. I said this early, most freshman big guys foul out in two minutes, but if he’s doing that, that means he’s creating great activity. So you know, let’s not have these unreal expectations for him after missing a bunch of preparation. Let’s be realistic … He’s not coming in here and getting a double-double game one. That’s unrealistic … Just get your feet wet. Play really hard and get a little experience and go from there. Impact winning. That’s what freshmen could do more than anything, is impact winning.
Q: How do you feel about your rotational depth as you get into conference play? Knowing that some coaches believe in shrinking it.
A: Yeah, I can play some of those guys a little bit more. I think it’s game by game, and of course it’s who your opponent is and it’s the preparation part. I like to play more guys so we could play with great intensity and greater energy. But you know every season is different when it comes to that. But me, personally, I like to play more guys, especially when you get into league play.
Q: So far this season, you’ve had a few games where you’ve come out in the first half and you’ve been a little slow to get the jump on things. With Big Ten play coming up starting Thursday, outside of shots just not falling, what are some other areas you think could help improve your team’s start to games?
A: We got to finish better at the rim, for sure, and probably limit 3s early in the game. Make them miss, but limit them, so if they can’t get them off, they can’t make them. I think those two things probably at times didn’t help our start. But you know one thing about this team I think they’ve done a very good job, compared to last year, of adjusting as the game went on, tweaking a couple of things or coming out of a timeout and “Hey, we got to fix this, we got to change this.” I think they’ve done a good job of responding to in-game coaching and adjustments … Because we’ve had some potent games, right, where we scored a ton of points, people just think we’re going to do that every game. The other team wants to win too, and the other team has a game plan too. There’s adjustments and there’s a float to the game and a rhythm to the game that you got to respect, and you got to figure out as you go on. But that’s the fun of it, too.
Mike Rhoades and Penn State will begin their Big Ten journey on Thursday against Northwestern. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center.
