STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Pudding, like most things in life, can only be judged once it is a finished product. For Penn State’s Mike Rhoades, this means that his time at State College can only be truly assessed once he actualizes his vision; a team that outpaces its opponents and is unrelenting defensively.
After all, how else can one know if their gelatinous goop (in this instance head coach) is worthy of being deemed “good” if not with a final taste test (maybe don’t lick people)?
Ignoring the fact that before he took over as Penn State’s head coach in the spring of 2023, Rhoades led VCU to three NCAA Tournament Appearances and won the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in 2023.
Ignoring the fact that he led the Rams to a 129-60 record during his six years at VCU.
Ignoring the fact that he was the mastermind behind Rice’s turnaround in the American Athletic Conference, winning the second most games in a single season in 2017 (23) in program history.
Ignoring the fact that he helped VCU get to the NCAA Tournament four times as an assistant, that he led Division III Randolph Macon in Ashland to four NCAA Tournament appearances and six Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships, that just about anywhere he has been there has been nothing short of success … there might be some doubts about how he’ll play amongst the big boys.
Take last year for example, where Penn State started 5-0 just to lose six of its next seven in Rhoades’ first season. That fiery start was quickly put out as PSU finished tied for ninth out of 14 teams with a 9-11 Big Ten record. With that in mind, preseason voters predictedย a 17th-place finish for PSU.
But Thursday’s dismantling of No. 8 Purdue might just have been the proof of concept that Penn State is cooking up something good in year two of the Mike Rhoades era.
FIVE SCOOPS OF DEFENSE…
Penn State entered Thursday’s game with the 57th-best defense according to KenPom’s defensive rating.
While there were questions about why PSU was a 1.5-point favorite before tip-off, there was a clear path to success, and it started with their protection scheme.
Many are questioning Penn State (-1.5) over Purdue, and it’s fair.
But Purdueโs only loss was on the road against Marquette (6th in KenPom DEFRTG) where it had 15 turnovers. Penn State is 57th in KenPom’s defensive rating and forces the 10th most turnovers in the country.
โ Brennan Valladares (@Valladares7B) December 5, 2024
From the jump, the Nittany Lions pressing defense made it difficult for Purdue to get any offensive rhythm. Purdue already played at a slow pace, so when it was finally able to get the ball over halfcourt, the shot clock became an extra defender.
“If we’re not turning them (Purdue) over, then they’re (just) getting into their offense with 20 seconds left on the shot clock,” Puff Johnson explained postgame.
And Rhoades has said that it’s not always about turning their opponents over, it’s about wearing them out and making things as hard as possible.
“Some days you’re going to turn people over,” Rhoades said after beating Purdue-Fort Wayne.
“Some days it’s a tough shot at the end of beating the pressure… It’s a cumulative effect.”
This cumulative effect took its roots early against Purdue, as Penn State forced 14 first-half turnovers (24 total). The player who arguably had the toughest time against this pressing defense was Naismith Player of the Year candidate, Braden Smith.
Ace Baldwin Jr. harassed Smith in the backcourt, at times denying him the ball until they both crossed the timeline. Even when Smith attempted to use ball screens, Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Kachi Nzeh jumped out and prevented him from getting downhill. With no release valves for the desperate Smith, Purdue’s offense often stalled.
This oppressive, athletic Nittany Lions’ defense just got the stamp of approval (if it didn’t have it already). With five players on the court at all times that can be disruptive at the point of attack or away from the action, Rhoades is laying a solid foundation for years to come, built on the identity of being “dawgs”.
Penn State Did Not Disappoint in Ace Baldwin’s Homecoming | Takeaways
… WITH A DASH OF VETS
Four of the top five scorers Thursday night were returners from last year. Baldwin (17 points), Johnson (13 points), Nick Kern Jr. (12 points) and Zach Hicks (11 points) combined for 53 points.
But those four players’ impact extended well beyond the final box score.
It started with Baldwin’s backcourt pressure but oftentimes ended with Johnson denying easy post entries and Kern flying in to secure the defensive rebound.
Then on the other end, Hicks’ shotmaking continued to be reliable as he made timely buckets, especially in the first half (eight points by halftime) to keep the momentum going.
These four vets, with a year of Big Ten play under their belt, have continued to be the stabilizing core of this Penn State squad.
They are the tone setters, and as conference play continues, there will be a trickle-down effect on the whole roster on how they carry themselves game in and game out.
“This is what we’re going to do!”
Amidst the chaos following PSU’s win, Rhoades grabbed the public address announcing mic to spread a message across the sea of students:
Mike Rhoades grabs the PA mic at the Bryce Jordan Center after Penn Stateโs win over Purdue: โThis is what weโre gonna do!โ pic.twitter.com/VqnXRHrs4m
โ Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) December 6, 2024
A familiar call to action, Rhoades wants the students and fans to sweat with the team. Although he knows the success of this program mainly rests on his shoulders and the players’, he wants the fans to be fully bought into the process.
And a win like this is evidence that the sweat will all be worth it in the end.
“That’s (Purdue) where we’re trying to get to,” Rhoades said postgame.
“Today was a big step in that way…we raised the bar today… That’s where we can go. That doesn’t mean it happens all the time. This league is a bear… We just got to show great gratitude, appreciate what we did, and then understand why we did it and continue to get better.”
Yes, this win will live beyond its days, but Dec. 5 is a long way from March 12, when the Big Ten Tournament begins.
Rhoades and co. have one goal only, and that is to get better day by day.
“Our job tomorrow as a staff, as a programโฆ (is to) get better in all facets of what we do,” said Rhoades.
“No matter what the result was today, I’m going to wake up and say ‘I got to get better’… That formula works… I ain’t changing. I know that works.”
Safe to say that what Penn State Basketball is going to do is continue to work to make Thursday night the standard.
The proof is in the pudding, and Mike Rhoades and Penn State might just have the recipe to make some damn good pudding.
