UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball program will get an early jump on the 2023-24 season when the Nittany Lions take a seven-day foreign trip to the Bahamas for at least two exhibition games August 6-13.
The Nittany Lions will stay and play their exhibition games at Baha Mar Resort in Nassau. Exact game dates and opponents will be finalized in the coming months.
"What a perfect time for our basketball family to have a foreign trip to the Bahamas," said Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Head Coach Mike Rhoades. "This valuable time to work and play together during a foreign trip will help us as we move into our first season together. The trip will allow us practice time prior to our departure and game experience that can set the tone as we move forward.
"We have many new players with a brand-new staff and the time together will hopefully create bonds and relationships that we will value very much," continued Rhoades. "We will spend seven days in the Bahamas and play some games, but most importantly create some lifelong memories as members of Penn State Basketball. We are very appreciative of those who made this foreign trip possible. We will take full advantage of this great opportunity."
NCAA basketball teams are permitted to take an international tour to play exhibition games once every four years. The Nittany Lions last traveled abroad to the Bahamas in 2017 and Belgium, France and England in 2013.
The Nittany Lions enter their first season under Rhoades in 2023-24. Rhoades came to Penn State following a six-year stint as the head coach at VCU in which he guided the Rams to three NCAA Tournament appearances, a 129-60 overall record and 72-32 Atlantic 10 Conference record. In 19 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Rhoades, a Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania native, has produced a 373-189 record, a winning percentage of .664, seven NCAA Tournament appearances and nine national postseason appearances.
Penn State is coming off a 2022-23 season that saw the Nittany Lions finish 23-14 overall and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
