GAME DAY: Penn State MBB vs. Canisius

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The Nittany Lions begin their fourth season under Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Rhoades.

Penn State is coming off a 2-0 exhibition slate that featured a thrilling 68-65 comeback victory over St. Bonaventure on Oct. 17 and a 68-57 road win over Drexel on Oct. 26.

The Nittany Lions have won all four previous meetings with Canisius, most recently earning a 97-67 victory at the Bryce Jordan Center in December 2022.

Penn State returns graduate forward Josh Reed and sophomore forward Ivan Jurić, who combined to average 21.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 season.

Reed and Jurić continued their production during exhibition play, combining for 60 points and 24 rebounds across the two contests.

Penn State limited both preseason opponents to fewer than 70 points and outscored St. Bonaventure and Drexel by a combined 24 points in the second half.

Monday's contest begins a non-conference schedule featuring eight Bryce Jordan Center home games, a Keystone State matchup with Pittsburgh at The Palestra and an appearance in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

 

WELCOME BACK TO HAPPY VALLEY

Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center for its first official contest of the 2026-27 season after playing both exhibition games away from home.

The Nittany Lions will open the regular season with back-to-back home contests, hosting Canisius on Monday before welcoming Chattanooga on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Penn State's first six regular-season games include four contests inside the Bryce Jordan Center, with the exception of a Nov. 8 clash with Pittsburgh at The Palestra in Philadelphia.

The Nittany Lions will play eight non-conference home games at the Bryce Jordan Center during the regular season before opening their home Big Ten schedule against Nebraska on Dec. 8.

Penn State is scheduled to host 10 Big Ten contests during the 2026-27 campaign.

 

REED READY TO LEAD

Graduate forward Josh Reed returns for his second season in Happy Valley after emerging as one of Penn State's most productive players during the 2025-26 campaign.

The Atlanta, Ga., native averaged a team-best 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and an impressive 87.2 percent from the free-throw line.

Reed picked up where he left off during Penn State's two exhibition victories, leading the Nittany Lions with 33 points and 14 rebounds.

The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds during the preseason, scoring in double figures in both outings.

Reed led Penn State with 18 points and eight rebounds against St. Bonaventure, scoring 14 of his points after halftime to help fuel the Nittany Lions' comeback victory.

JURIĆ ANCHORS THE FRONTCOURT

Sophomore forward Ivan Jurić enters his second season with the Nittany Lions after a productive freshman campaign that saw the 7-foot Croatian average 10.2 points and a team-leading 5.3 rebounds per game.

Jurić was Penn State's most efficient shooter from the field during the 2025-26 season, connecting on a team-best 57.7 percent of his attempts.

The Zagreb, Croatia, native averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in the Nittany Lions' two exhibition victories.

Jurić scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in Penn State's comeback victory over St. Bonaventure, including the go-ahead layup with 1:19 remaining.

The 7-footer followed with a game-high 17 points and five rebounds against Drexel, connecting on 11 of his 14 free-throw attempts.

Jurić and Reed combined for 32 of Penn State's 68 points in the victory over Drexel, accounting for 47.1 percent of the team's scoring.

 

EXPERIENCE IN NUMBERS

Brant Byers, who was integral in Miami’s (Ohio) undefeated 2025-26 regular season and was the 2025 MAC Freshman of the Year, returns home to Pennsylvania with two seasons of eligibility remaining. 

Forwards François Wibaut and Roko Prkačin join the Nittany Lions after competing in Croatia and France, respectively.

Graduate transfers Dasonte Bowen and Thomas Allard, who provide experience in the backcourt.

Bowen previously competed at Iowa and St. Bonaventure before joining the Nittany Lions for the 2026-27 season.

Allard, a 6-foot-7 guard, previously played at Lincoln Memorial and Alabama-Huntsville.

Senior guard Jay Rodgers joins Penn State after previously competing at Central Connecticut State.

Roberts Blums joins Penn State for the 2026-27 season after previously competing at Davidson.