Penn State hoops reveals new numbers for incoming players
Penn State basketball has a date set for the start of its eight-week summer training ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. The follow-up to the debut of new Nittany Lions’ head coach Mike Rhoades, the program will kick off its efforts on June 16.
Among them, the Nittany Lions will feature a core of five returning players led by Ace Baldwin, Zach Hicks, Nick Kern, Puff Johnson, and D’Marco Dunn, plus eight newcomers. Four will come from the transfer portal with Kachi Nzeh, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Eli Rice, and Freddie Dilione joining the fold. Plus, Penn State will also add another four in its Class of 2024 in the form of Miles Goodman, Hudson Ward, Jahvin Carter, and Dominick Stewart.
Wednesday, Penn State announced the jersey numbers they’ll be wearing.
The first steps of a new process for the Nittany Lion program, head coach Mike Rhoades acknowledged the work ahead for the group and it’s potential therein.
“I’m really excited for the five core guys, returning players, the freshmen, and then the four guys that are joining us from the transfer portal. I really liked the group we put together,” Rhoades said. “But it doesn’t mean anything until they get on the court and build their togetherness and get together and get on a mission.”
New Penn State numbers revealed
Among the transfer players, Dilione will wear No. 4, Rice will wear No. 11, Niederhauser will be in No. 14, and Nzeh will wear No. 15.
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Among the freshmen, Cater will wear No. 0, Stewart will don the No. 7, Goodman will wear No. 8, and Ward will wear No. 52.
Walk-on Joe Sedora, a freshman out of York’s Red Lion Area Senior High School, will wear No. 10.
Mike Rhoades explains Penn State portal approach
Following an initial year with the program in which Penn State needed to fill 10 scholarship vacancies, the load was much lighter this offseason. Instead, with four committed players already aboard, three signing in November and Ward filling out the class in April, the Nittany Lion coaching staff took a precision approach to landing its four other scholarship players.
Welcoming Nzeh and Niederhauser to campus early in the transfer portal cycle, the Nittany Lions later brought in Rice, and rounded out its efforts by securing a visit from Dilione. Ultimately landing all four visitors to campus, out of five total during the cycle, the Penn State staff was pleased by its efficiency and the needs that were filled in the process.
“We got four guys that we really wanted. We wanted to make sure we got a high level of character and talent, but we wanted to make sure they fit me,” said Rhoades. “Last year, we went and had to get so many guys. At times, we had a big net. This year, we had a little hook and we were going after specific positions, specific talent, specific character.”
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