Big Ten Offseason Evaluation Series: Penn State Brings in New Coach, 10 New Players

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation Series, we'll break down what each team lost and gained this offseason, then provide analysis on the team's outlook for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Next up, we'll discuss the Penn State Nittany Lions, who replaced coach Micah Shrewsberry with Mike Rhoades and recruited 10 new players.

Penn State underwent more changes than any Big Ten team this offseason, both in coaching and roster turnover.

After Penn State reached its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010-11, coach Micah Shrewsberry left for Notre Dame and 10 players moved on to new destinations. Penn State hired coach Mike Rhoades from VCU, and he was busy recruiting a nearly brand-new roster for the upcoming season.

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation Series, we'll break down what each team lost and gained this offseason, then provide analysis on the team's outlook for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Let's take a look at the Nittany Lions.

(rankings per On3 Industry Average)

What they lost

• Coach: Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame)
• Pro/no eligibility: G Jalen Pickett, G Seth Lundy, G Andrew Funk, F Myles Dread, G Camren Wynter, F Michael Henn
• Transfer portal: G Caleb Dorsey (William and Mary), G Dallion Johnson (Florida Gulf Coast), F Evan Mahaffey (Ohio State), F Kebba Njie (Notre Dame)
• By the numbers: Penn State lost its entire starting five, plus three bench players who started a combined 16 games. Altogether, 95 percent of Penn State's scoring production is gone from last season.

What they gained

• Coach: Mike Rhoades (VCU)
• Transfer portal: G Ace Baldwin Jr. (VCU), G Nick Kern Jr. (VCU), F Zach Hicks (Temple), F Puff Johnson (North Carolina), C Qudus Wahab (Georgetown), F Leo O’Boyle (Lafayette), G RayQuawndis Mitchell (Kansas City), C Favour Aire (Miami), G D’Marco Dunn (North Carolina)
• Freshmen: Bragi Goumundsson
• By the numbers: 10 of the team's 13 scholarship players will begin their first season at Penn State in 2023-24, highlighted by Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year, point guard Ace Baldwin.

Roster

• Ace Baldwin Jr., 6-foot-1 senior guard
• Puff Johnson, 6-foot-8 senior forward
• Qudus Wahab, 6-foot-11 senior center
• Leo O'Boyle, 6-foot-7 senior forward
• RayQuawndis Mitchell, 6-foot-5 senior guard
• Nick Kern Jr., 6-foot-6 junior guard
• Zach Hicks, 6-foot-8 junior forward
• D'Marco Dunn, 6-foot-5 junior guard
• Kanye Clary, 5-foot-11 sophomore guard
• Demetrius Lilley, 6-foot-10 sophomore forward
• Jameel Brown, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard
• Favour Aire, 6-foot-11 sophomore forward
• Bragi Goumundsson, 6-foot-5 freshman guard
• Scholarships available: 0

VCU Rams head coach Mike Rhoades speaks at a press conference at MVP Arena during the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Rhoades left VCU after the season to become the head coach at Penn State / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Biggest concerns

Penn State enters 2023-24 with a blank slate. Coach Micah Shrewsberry left for Notre Dame, and 10 of Penn State's 13 scholarship players from last season have either transferred, graduated or moved on to professional basketball. Kanye Clary is the only player who logged meaningful minutes last season, averaging 3.7 points and playing 10.4 minutes per game off the bench.

Mike Rhoades replaces Shrewsberry, earning his first Power 5 job after three years at Rice and six at VCU. He held a 129-61 record at VCU, winning 18-plus games every year and 22-plus games in three seasons. Rhoades took VCU to the NCAA Tournament three times, but making the jump to the Big Ten with a completely new roster is a major challenge. 

Penn State added a handful of talented players, highlighted below, but whether the pieces fit together is a serious question. Ohio State proved last season how difficult it can be to take a roster that lacks chemistry and build a winner. 

Reasons for optimism

Ace Baldwin Jr. is the 15th-ranked transfer in the nation, per On3, following an impressive season at VCU. Baldwin did it all for VCU, averaging 12.7 points, 5.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, on his way to winning Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year. While Baldwin is at a different school with different teammates, having former VCU coach Mike Rhoades with him at Penn State benefits his transition. 

Penn State brings in two players with significant Power 5 experience, Puff Johnson and Qudus Wahab. Johnson played 65 games at North Carolina, including an 11-point performance in the 2022 National Championship game. Though Johnson largely underachieved as a Tar Heel, averaging 4.1 points last year with a career 24.7 3-point shooting percentage, he could benefit from a change of scenery. Wahab is on his third school now, boasting 88 career starts across three seasons at Georgetown and one at Maryland. Most recently, he averaged 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Hoyas. 

Penn State also added a handful of players who were productive at the mid-major level, including RayQuawndis Mitchell, an All-Summit League guard from Kansas City. Mitchell averaged 17.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 30.5 percent from 3-point range on 8.1 attempts per game. Leo O'Boyle scored 11.6 points with 3.6 rebounds per game at Lafayette last season, giving Penn State a strong 3-point shooter at 40.7 percent. Zach Hicks started 32 games at Temple last year, contributing 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. D'Marco Dunn never reached his potential in two seasons at North Carolina, but the former four-star recruit is talented enough for a breakout year at Penn State. 

The bottom line

Due to the high degree roster turnover at Penn State, no one really knows how the season will play out until games begin. Baldwin has All-Big Ten guard potential, which should keep Penn State competitive. I see the Nittany Lions being a step above the Big Ten's worst, with about seventh place as their best-case-scenario conference finish.

On Friday, look forward to the next part of our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation Series, featuring the Purdue Boilermakers.

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