For Mike Rhoades, the 2025 season was far more difficult than he ever anticipated.
As Penn State’s head coach, Rhoades entered the year hoping to continue building momentum in the program. Instead, the season became a reminder of how challenging it can be to compete in the modern era of Big Ten basketball, especially when a school doesn’t spend enough.
Speaking to reporters after the loss in Chicago, Rhoades didn’t stop himself from describing just how tough the year had been for him and the program. The struggles on the court weighed heavily on the former-VCU coach, who acknowledged the reality of trying to compete in one of the toughest conferences in America while having a relatively young roster.
“It was a really hard year for me,” Rhoades told reporters, per Nittany Lions Wire. “It was really hard. The world we live in now, you want to give yourself a chance. You want to give your team a chance to be successful. So it's hard.”
Rhoades’ comments show the bigger challenges many programs face in today’s college basketball landscape. Between the transfer portal, NIL, and more across college hoops, building consistent success has become increasingly difficult, even for programs that are some of the best of all time.
At Penn State, the young roster played a major role in the team’s struggles throughout the season. Trust me, Rhoades let us know about that all season, too.
The Nittany Lions relied heavily on younger players who were still adjusting to the physicality and speed of high-level college basketball. According to Rhoades, that reality created a significant disadvantage when facing veteran-heavy teams across the conference.
“The reality is when you're really young in Power 4 basketball, you're at a disadvantage,” Rhoades said. “So we need to address that.”
Despite the frustrations of the season, Rhoades is focused on building the program the right way. The question now is whether he should be able to do so.
The offseason now becomes a massive time for the Nittany Lions. Whether through recruiting, the transfer portal, or other ways, Rhoades knows adjustments will be needed if Penn State wants to close the gap with the conference’s top programs.