As the iconic Schoolhouse Rock proclaimed, “three is a magic number,” and for Penn State men’s hoops, the magic of the third season under Mike Rhoades’ leadership already started.
This season saw exponential growth on the court for his unit, though results did not always reflect that momentum, and the return to home court saw this eclipse.
Rhoades’ tenure in Happy Valley started undefeated in home Big Ten openers, and while his squad failed at keeping the streak this year, it was likely the most optimistic of them in the trilogy.
The first dropped Big Ten opener under Rhoades came with a close loss to No.