Penn State basketball started the 2025-26 season at 8-1, but when December came for the blue and white, the struggle set in.
While they faced lower-caliber opponents at the start of their season, the Nittany Lions got hit hard in the winter.
The month began with a tight win over Campbell, but the difficulty Penn State showed in sustaining momentum was a sign of what was on the horizon. It was only a 2-3 record over this stretch into the new year, but the nature of those games was unprecedented for head coach Mike Rhoades' squad.