The Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the Pennsylvania State University. They play home games at the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center, moving there from Rec Hall during the 1995–96 season. Their student cheering section is known as the Legion of Blue.

The team played its first season of basketball in 1897, finishing with a 1–1 record after playing Bucknell twice. They lost the first game 4–24, and won the second 10–7. The team went without a formal head coach until Burke Hermann in 1916.

The program has ten NCAA tournament appearances with its best finish coming in 1954, reaching the Final Four. Its most recent appearance was in 2023, when the team beat Texas A&M in the first round. The program also has 11 appearances in the National Invitation Tournament, with the most recent being in 2018, when they beat Utah to win the NIT championship. They also won the NIT championship in 2009.

Current coaching staff Head coach Mike Rhoades 2025 Lebanon Valley (1995) Associate Head Coach Brent Scott 2025 Rice University (2003) Assistant Coach Talor Battle 2025 Penn State University (2011) Assistant Coach Clay Connor 2025 Shippensburg University (2018) Assistant Coach Dwayne Stephens 2025 Michigan State (1993) General Manager Scott Pera 2025 Penn State Harrisburg (1989) Director of Basketball Operations Jake Szczecina 2025 Misericordia University (2018) Video Coordinator/Player Development Sam Little 2025 University of Texas (2020) Assistant Director of Operations Alex Grumer 2025 Pennsylvania State University (2026)

Coaching history No.CoachYearsSeasonsRecordPct.Cnf. RecordPct.Cnf. TitlesNat. Titles NCAA AppearancesN/ANo coach1896-97–1914-15, 1917–191820131–65–101Burke M. "Dutch" Hermann1915-16–1917-18, 1919-20–1931–3215148–730InterimHugo Bezdek1918-19111–202Earl Leslie1932-33–1935-36429–280–10003John Lawther1936-37–1948-4913150–9317–130014Elmer Gross1949-50–1953-54580–40025John Egli1954-55–1967-6814187–135026Johnny Bach1968-69–1977-7810122–1219–110007Dick Harter1978-79–1982-83579–6113–110008Bruce Parkhill1983-84–1994-9512181–16982–1161019Jerry Dunn1995-96–2002-038117–12145–8700210Ed DeChellis2003-04–2010-118114–13841–9500111Pat Chambers2011-12–2019-209148–15056–110000InterimJim Ferry2020-21111–147–1200012Micah Shrewsberry2021-22–2022-23237–3117–2300113Mike Rhoades2023-24–Present343–4617–3700013Totals1896-97–Present1301588–1287–1304–5251010

Postseason

NCAA tournament results The Nittany Lions have appeared in the NCAA tournament 10 times. Their combined record is 10–12.

1942 Elite EightRegional 3rd Place Game DartmouthIllinois L 39–44W 41–34 1952 Sweet SixteenRegional 3rd Place Game KentuckyNC State L 54–82L 60–69 1954 First RoundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourNational 3rd Place Game ToledoLSUNotre DameLa SalleUSC W 62–50W 78–70W 71–63L 54–69W 70–61 1955 First RoundSweet SixteenRegional 3rd Place Game Memphis StateIowaKentucky W 59–55L 53–82L 59–84 1965 First Round Princeton L 58–60 1991 #13 First RoundSecond Round #4 UCLA#12 Eastern Michigan W 74–69L 68–71 OT 1996 #5 First Round #12 Arkansas L 80–86 2001 #7 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen #10 Providence#2 North Carolina#11 Temple W 69–59W 82–74L 72–84 2011 #10 First Round #7 Temple L 64–66 2023 #10 First RoundSecond Round #7 Texas A&M#2 Texas W 76–59 L 66–71

NIT results The Nittany Lions have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 11 times. Their combined record is 27–9. They were NIT champions in 2009 and 2018.

1966 First Round San Francisco L 77–89 1980 First Round Alabama L 49–53 1989 First RoundSecond Round Murray StateVillanova W 89–73L 67–76 1990 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals3rd Place Game MarquetteMarylandRutgersVanderbiltNew Mexico W 57–54W 80–78W 58–55L 62–75W 83–81 1992 First Round Pittsburgh L 65–67 1995 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals3rd Place Game Miami (FL)NebraskaIowaMarquetteCanisius W 62–56W 65–59W 67–64L 79–81W 66–62 1998 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals RiderDaytonGeorgia TechGeorgiaMinnesota W 82–68W 77–74W 77–70W 66–60L 72–79 2000 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals3rd Place Game PrincetonSienaKent StateNotre DameNC State W 55–41W 105–103W 81–74L 52–73W 74–72 2006 Opening Round Rutgers L 71–76 2009 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals George MasonRhode IslandFloridaNotre DameBaylor W 77–73 OTW 83–72W 71–62W 67–59W 69–63 2018 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals TempleNotre DameMarquetteMississippi StateUtah W 63–57W 73–63W 85–80W 75–60 W 82–66

CBI results The Nittany Lions have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) once. Their record is 1–1.

2014 First RoundQuarterfinals HamptonSiena W 69–65L 52–54

Statistical leaders

1,000 Point Scorers RankPlayerPointsYearsRankPlayerPointsYearsRankPlayerPointsYears1Talor Battle2,2132007–201117John Amaechi1,3101992–199533Gyasi Cline-Heard1,0581997–20012Lamar Stevens+2,2072016–202018Brandon Taylor1,2892012–201634Steve Kuhn1,0571976–19803Jesse Arnelle2,1381951–195519Calvin Booth1,2881995–199935James Barnes1,0251987–19914Joe Crispin1,9861997–200120Seth Lundy1,2832019–202336Tony Ward1,0201984–19885D.J. Newbill1,8122012–201521Dan Earl1,2561993–199937Mike Edelman1,0191978–19826Shep Garner1,6292014–201822Monroe Brown1,2441988–199238Gene Harris1,0181959–19627Pete Lisicky1,6051994–199823Ron Brown1,1841972–197439Mike Lang1,0141979–19838Jamelle Cornley1,5792005–200924Mike Watkins 1,1712016–202040Jeff Miller1,0081974–19789DeRon Hayes1,5701989–199325Carver Clinton1,1651963–196610Tim Frazier1,5432009–201426Tony Carr1,1612016–201811Geary Claxton1,5422004–200827Mark DuMars1,1391958–196112Tom Hovasse1,4591985–198928Myles Dread1,0972018–202313Jarrett Stephens1,3721995–200029Bob Weiss1,0911962–196514Titus Ivory1,3691996–200130Jeff Persson1,0901965–196815Freddie Barnes1,3421988–199231Josh Reaves1,0792015–201916Ed Fogell1,3291985–199032Jalen Pickett1,0682021–2023 + 2020 B1G Tournament and 2020 NCAA Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

** denotes active player.

Assists RankPlayerAssistsYearsRankPlayerAssistsYears1Tim Frazier6412009–201412Jalen Pickett3782021–20232Freddie Barnes6001988–199213Ron Brown3501972–19743Dan Earl5741993–199914Tony Ward3311984–19884Talor Battle5172007–201115Tony Carr3252016–2018T-5Joe Crispin4851997–200116Shep Garner3172014–2018T-5Tom Wilkinson4851976–198017Josh Reaves3102015–20197Monroe Brown4501988–199218Pete Lisicky2911994–19988Titus Ivory4431996–200119D.J. Newbill2882012–20159Ben Luber4182003–200720Brandon Watkins2871999–200310Ace Baldwin Jr.4122023–202521Lamar Stevens2622016–202011Dwight Gibson3851991–199522

Rebounds (650+) RankPlayerReboundsYearsRankPlayerReboundsYears1Jesse Arnelle1,2381951–195512Carvin Jefferson7131975–19792Mike Watkins 9562016–202013Randy Meister7121972–19753Mike Lang9121979–198314Jarrett Stephens7031995–20004Lamar Stevens8752016–202015Andrew Jones6812007–20115Ross Travis8162011–201516Gyasi Cline-Heard6721997–20016Gene Harris7621959–19627Geary Claxton7552004–2008Jamelle Cornley7552005–20099John Amaechi7451992–199510Carver Clinton7341963–196611Calvin Booth7281995–1999

All-Americans

Year Team Name Outlet Jesse Arnelle Jesse Arnelle Jalen Pickett

NBA players

NBA draft

Year Round Pick Name Team

Other NBA players The following is a list of undrafted Penn State players who have played at least one NBA regular or post-season game. Bold denotes players with active NBA or NBA G League contracts.

Lamar Stevens Andrew Funk Izaiah Brockington Josh Reaves Tim Frazier Chris Babb John Amaechi Joe Crispin Tom Hovasse Herschel Baltimore John Barr

Season-by-season records

Penn State Men's Basketball Radio Affiliates http://www.gopsusports.com/ot/nl-update-affiliates.html 2011-2012 PSU Network Affiliates - Men's Basketball

WAEB (790 AM) Allentown WTNA (1430 AM) Altoona WILK-FM (103.1 FM) Avoca WNNA (106.1 FM) Beaver Springs WRAX (1600 AM) Bedford WISR (680 AM) Butler WCPA (900 AM) Clearfield WQQP (95.9 FM) DuBois WPSE (1450 AM) Erie WFRA (1450 AM) Franklin WGET (1320 AM) Gettysburg WHVR (1280 AM) Hanover WHGB (1400 AM) Harrisburg W237DE (95.3 FM) Harrisburg WLMZ (1300 AM) Hazleton

WRKK (1200 AM) Hughesville WDBF-FM (106.3 FM) Huntingdon WRKY (1490 AM) Lancaster WNPV (1440 AM) Lansdale WLBR (1270 AM) Lebanon WIBF (92.5 FM) Lewistown WOGA (92.3 FM) Mansfield WMGW (1490 AM) Meadville WUZZ (1280 AM) New Castle WVNJ (1160 AM) New York City, NY WNTP (990 AM) Philadelphia KQV (1410 AM) Pittsburgh WPPA (1360 AM) Pottsville WRAW (1340 AM) Reading WAAF (910 AM) Scranton

WLEJ (1450 AM) State College WKOK (1070 AM) Sunbury WTIV (1230 AM) Titusville WTZN (1310 AM) Troy WTRN (1340 AM) Tyrone W264BZ (100.7 FM) Tyrone WICU (1310 AM) Warren WNBT-FM (104.5 FM) Wellsboro WILK (980 AM) Wilkes-Barre WRAK (1400 AM) Williamsport WSBA (910 AM) York

References

External links