Penn State men's basketball can't seem to get itself out of the trenches. Between finishing the season 12-20 overall (3-17 in the Big Ten) and losing four guards to the Transfer Portal, including freshman star Kayden Mingo, head coach Mike Rhoades is grasping at straws in his rebuilding efforts.
Mike Rhoades' worst nightmare just came true as star player enters Transfer Portal
As the portal action ensues following Michigan's national championship victory, recent Wolverines history surfaced.
In the 2023-24 season, Michigan finished the season 8-24 overall and 3-17 in the conference, almost exactly where the Nittany Lions finished in 2025-26. The Wolverines ranked at the very bottom of the Big Ten, the same place Penn State slotted into this past season.
Two seasons ago, Michigan went 3-17 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines just won this year’s national championship.
— Will Horstman (@WillHorstman_) April 7, 2026
Penn State went 3-17 in Big Ten play this season. Could 2027-28 be the Nittany Lions’ year?
Going from No. 18 in the Big Ten to not only No. 1 in the conference but No. 1 in the country is something the blue and white can only dream of it seems. The path to success isn't clear for Penn State, but in regards to mirroring the program that did it, there's one key event that is unlikely to happen in Happy Valley.
Michigan fired former head coach Juwan Howard after five seasons in Ann Arbor, replacing him with current head coach Dusty May. That change happened in 2024 following the season that the Wolverines sunk to the bottom of the conference at 3-17.
Athletic director Pat Kraft has not shied away from firing head coaches throughout the 2025-26 academic year. In fact, he didn't hide from firing former women's basketball head coach Carolyn Kieger. The team finished 4-14 in the Big Ten and third-to-last in the conference with Northwestern and Rutgers behind it.
It's clear that it's past the time for Kraft to fire Rhoades. If he pulled the trigger, he would have already been out the door before March Madness even started. The question is now: Can Rhoades do what May did at Michigan? It's a question that can be answered before 2026-27 even starts: no.
May brought the Wolverines from a 3-17 Big Ten squad to a 14-6 conference record in his first season. They went from last place to No. 3 in one season. If Kraft moved on from Rhoades and got the right coach in place, that scenario is already hard to conceputalize happening at Penn State. With Rhoades still there, it's almost absolutely impossible.