Penn State men's basketball head coach Mike Rhoades is filling out his roster as quick as players are leaving the program.
Penn State men's basketball loses 2nd forward to the Transfer Portal
The Transfer Portal took seven players from the Nittany Lions as of Saturday: center Justin Houser, forward Mason Blackwood, and guards Kayden Mingo, Freddie Dilione V, Melih Tunca, Dominick Stewart and Eli Rice.
That leaves forwards Chris Lotito (freshman), Tibor Mirtic (freshman), Ivan Juric (freshman), and Sasa Ciani (junior), and guard Reggie Grodin (freshman) on Rhoades' roster. He got to work even before the Transfer Portal opened on Tuesday, April 7, first adding overseas forwards Roko Prkacin and Francois Wibaut.
Another player joins Prkacin and Wibaut in Rhoades' incoming freshman class; this time, a guard.
Pine-Richland standout and Takeover Combine alum Grant Spacciapolli has committed to Penn State for basketball🔥
— Takeover Hoops (@takeoverhoops_) April 8, 2026
One of our top players in the WPIAL over the past few seasons and one of the best shooters in the area 🎯 Spacciapolli led the Rams in scoring this past year and put… pic.twitter.com/D0t0O54LjG
Guard Grant Spacciapolli commits to Penn State men's basketball
Grant Spacciapolli is a sharpshooter from Gibsonia, Penn. He finished his 2025-26 season as a high school senior at Pine-Richland, leading his team in scoring. Spacciapolli averaged about 15 points per game, according to Ryan Wilt of Nittany Sports Now.
With Rhoades' top three scorers — Dilione V, Mingo, and Reed — departing from the program via the Transfer Portal or due to eligibility, he needs consistency in the scoring department.
Juric, who intends on returning for his sophomore season, was fourth in scoring for the Nittany Lions, averaging 10.2 points per contest.
The remaining Penn Staters coming back for the 2026-27 season as of April 10 fell in the bottom half of that category. Mirtic averaged 3.7 points per game, Ciani averaged 2.1 points, and Houser averaged 1.4 points. Lotito only made four game apperances and did not appear on the scoring sheet for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State also earned a commitment from three-star power forward Jamison White on Nov. 17, 2025. This makes Spacciapolli now the fourth member of Rhoades' freshman Class of 2026. He and White might be the answer Rhoades needs to address shooting issues on the remaining roster when paired with the experience that 23-year-old Prkacin and 21-year-old Wibaut bring to Happy Valley.