Penn State men's basketball welcomed freshmen forward Ivan Juric and guard Melih Tunca to the 2025-26 roster, and now head coach Mike Rhoades signed another international student-athlete to put on his court.
Sasa Ciani is a junior from Nova Gorica, Slovenia. Unlike Tunca and Juric, though, this won't be Ciani's first season in the NCAA. Ciani most recently played for UIC as a sophomore after transferring from Xavier. He made 21 starts as a sophomore, averaging 9.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. His rebound average was the second-most in the Missouri Valley Conference. He shot 53.3 percent from the field. Ciani's season-high was a 16-point game against Illinois State, all of which were scored in the second half. He also had 11 double-doubles as a sophomore.
This NCAA experience will be useful to a relatively younger team. After losing 11 players after 2024-25, adding a veteran to a roster with seven incoming freshmen, one sophomore, and one redshirt sophomore will help minimize the effects of rookie obstacles. The only other NCAA experience comes from redshirt junior Freddie Dilione V and senior Josh Reed. This will be Reed's first season with Penn State as well.
As Ciani has two seasons of college eligibility left, assuming he stays with the program, this will assist Rhoades in his rebuilding efforts. With a fresh team, the following season will reap the benefits of the foundation structured in 2025-26.
“We’re excited to get Sasa on campus and welcome him to our Penn State basketball family," Rhoades, according to Nittany Lions Wire. "He is a veteran that will give us front court experience, size and versatility. We’re looking forward to the leadership, intense play, and toughness that he will bring to our program.”
The newest Nittany Lion 🦁 Welcome to Happy Valley, Saša Ciani! #WeAre | https://t.co/BTixHa0iMD pic.twitter.com/KpyaL4iOmR
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) June 28, 2025
The Nittany Lions are also awaiting the arrival of recent commit Tibor Mirtic to join the group of incoming freshmen.
On June 24, a signing announcement was posted. It was revealed that Mirtic signed a two-year deal with Penn State. He'll join a group of six forwards on the team, including Ciani, Mason Blackwood, Ivan Juric, Josh Reed, Justin Houser, and Chris Lotito. With the ABA League's Krka and Slovenia's SKL, Mirtic averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He also shot 57.1 percent from inside the three point line.
Mirtic also becomes the 12th roster member for the Nittany Lions and leaves Rhoades with three more empty spots he's free to fill ahead of the season.