Penn State men's basketball catches the December Blues, struggles to end 2025

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.

Game 10 - Penn State at Indiana

Decimation derives from the Latin word decimatio, meaning "destruction of a tenth," and that is precisely what happened to Penn State when it reached its first double-digit game.

On the road in Bloomington, the Nittany Lions left embarrassed after their first Big Ten game of the season. With just a few positives in Penn State's play, it lost 113-72.

Freddie Dilione V, Kayden Mingo, and Melih Tunca scored in double digits, but the trio couldn't overcome Hoosier guard Lamar Wilkerson and his outside shot, which flourished. The Ashdown, Ark. native scored 44 points and set a new single-game Hoosier record with 10, three-pointers on 15 attempts, one make shy of the conference record.

Game 11 - Penn State vs Michigan State

The Nittany Lions geared up after their embarrassment in Indiana for an even more daunting foe on paper: AP-ranked Michigan State led by head coach Tom Izzo.

That contest, although it also resulted in a loss, left many more takeaways in a four-point, 76-72 loss. Penn State committed fewer turnovers and fewer fouls, and had the same number of assists in an efficient game. The only thing that seemed off was its shot down the wire.

Dilione reached 23 points, tied for the game high, but the focal star, as he has often been this season, was the freshman, Mingo. The Farmingdale, N.Y. native flirted with a triple-double and also logged a pair of steals, which earned him the praise of the Spartans' legendary coach.

Game 12 - Penn State vs Pittsburgh (Neutral Site)

Despite a swing in the right direction, the Nittany Lions' momentum immediately halted with a trip to the GIANT Center in Hershey Park, Penn. This game, for all parties on the blue and white side, stood as a travesty in a rival game.

The contest, like the one against the Hoosiers, contained little to no positives. The fashion in a rival game, though, made it all so much more heartbreaking. The Panthers won 80-46 as Penn State's offense looked flat with Dilione's 23 points making him the only double-digit scorer.

These two squads hadn't faced each other since 2017, in a series that is almost split all-time, but Pitt holds all the cards, bragging rights, and momentum moving forward as there are indications that this scheduling could become more common.

Game 13 - Penn State vs North Carolina Central

The last game of 2025 for Penn State saw it return home to the Bryce Jordan Center and win column with a 90-67 rout of North Carolina Central. It stood as a much better performance for individuals and the team as a whole as five scorers reached double digits.

Mingo, again, led on both ends. Jjoining him was Eli Rice, who replaced Dominick Stewart in the starting lineup, and notched a career high of 18 points on strong shooting.

Tunca struggled in the month; he scored double-digit points in every game this season. He scored 13 against Campbell but failed to reach the margin again in December until he did so again with 10 in the North Carolina Central contest.

Over this stretch, Penn State adapted and looked very different from previous games. Various plays and new contributors, such as freshman Mason Blackwood and Justin Houser who both logged more minutes.

The Nittany Lions continue figuring out their identity as a young squad, but starting in 2026, they'll face three consecutive ranked opponents. It looks like an uphill battle.