The NCAA men's basketball Transfer Portal closes Tuesday, April 21. The bleeding of Penn State players to the portal was thought to be over, but one forward made a last-day decision and left the Nittany Lions behind.
Penn State basketball sustains another loss from its forward group
Sasa Ciani, a 6-foot-10 forward came to Penn State after two seasons at other programs, UIC and Xavier. Ciani now has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining.
NEWS: Penn State forward Sasa Ciani is entering the transfer portal, @LeagueRDY has learned.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) April 21, 2026
The 6-foot-10 forward out of Slovenia played just one season at Penn State. Has also spent time at UIC and Xavier.
Averaged 2.1PPG and 1.9RPG this season. Averaged 9.9PPG, 7.6RPG in… pic.twitter.com/JFg8tO7JGJ
Forward Sasa Ciani enters the Transfer Portal after one season at Penn State
In 28 games, the junior registered 58 points, averaging 2.1 per contest. He shot 38.9 percent from the field, 20 percent from behind the arc, and 68.2 percent from the free throw line. Ciani also logged 37 rebounds on defense, 16 rebounds on offense, six assists, five blocks, and three steals.
Ciani was a three-star transfer, per the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Ranking, and ranked No. 77 among power forwards and No. 328 across all transfers.
The blue and white also lost forward Tibor Mirtic a day prior on Monday, April 20. For both forwards, it was likely a mutual decision on both parts: them and Penn State.
While having older players is something head coach Mike Rhoades valued for his 2026-27 class, Ciani's production did not warrant him staying. Mirtic, Mason Blackwood, and Eli Rice are the others from that position room that entered the Transfer Portal.
The Nittany Lions added Roko Prkacin and Francois Wibaut to their forward group, but transfer Brant Byers is the most notable addition. He joined the Penn State roster a week ago on April 14, bringing talent from the mid major level at Miami (Ohio).
So, despite losing a veteran, Rhoades has done a good job bringing in the kind of traits he's valuing for this roster while also addressing needs on the court. Improved scoring and rim protection were top priorities, both things that he acquired via the portal with older players.
The Nittany Lions also added guard Jay Rodgers and center Tim Oboh while retaining forward Ivan Juric from the 2025-26 roster.
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