Penn State basketball is at an all-time low in the 2025-26 season after anticipating a brighter year with a seemingly promising roster.
Penn State men's basketball struggles to begin 2026, loses all five games
On Sunday, Feb. 1, the men's basketball team put an end to its eight-game losing streak, squeaking by with a 77-75 win over Minnesota. This gave the Nittany Lions their first in-conference win of the season, now holding a 1-10 Big Ten record (10-12 overall).
Despite registering their first victory in some time, Penn State fans already gave up on the season. Sunday afternoon's crowd was empty and barren. One end of the Bryce Jordan Center quite literally had no one sitting in the stands. While this isn't new to the Nittany Lions, it's a defeating environment to play in nonetheless.
This is what the crowd for a basketball team with an 0-10 conference record looks like at the first media timeout. This program has officially hit rock bottom 🚮#WeAre #PennState #Minnesota #BigTen #CollegeBasketball pic.twitter.com/aQuKzNkVR6
— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) February 1, 2026
Penn State men's basketball plays in front of an empty crowd on Sunday, reflecting another poor and underwhelming season for the Nittany Lions
Head coach Mike Rhoades was pleased with his roster heading into the season. A bunch of new faces and young talent was in Happy Valley, and it seemed like this season was veering in a positive direction.
The Nittany Lions started off with a five-game win streak, which ended at the end of November when they lost to Providence on the road. They bounced back three wins before entering Big Ten play.
A 113-72 loss at Indiana, though, was a humbling reality check for Penn State; and it has yet to recover.
The blue and white don't have an easy schedule given their conference. As of Feb. 1, five Big Ten teams are in the AP Top 25 Poll. Michigan is ranked third and was second at the time it faced Penn State; Nebraska is fifth and hosts the Nittany Lions on Feb. 21; Michigan State is seventh and beat Penn State on Dec. 13 when it was ranked seventh; Illinois is ninth and won its game when it was 20th; and Purdue is 12th and beat the Nittany Lions as the No. 5 team in the country.
Penn State isn't a basketball school. A number of sports come before the program, including, football, wrestling, volleyball, and now hockey. That doesn't mean a 1-10 Big Ten record is acceptable, though. The Nittany Lions are ranked last in the conference and can't even pull out wins versus Maryland, or Northwestern. Rhoades needs answers, and it's getting to the point where athletic director Pat Kraft has to come to terms with the fact that Rhoades doesn't have them.