Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades has sought more size for his future rosters. He found a fit with 7-foot center Justin Houser, who committed to the Nittany Lions.
Following his first season at Penn State, in which the Nittany Lions went 16-17, Rhoades said he wanted to add more size to the roster. Penn State brought in 7-foot center Yanic Konan Niederhauser from Northern Illinoics and recruited 6-11 forward Miles Goodman. The Lions also added 6-8 forward Kachi Nzeh from Xavier.
Ace Baldwin Jr., the heart of Penn State men's basketball and the Big Ten defensive player of the year, announced his return to the Nittany Lions by releasing a video on social media titled, "Not Done Yet." Baldwin came to Penn State from VCU in 2023 with head coach Mike Rhoades. At VCU, Baldwin was the Atlantic 10 defensive player of the year in 2023. Rhoades has said that his relationship with Baldwin is "bigger than basketball." Baldwin said that Rhoades helped him through a difficult time in 2019, when Baldwin's father passed away. Baldwin dedicated his return to Penn State to his father.