PHILADELPHIA — No one wants to lose, but Mike Rhoades is aware of what he signed up for with this year’s iteration of Penn State basketball.
The Nittany Lions lost the Palestra Game to No. 19 Illinois 73-65 Saturday night. The final score is indicative of how competitive the game was, especially in the second half, but the Fighting Illini were able to make the plays when they needed to, like how veteran teams do.
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It was a similar outcome for Penn State against Michigan State, another top program, which is another positive sign of this team’s ceiling. However, there is no substitute for the experience and physical strength those teams, along with the large group of veteran teams in the Big Ten have.
“Get older, bigger, stronger, better,” Rhoades said about closing the gap between Penn State and the conference upper crust. “You guys know me by now: there’s no excuses. Illinois is older, bigger, stronger and better than us right now. My job is to fight to make our program better on and off the court. With our players, it’s all about making them better. We want to play fast and free on one end, then be aggressive and tireless on the other.
“It might kill me, but we’re gonna get this thing right.”
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Penn State basketball fans can be encouraged by the team outscoring Illinois 39-33 in the second half, forcing turnovers and finishing in the paint much better than they’ve done most of the season. A big part of that was due to the play of Tibor Mirtić and Saša Ciani, who provided a much-needed physical presence against the oversize Illini.
Ciani arguably had his best game in a Penn State uniform, finishing with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Both he and Mirtić have struggled up to this point, so hopefully it’s a positive sign of things to come.
Penn State basketball’s Sasa Ciani (22) goes for the dunk against Illinois on Jan. 3, 2026.
“They’re big, strong guys. We need them to play mroe physical. We need them to be brutes,” Rhoades said on the two big men. “I even told them, ‘If you foul out, you foul out. You gotta start throwing people around and be more aggressive.’ Saša has struggled up until now, but I hope his performance gives him some confidence. With Tibor, we need more out of him.
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“Those guys are too big and too strong to not help us out more.”
Another positive for the Nittany Lions is Eli Rice, who looks to be finding his groove with 11 points against Illinois after setting a new career-high with 18 points on 4 3-pointers against North Carolina Central.
The redshirt sophomore only played one game last season due to injury, but if he continues to be a reliable perimeter threat, that will open up the floor for the drive-heavy Kayden Mingo and the Penn State offense.
Penn State basketball’s Eli Rice (11) attempts a 3-pointer during the game against Illinois in The Palestra on Jan. 3, 2026.
“I’m just trying to get better every game,” Rice said about his recent performances. “The coaches are doing a good job of helping me find shots. I’m just trying to build off of that.”
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A lot of Penn State’s roster is in a similar place: they have shown growth so far and will continue to get better. Unfortunately, the opponent doesn’t care about your development. So when they take the floor against the flurry of Top-25 opponents littered throughout the Big Ten, those teams will use their veteran savvy and physical maturity to their advantage.
But with all the growth that needs to take place, there’s a chance the team looks unrecognizable a month from now, in a good way. Each game brings more experience, answers to questions and a calmness during a storm that’s only earned.
That’s the future Mike Rhoades is aiming for, and there is a strong possibility Penn State basketball reaches that reality. Although when considering Rhoades’ words, let’s hope it doesn’t actually kill him.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: PSU MBB’s Mike Rhoades seeing it through, even if ‘it might kill me’
