Penn State men’s basketball transfer portal tracker: Nittany Lions add a big
The transfer portal is now open in men’s college basketball, with the window for players to enter opening on April 7 and closing April 21.
Penn State men’s basketball is expected to see plenty of turnover this offseason, with several departures and arrivals as head coach Mike Rhoades looks to take a step forward in his fourth year as head coach of the program. While rising freshman big man Ivan Juric made his return official, the program will still need to fill in with additional talent to put together a strong roster.
Here are the players, as of April 20, who have entered and are going to enter the portal for the Nittany Lions, along with those who will join the program, based on multiple reports and/or Centre Daily Times sources. Check back for updates.
Outgoing
Guard Freddie Dilione V
New team: Georgia
Notes: Dilione’s departure isn’t an unexpected one, despite him being the team’s leading scorer with 14 points per game. The soon-to-be senior guard hasn’t always been a fit in what Rhoades wants to do on either ends of the court and will likely fit better in a system where he’s the focal point on offense and doesn’t need to take on high-end assignments as a defender.
Guard Melih Tunca
New team: TBD
Notes: Like Dilione, this departure isn’t all that much of a surprise. Tunca was not a good defensive fit at Penn State and did not see his offensive game translate as well as was anticipated when he enrolled last offseason. He’s a good off-ball offensive player who sees the floor well and should be a better and more frequent shooter from deep than he was this season. That being said, he’ll need to add more strength in order to reach his peak wherever he ends up.
Forward Eli Rice
New team: TBD
Notes: Rice is headed to the portal after two years at Penn State, with the first marred by injury. He came back this season to be far and away the team’s best 3-point shooter. He made 39% of his 3.6 attempts per game from beyond the arc and was very valuable as a floor spacer for an offense that was in desperate need of it. Defensively, however, he struggled for long stretches. He was unable to move his feet well enough to stay in front of ball handlers and that allowed opponents to get to the rim with relative ease against him. Still, his shooting is valuable and he should be able to find a destination where he can contribute offensively.
Forward Mason Blackwood
New team: St. Bonaventure
Notes: Blackwood played a role as a bench player as a freshman, getting 12.3 minutes per game in his 26 games played. He’s an excellent athlete who has all the tools to be a high-level defensive player as long as he continues to add strength and learn how to play that side of the ball at the college level. On offense, he’s much more of a work in progress. His jumper is not good, with form that will need to be drastically overhauled for him to have value from beyond the arc. His athleticism and quick first step allow him to get to the rim, but he still needs to continue improving as a finisher. Blackwood will need development, but can still turn into a quality role player.
Guard Kayden Mingo
New team: Baylor
Notes: Mingo’s impending departure is an extremely damaging one for the program — at the very least from a perception standpoint and highly likely from an on-court perspective, as well. The star guard was the highest-rated recruit in program history and paid off that promise with a very strong freshman year. Without him, Penn State will now need to find an elite level player in the portal — the type of talent who can immediately be the best player on the team. Otherwise, it could be looking at making no progress following a season that saw it go 3-17 in the Big Ten.
Guard Dominick Stewart
New team: TBD
Notes: Stewart departs after two years at Penn State with 56 games played in that time and 24 starts this season. He was expected to be a high-level shooter on offense but struggled to live up to that billing in his time with the Nittany Lions, hitting only 33.3% in his career. That being said, he took a step forward this season in that regard, hitting 34.8%, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he continues that upward trajectory. If Stewart can do that, and can be competitive defensively, he should find a starting spot at a mid-major, or a bench role at a high-major school.
Center Justin Houser
New team: TBD
Notes: Houser leaves after only one year at Penn State in which he showed some promise — but also showed he has a long way to go in his development. He’s a long, athletic big who still needs to learn how to use his length to his advantage. Losing him will hurt Penn State’s depth and take away a long-term project for assistant coach Brent Scott, who has a track record of getting the most out of bigs.
Forward Tibor Mirtic
New team: TBD
Notes: Mirtic departs after a year at Penn State that saw him struggle with injuries throughout. He played 14.1 minutes per game across 15 games — including one start — but was mostly limited due to multiple injuries. He was a strong finisher and rebounder who struggled at times defensively and could not stretch the floor on offense. His departure should allow the Nittany Lions to add one more key addition to the roster in the portal.
Incoming
Forward Roko Prkacin
Former team: Nanterre 92 (France)
Notes: Prkacin was, at one point, considered a legitimate first round NBA talent, but the 23-year-old went undrafted and has seen that star fade in recent years. He has found a home in France’s top league as a role player on a good Nanterre 92 team. He averaged 17.3 minutes per game this season and has stopped shooting entirely from beyond the arc after being a good shooter as a floor spacer, giving some reason to believe that part of his game is still in there. Prkacin has some upside and should be able to contribute immediately as a big wing for Penn State.
Guard Francois Wibaut
Former team: Pac Orthez (France)
Notes: Wibaut is 21 years old and has played professionally for three seasons in France. He’s a tough and physical wing, who has a high basketball IQ, which should benefit the team on both ends of the floor. On offense, his ability to handle the ball will help as the team builds around guard Kayden Mingo, who has proven he can excel off the ball just as much as he can on it. On defense, Wibaut is capable of defending guards and wings, and his physicality should be a benefit in the Big Ten.
Guard Jay Rodgers
Former team: Central Connecticut
Notes: Rodgers is the first college player Penn State has added from the portal. The former Central Connecticut guard committed to the Nittany Lions on Sunday, bringing with him a wealth of experience. He averaged 11 points, 6.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game with the Blue Devils last season. He spent three seasons there after transferring in from New Orleans. Rodgers is an adequate shooter at 34.7% from deep, including 36.2% last season.
Forward Brant Byers
Former team: Miami (OH)
Notes: Byers is an excellent get for Rhoades and Penn State, as he comes from a program that had an undefeated regular season and made the NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed. He’s an elite shooter who made 39.2% of his 5.2 3-point attempts per game for the Redhawks, helping him be the team’s second-leading scorer with 14.2 points per game. Byers has great size at 6-foot-8 and should be able to start right away for PSU. He may struggle defensively in the Big Ten, but he should more than make up for it with his scoring ability — which includes the ability to create off the bounce and get to the rim while attacking closeouts.
Guard Robert Blums
Former team: Davidson
Notes: Blums, like Byers, is a great shooter who will likely start right away for Penn State. He did not start for Davidson, but he was fifth on the team in minutes and was its leading scorer with 12.4 points per game. He put up 5.9 3-pointers per game, making 2.4 of them — good for 40.7% from beyond the arc. Blums may also struggle defensively but will undoubtedly help on the offensive end. And for a program that needs to take its advantages to the extremes to create variance against more talented teams, there are far worse ways to do it than by bombing from deep.
Center Tim Oboh
Former team: Buffalo
Notes: Penn State added a quality backup big with Oboh. He has very good size at 6-foot-11, and has experience after playing two years at Buffalo, where he started in 51 of his 62 games. He’s not going to space the floor as a shooter by any means, but Oboh has the length to be a threat as a rim protector on defense and as a rim-runner on offense. He should come in right away and push returning starter Ivan Juric, who will look to take a big leap in his second year with Penn State.
This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 1:07 PM.
