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Penn State Basketball's Preseason Win and Player Updates
Penn State's exhibition win over Drexel highlights key player updates and defensive shifts ahead of Nov 2 regular season opener.
In brief
Penn State's exhibition win over Drexel highlights key player updates and defensive shifts ahead of Nov 2 regular season opener. Penn State's exhibition win over Drexel shows defensive improvements but player eligibility issues and depth concerns ahead of Nov 2 regular season opener. Originally reported by Penn State…
Exhibition Win Over Drexel
Penn State men's basketball closed out preseason with 68-57 exhibition win over Drexel on Monday.
Roko Prkačin Eligibility Update
Head coach Mike Rhoades confirmed forward Roko Prkačin is still going through eligibility process.
“Forward Roko Prkačin is still "going through the eligibility process," Rhoades said at his postgame press conference”
Prkačin's Professional Background
Prkačin, 23, signed with Penn State after playing professionally overseas with Nanterre 92 of France’s top division.
Prkačin's Impact on Team Performance
Without Prkačin, Penn State didn't play as well in the interior and could lose a key frontcourt role.
Eligibility Status and Future Role
Prkačin hasn't been cleared to play yet, so he hasn't played in either exhibition games for Penn State.
Defensive Strategy Shift
Coach Rhoades is making major defensive changes after team struggled with pressing.
Pressing Depth Concerns
Rhoades doesn't have enough depth to press for an entire game, so team will focus on quarter-court defense.
Pressing Players Identified
Rhoades identified François Wibaut and Dasonte Bowen as players who can handle press defense.
“forward François Wibaut, who had two steals, is a player who can "really guard the ball" and would be "a heck of a presser"”
Slow Start Fix Priority
Rhoades prioritizes fixing team's slow starts after trailing by 15 points in previous games.
1A on the List
Rhoades described team's starting issues as "1A on the list" needing immediate attention.
“It's 1A on the list, Rhoades said. I thought we were like that the other day. We can't afford to be passive starting the game”
Team Scoring Leaders
Jurić led scoring with 17 points, followed by Reed at 15 and Bowen at 12 in exhibition games.
Thomas Allard's Role
Allard, a Division II transfer, started both games with 34 minutes against Drexel.
Allard's Performance
Allard scored two points after 0-for-4 from 3-point range but had team-high +15 and four rebounds.
Regular Season Opener
Penn State opens regular season Nov 2 against Canisius at Bryce Jordan Center with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET on B1G+.
What it means
Penn State's exhibition win over Drexel shows defensive improvements but player eligibility issues and depth concerns ahead of Nov 2 regular season opener.
