In the past few months, Penn State has watched its football team come within a few plays of the College Football Playoff championship game, its women’s volleyball team win a national championship and its top-ranked wrestling team continue its national dominance. But none of that success has translated to the Nittany Lions’ basketball programs.

Big Ten play has weeded both Penn State men’s and women’s basketball from NCAA Tournament contention. The teams began the season a combined 15-0 but are a combined 4-23 in Big Ten play and last in the conference standings. The Penn State men’s squad has lost six straight games, falling to USC 92-67 on Tuesday to get swept in California. And the Lady Lions are 1-12 in the Big Ten, with an outlier win over ninth-ranked Ohio State.

Things have gone completely sideways for Penn State basketball coaches Mike Rhoades and Carolyn Kieger. What went wrong? Here’s a breakdown of the breakdowns.

The Penn State men face injuries, late-game execution issues

The Nittany Lions entered the 2024-25 season with the components to make a run in Year 2 of the Rhoades era. Following a 16-17 overall record in his first season, Rhoades brought back a strong group of upperclassmen, led by veteran guards Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr., plus forwards Zack Hicks and Puff Johnson. Complementing that core with key transfers, including former NIU center Yanic Konan Niederhauser and former Tennessee guard Freddie Dilione V, Penn State had NCAA Tournament aspirations.

Penn State largely cruised through non-conference action, beginning the season 7-0 and averaging 93.6 points per game. Five different players led Penn State in scoring over its first six games, the defense created turnovers and Konan Niederhauser provided a fresh inside threat. On Dec. 5, Penn State upset No. 8 Purdue 81-70, improving to 9-1 and inching toward a potential AP Top 25 ranking.

Then 2025 arrived. Penn State is 1-10 since an 84-80 win over Northwestern on Jan. 2. Injuries certainly contributed to the slide. Johnson, averaging 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds, hasn’t played since Jan. 15 due to a wrist ailment. Konan Niederhauser, Penn State’s leading rebounder (6.2 per game) and shot-blocker (2.1 per game), missed two games with an ankle injury. He returned Tuesday against USC, fouling out with four turnovers. Freshman Miles Goodman missed time, and Baldwin has been playing through a back issue. Further, Nebraska transfer Eli Rice is out for the season.

Those absences have forced Rhoades to go deeper into his bench and play his starters heavier minutes. Kachi Nzeh, Dominick Stewart and Dilione, all underclassmen, have seen elevated roles lately, while Baldwin has played all 40 minutes in five games. With missing production, the Nittany Lions’ depth hasn’t been as effective, and Rhoades hasn’t been able to run his usual full-court press as often.

“We’re in a funk,” Rhoades said after a loss to Minnesota on Feb. 4. “We’re in this hole. We’ve got to keep sticking together and trying to find some different ways to get out of it. It’s frustrating. I feel for our guys, feel for everybody, but this is how it is.”

The other glaring issue has been Penn State’s performances in the clutch. The Nittany Lions have lost six Big Ten games by single digits, including a one-point loss to then-No. 15 Oregon. But as its tournament hopes have dwindled, Penn State’s losses have grown larger. The Nittany Lions lost to Ohio State by 19 at Rec Hall on Jan. 30, by 24 at UCLA last Saturday and by 25 to USC on Tuesday.

“We’re not closing out games the way that I take pride in my teams closing out games,” Rhoades said in January. “I’m proud of our effort and our approach, and late in games, we are making plays. We’re just not making enough for that one that closes out the game. And that’s what’s hurt us.”

Rhoades has voiced his intent to build a winning program since taking over for Micah Shrewsberry, and through two seasons, there have been some improvements. The future also looks strong, as Penn State owns the 247Sports Composite’s No. 23 overall 2025 recruiting class. But after weeks of struggling to compete in the Big Ten, Penn State would need a miracle run to, and through, the conference tournament to get back into NCAA contention.

The Lady Lions struggle with defense, turnovers

Elsewhere at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Penn State women’s team also has collapsed after an 8-0 start. Last season the Lady Lions went 19-12 during the regular season, won a Big Ten Tournament game and reached the WBIT semifinals. The team had something to build on with Kieger’s established small-ball play style, and she also landed two key transfers in the offseason in Michigan State guard Gabby Elliott and Bellarmine center Gracie Merkle.