Roko Prkačin Dominates as Penn State Men’s Basketball Throttles Canisius in Season Opener

Penn State returned to the hardwood on Monday night for the 2026-27 season-opener, kicking off head coach Mike Rhoades’ fourth season at the helm.

After being picked to finish last in the Big Ten for the second consecutive year, the Nittany Lions impressed in their new-look debut, downing visiting Canisius 97-57 inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

“Good first game, I wish Canisius all the best on the year … We’ve got a lot of work to do, but good first night,” Rhoades said after the game.

How it happened

Penn State rolled with guards Dasonte Bowen and Thomas Allard and forwards Ivan Jurić, Josh Reed and Brant Byers in its initial starting five against Canisius, prioritizing some of the team’s veterans.

It took just under two minutes for the first shot to fall after several empty possessions, with Byers hitting a layup off a breakaway. He followed it up by showing off his range, knocking down a 3-pointer to make it 5-0 early.

Roko Prkačin checked in early and found his footing, dominating in the paint with a pair of buckets and a block on the defensive end to extend the lead to 11-2.

“I just wanted to get on the court and play a little bit because the last couple (exhibition) games I’ve been watching guys from the sideline, and I was just excited to step onto the court,” Prkačin said.

He continued to impress, spinning out of a double-team along the baseline before dunking to extend the lead to 19-8.

The Nittany Lions’ rotated in several players in addition to Prkačin, including Jay Rodgers, François Wibaut, Tim Oboh and Roberts Blums in the opening eight minutes of action, showcasing depth that was lacking a season ago.

Ball movement was a strong suit for Penn State, which did a good job of finding open shooters, but shooting from deep was a bit of an issue with a 1-for-5 start.

The defense was stout, holding the Golden Griffins to just 5-for-16 to start, including some early blocks from three different players and a pair of steals.

Prkačin began to take over the game, becoming the first player to reach double digits on 4-for-5 shooting with three makes from the free-throw line. His efforts helped guide the Nittany Lions ahead 30-14 before he was subbed out, but the momentum continued as they went up 38-19 before a Canisius timeout.

The Golden Griffins stole a bit of momentum to close out the half, making it a 47-26 game heading into the break.

Penn State shrugged off a slow start in the second half and knocked down a few difficult shots before Prkačin once again took over, scoring 12 consecutive points for the Nittany Lions to reach 24 total with more than 13 minutes of game time remaining.

“Coaches have been pushing me and calling me out when I’m not aggressive and when I’m soft,” Prkačin said. “I took it personally kind of, and I think it helped me a lot.”

Jurić sprinkled in points throughout the game, adding 14 with a whopping 15 rebounds to go with it, including six on the offensive glass. Wibaut finished with 10 points and added three rebounds and three assists.

With a healthy lead, Penn State was able to work in depth pieces Reggie Grodin, Andy Gemao, Aleksander Zečević and Grant Spacciapolli for some valuable late playing time, getting every player on the roster minutes.

Team leaders

Points: Roko Prkačin, 28

Assists: Roberts Blums, 4

Rebounds: Ivan Jurić, 15

Up next: Things ramp up quickly for Penn State, which welcomes Chattanooga for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Thursday night before playing in-state rival Pitt at 8 p.m. on Sunday at The Palestra in Philadelphia.