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Mike Rhoades' first press conference addresses glaring questions
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- Mike Rhoades' first press conference addresses glaring questions
As the basketball season gets underway for the Nittany Lions , questions have emerged about how this team will look, especially with all the new additions. Head coach Mike Rhoades' bold approach in the offseason to acquire not only young, but international talent looms as one of the biggest question marks in the Big Ten. Still, Penn State has a lot more to worry about than just a new look squad. They have to worry about new eligibility rules and their own internal problems as well.
In his first press conference of the season, Rhoades and team general manager Scott Pera were certainly busy men, having to cover all those bases. First and foremost was the question of Roko Prkacin's eligibility. The 21 year old Croat is considered to be Penn State's most important addition to their frontcourt as their presumptive power forward, but due to his international status, there are still questions surrounding whether or not he will even play. With the season for the blue and white starting Monday, they would surely appreciate some clarity.
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"We'd be extremely disappointed [if Prkačin gets ruled ineligible], only because some other kids in similar situations got eligible," Pera said of the situation . "From my speculation, it's just a total speculation, we're optimistic."
Another key situation that Rhoades addressed was one of the isues with the team last season: slow starts to games. Even in an exhibition win over Drexel, Rhoades was quick to point out his squad went down early in the games they did play. While they did well to battle back and win both those games, Drexel and St. Bonaventure are not exactly the most formidable opponents they'll face this year. With new lineups figuring it out, Rhoades felt it was paramount to address those kinds of early situations in practice.
"Certain days, we do start the game [drills] where we throw it up like a jump ball, and we play as hard as we can to the first media timeout," Rhoades said . "That's something I've always done. I always think that helps. We got to do that more with these guys, changing up some lineups with certain guys playing with other guys as well."
Whether it be player eligibility or fixing early game issues, Penn State will almost definitely have to reckon with some early season issues as well if there are no answers to these questions as of yet. However, knowing where they stand is important to growing as a team, and Rhoades needs that at this point in his career.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Mike Rhoades' first press conference addresses glaring questions
