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 foo