ANNVILLE, Pa. — Note: The video is from March 2023.
The Penn State men’s basketball team will play Lafayette in a charity exhibition game at Lebanon Valley College, the team announced this week.
The game will be played at 8 p.m. on October 25 in Sorrentino Gymnasium at the alma mater of Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades, who starred with the Flying Dutchmen in the mid-1990's.
Proceeds from the game will benefit Hope Within Ministries and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,
Rhoades led Lebanon Valley College to the 1994 NCAA Division III National Championship as the tournament’s Co-Outstanding Player, and was voted the USA Today Division III National Player of the Year in 1995. He was a two-time NABC All-American, three-time NABC All-Region and three-time Middle Atlantic Conference Player of the Year at Lebanon Valley, and was the school’s all-time scoring leader (2,050) until 1999.
Rhoades still holds Lebanon Valley records in free-throw percentage (.845), assists (668) and steals (212). His No. 5 jersey is one of five basketball jerseys retired by LVC.
Tickets for the charity exhibition game will be $20 and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14. Purchase tickets here.
Hope Within Ministries helps provide primary health care to the uninsured low-income residents of Lancaster, Dauphin and Lebanon counties. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to supporting individuals affected by multiple sclerosis and funding research to find a cure for the disease.
“We are very excited to get our season started with a great exhibition game versus Lafayette at Lebanon Valley College,” said Rhoades. “We not only get to put on our uniforms, but also raise money for Hope Within Ministries and the National MS Society. We are honored to be able to help these charities and their missions.
“Personally, to take my team to my alma mater, Lebanon Valley College, is really special. I’m appreciative of the administration and basketball program for this opportunity. We do exhibitions this way to prepare for a road game, but to me, LVC is always home. We will enjoy a night of moving our program forward, preparing for the season and sharing the evening at a special place."
“What a great opportunity for our team to play Penn State in an exhibition for charity,” said Lafayette head coach Mike McGarvey. “Testing ourselves against a B1G team with high expectations will hopefully give us a head start on our journey to find our team's identity for this upcoming season. Additionally, it is special for me to pay homage to PSU's Coach Mike Rhoades and Coach Pat Flannery, whom I have a lot of respect for within the coaching profession, by bringing Lafayette to Lebanon Valley College for the game."
The Nittany Lions enter their second season under Rhoades in 2024-25. Rhoades guided the Nittany Lions to the second-most Big Ten wins by a first-year head coach in program history during his first season last year.
Penn State returns nearly 60 percent of is scoring production from a season ago as five key players return, headlined by reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Ace Baldwin Jr.