Penn State Basketball Adds New Recruit, Assistant Coach, and Preseason Tournament
TL;DR
Penn State basketball has added Serbian forward Aleksandar Zecevic to its roster and hired Dwayne Stephens as an assistant coach. This marks a significant week for the Nittany Lions as they prepare for the 2026-2027 season.
Key points
- Aleksandar Zecevic joins Penn State from Bilbao Basket.
- Dwayne Stephens is the new assistant coach.
- Penn State has added nine new players this offseason.
Mentioned in this story
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - FEBRUARY 01: Penn State Nittany Lions mascot celebrates a win after a college basketball game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Bryce Jordan Center on February 1, 2026 in University Park Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been a busy week as far as basketball news is concerned: Mike Rhoades filled out his roster with yet another international recruit, filled an assistant coaching vacancy, and got some scheduling news for the 2026-2027 season.
6’10” Serbian forward Aleksandar Zecevic became the latest addition to the roster. Zecevic has been playing professionally in Spain for Bilbao Basket, averaging over 10 points on 58 percent shooting and five rebounds per game last season for Bilbao’s U-22 team. He becomes the ninth total offseason addition, joining fellow international recruits Andy Gemao (Philippines), François Wibaut (France), and Roko Prkačin (Croatia), as well as domestic transfer portal additions Jay Rodgers (Central Connecticut State), Tim Oboh (Buffalo), Thomas Allard (Alabama-Huntsville), Brant Byers (Miami-Ohio), and Roberts Blums (Davidson).
Additionally, the Nittany Lions filled one of its assistant coaching vacancies, adding former Western Michigan head coach Dwayne Stephens. A longtime assistant under Tim Izzo at Michigan State before spending the last four years running the show at Western Michigan, Dwayne is the brother of former PSU star Jarrett Stephens.
We also learned via CBS Sports college hoops insider Jon Rothstein, that the Nittany Lions will spend Thanksgiving week in the Bahamas in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
This will be the first Battle 4 Atlantis tournament ever for the men’s team, as the women’s team made their debut in it last year. It is an eight-team tournament consisting of two four-team brackets, with every team playing three games in total, regardless of outcome. The first two games will be played against the teams in their respective brackets with the third and final game played against a team from the other bracket. Virginia and Texas A&M, who were both participants in this past season’s NCAA Tournament are in the bracket opposite of PSU, so there’s no guarantee of facing either team.
Q&A
Who is Aleksandar Zecevic and what are his stats?
Aleksandar Zecevic is a 6'10” Serbian forward who averaged over 10 points and five rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent for Bilbao Basket's U-22 team.
What coaching position did Dwayne Stephens fill at Penn State?
Dwayne Stephens was hired to fill an assistant coaching vacancy at Penn State after previously serving as the head coach at Western Michigan.
How many new recruits has Penn State added this offseason?
Penn State has added a total of nine new recruits this offseason, including several international players and domestic transfers.
