Another change is ahead for Penn State men’s basketball — this one involves jerseys

Penn State men’s basketball will be altering its jerseys and it’s a significant change. The Nittany Lions will add the players’ last names to the back of their jerseys beginning with the upcoming season, the program announced on social media Thursday afternoon.

The change comes in the first year under new head coach Mike Rhoades, who was hired in April to replace former head coach Micah Shrewsberry.

Penn State football has long gone without names on the backs of its jerseys, except during a brief stretch from 2012-2014. The men’s basketball program previously had the names on the backs of its jerseys as recently as the early 2000s.

Rhoades said in a statement to the Centre Daily Times that his players will still keep the program the focal point.

“One of our constant messages to our team is that they are playing for the name on the front of their jerseys, and that won’t change with the addition of player names on the back of the game jerseys,” he said. “We want our fans and college basketball to know who our players are. Our young men understand the privilege and responsibility that comes with wearing Penn State across our chests and continuously strive to be great representatives of Penn State.”

The alteration is one of many that will come this season as Rhoades implements his pressure-oriented defensive system with a nearly entirely new roster. All five of the team’s leading scorers departed and only one of the 10 leading scorers — sophomore guard Kanye Clary — will be back under the new regime.

Rhoades added most of his roster through the transfer portal, where he added Atlantic 10 player of the year Ace Baldwin Jr., former North Carolina players Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn and a host of other players who have experience playing high major college basketball.

It remains to be seen when the Nittany Lions will debut their new look, as the team has not yet released its non-conference schedule.