Friday, January 2, 2009

PSU BASKETBALL: GET ON BOARD

I know that some of you don't follow Penn State basketball. I also know that all of you (us) are destroyed over yesterday's embarrassing showing in Pasadena.  But, it's cool.  In a few minutes, you're gonna know all you need to know about the PSU men's basketball team to enjoy tomorrow's Big Ten clash against Wisconsin (10-3, 1-0).

Record: 12-2 (1-0)
Last Game: Defeated Northwestern 61-57 in the Big Ten Opener


Roster:
2 Jamelle Cornley    F     SR      6-5/240 Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven
10 Chris Babb     G     FR     6-5/210 Arlington, Texas/The Oakridge School
11 Stanley Pringle     G     SR     6-1/180 Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown/Pasco-Hernando CC
12 Talor Battle     G     SO     5-11/160 Albany, N.Y./Bishop Maginn
13 Will Leiner     G     SR     6-1/175 Coplay, Pa./Whitehall
14 Adam Highberger     G     SO     6-2/175 Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville
15 David Jackson     F RS     SO     6-6/205 Farrell, Pa./Kennedy Catholic
22 Andrew Jones     F RS     SO     6-9/245 Philadelphia, Pa./Abington Friends
24 Cammeron Woodyard     G     FR     6-5/205 Westminster, Md./Winters Mill
25 Jeff Brooks     F     SO     6-8/200 Louisville, Kent./Doss
33 Danny Morrissey     G RS     SR     6-3/190 Cleveland, Ohio/Pendleton School (Fla.)
41 Steve Kirkpatrick     F     SO     6-5/225 Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley
42 Billy Oliver     F     FR     6-8/210 Chatham, N.J./Chatham
54 Andrew Ott     F RS     SO     6-10/235 Abington, Pa./Germantown Academy/Villanova


Despite neutral-site losses to Rhode Island and Temple, there is a lot to be excited about with this Nittany Lion squad.  They finished their non-conference schedule with 11 wins, the most the Lions have had since 1995 and they knocked off Northwestern earlier this week at home. 

A win over Georgia Tech on the road earlier in the season, gave PSU fans a taste of how good this team really can be. Although they have had a strong season thus far, they have been streaky.  When the Lions are hot, they can shoot the lights out (60% against Hartford), and when they get cold they struggle severely from the floor (31% against Northwestern).  They'll have a lot of work to do on their consistency if they want to be competitive in the Big Ten.

Even when they're struggling from the floor, there's been two consistant bright spots this year in the form of Taylor Battle and Stanley Pringle.

Battle and Pringle, who had 14 vs. the Wildcats, form one of the Big Ten's top guard tandem as they have combined make 70 threes while shooting nearly 47 percent from three and have led the Lions in scoring in all but two games. Pringle and Battle are joined by senior forward Jamelle Cornley (14.1 ppg) in all ranking in the top 10 of the conference in scoring making Penn State the only Big Ten team with three such players.

Just because football season is officially over doesn't mean we have to wait until the Blue/White game to get our Penn State sports in.  The basketball season is in full swing and the Nittany Lions have a squad that is not only competitive, but also poised to make a run into the tournament. 

Get into it.

Quick Reads:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2008/12/30/lions_enter_conference_play_wi.aspx

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/96612-penn-state-basketball-set-to-battle-the-big-ten

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