EVERYBODY GET BACK IN THE BOAT

Wake Forest, Clemson, Xavier, Arizona State, Gonzaga, Purdue (three times), Syracuse and Ohio State (twice).

Those are the list of college basketball teams in the this week's Top 25 polls that have experienced back-to-back losses at least once this season - an unfortunate fate that befell Penn State this past week. Rather then yell, "The sky is falling," because our previously soaring Lions are headed into the toughest stretch of their schedule with no momentum, let's look at some positives.

Penn State currently sits sixth in the conference, just one spot away from a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Moreover, Jamelle Cornley and company are just one measly game out of sole posession of second place behind the Michigan State Spartans.

How about that minefield disguised as a schedule? The Lions are 3-1 against remaining opponents that they've already played once this season and could get to 20 wins just by holding serve at home. Although dates at Purdue, Illinois and Ohio State may appear daunting, home-court advantage has been anything but a sure thing this season. Previously unbeatable Wisconsin has already lost four times at the Kohl Center this year alone, where it had been 113-8 since 2001. Michigan State did the unthinkable, losing two in a row at the Breslin center to Northwestern and Penn State.

The above information is not to ignore the fact that Penn State's offense has been atrocious the last two games, looking completely lost without the normal scoring contribution from Talor Battle, or that it continues to get little to no support from its bench players; it's just to say that it's not all doom and gloom.

The team hardly resembles the squad that just two weeks ago was running up a four-game in-conference winning streak, but that same talent is there. If I were coach Eddie DeChellis, I would make sure the offense runs through Cornley. Get the big man a touch every time down the floor. Not only is he the most versatile scorer on the team, but having him touch it on the block will slow down the halfcourt set and inject some composure into an offense that has looked scattered against strong man-to-man defense the last two contests.

Secondly, Danny Morrissey needs to contribute. Imagine a three-point specialist that is fifth on the team in three-point percentage (!) and is 2-for-9 from three point range in his last four games. If he isn't shooting well, he isn't really giving much to the team, chipping in less than two rebounds and two assists per game. I would rather see his minutes split between Chris Babb and Cameron Woodyard.

Lastly, Eddie needs to find a way to affect Battle. My plan to get an, "In Talor We Trust," tattoo across my back has not been shelved, but the sophomore needs to learn how to balance his role as leading scorer and point guard. All the great point guards knew to make sure their teammates were getting off offensively before they looked to get their own game cooking. I know it's a bit different seeing how Battle leads the conference in scoring, but he needs to reailze that the more baskets he sets his teammates up for, the more that will take the defensive (and mental) pressure off of himself.

Lots of people have thought that DeChellis was a coach that could make this program competitive by giving it an identity and bringing in talented players. He's rarely, if ever, had any pressure to deal with since stepping onto campus. Now, with his team balanced on the fence between success and disaster, let's see if he really is a coach that can make Penn State a relevant team in the Big Ten. Let's see if he can push the right buttons to pull off another big road win against a ranked team (Purdue, Illinois, Ohio State) and get this program back to the NCAAs for the first time since 2001.