The Floating Lion: ITS A GREAT TIME TO BE PSU FAN

Let's be honest. For ~~the last few years~~ forever, there hasn't been much to cheer about while following Penn State basketball. There's been a few bright spots here and there, and although I'm not going to name them, you can count them on one hand. There have also been many many games that just like the time you passed out on the toilet in college - you'd rather pretend never happened.

However, things have been different lately. Starting with the team's surprise success last season when star Geary Claxton was injured, a soft, slow rumble of excitement began to follow this team. Did Ed DeChellis finally have the right formula of guys he could work with? Was Talor Battle really as good as advertised? Well, although their work isn't done yet this season, and they are certainly a LONG way away from securing a tournament berth...the answer appeared to be yes, and the follower's of this team are reaping the benefits.

I spent 2003 through 2007 at Penn State following basically every Nittany Lion team possible. However, I must admit that no matter how spoiled I was with national football coverage...I always secretly longed to see the basketball team grace the screen and/or pages of ESPN. Game after game, season after season I would hike up to the BJC, praying for the guys to pull of the big upset. Well short story even shorter, it never happened.

(My wishes did come true for a brief instant in 2006, thanks to some inspired play from Travis Parker, when PSU pulled off the unbelievable win over #6 Illinois on the road. )

However, other than that win, my dreams of waking up to see the basketball team on ESPN.com would never come to fruition during college.

This years squad whistles a different tune. The Lions are currently 19-8(8-6), which is good enough for 4th in the Big Ten. Slowly and ever so cautiously, people have begun to notice.

Yes, this season has had as many roller coasters as Six Flags, but the ups have heavily outweighed the downs. ESPN has had two stories about the Nittany Lions THIS WEEK, which is two more they may have had during the past 4 seasons.

Although their work is still cut out for them, beginning with next week's contest against the Buckeyes, it's hard not to smile while watching this team. Despite the three game losing streak and the impossibly hard to watch offensive performances (*cough Illinois cough*), it's a great time to be a PSU fan...and I'm certainly loving every second of it.