Tuesday, March 31, 2009

SHOW TIME

Apologies for the lack of posts this week with the Lions date with Norte Dame looming, you can rest assured it wasn't due to the lack of enthusiasm.

The team is in Manhattan and the students are in route for one of the biggest Penn State basketball games in recent history. All of the Lions will be playing in Madison Square Garden for the first time, while Notre Dame just played their a few short weeks ago for the Big East Tournament.

It's obvious the excitement levels around this program have never been higher since their 2001 Sweet 16 run. WJAC in State College posted this article and video clip this afternoon, as the 12, yes 12 buses full of students prepared to depart from Curtain Road in State College. The video literally gave me chills when I saw how many students are making the trip to support the team, after their snub by the NCAA selection committee.

The team's excited, Happy Valley is excited, and New York is excited as Penn State fan's will look to "White Out the Garden" tonight. See you there.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

NITTANY NATION HITS THE ROAD

Penn State basketball has never been known for it's excessive or rowdy fan base. Coming from one of the largest and traditional football schools in the country, it's not hard to understand why. The Bryce Jordan Center is vast, dark and gloomy. Many home basketball games are on weekday nights, which make it hard for families (especially from out-of-town) to make the trip, and basketball season is in the dead of winter. However, if you've been paying attention this season, you'll notice that this trend is slowly reversing, and Penn State hoops fans are slowly coming out of the woodworks in support of this magical season.

Although they weren't always called "Nittany Nation", there has always been a student section at Penn State basketball games. While I was at Penn State from 2003 through 2007, I attended numerous games where the student "section" on one sideline wasn't more than 50% full. Students would sit quietly most games, wear whatever color t-shirt they could find on their dorm room floor, and leave with 12 minutes remaining in the second half. They may have had good reason to, as I'm not one to judge, however it certainly was frustrating to both dedicated fans and players. This off-season, while Jamelle Cornley was in the gym working on his 10-foot jumper, work was also being done off the court, recruiting new members of Penn State basketball fans who would hopefully stick around for years to come.

We've posted earlier this season about all of the great things Nittany Nation and the athletic department has done to get fans behind this basketball team. Facebook groups were started, signs were posted around campus, viral videos were posted to the internet, even the site GOPSB.com was generated for the sole use as a recruiting tool (players and fans alike).

Believe it or not, this has been only the second year where the student section is visible during televised games. After years of watching the complacent alumni crowd behind the court at games, PSU finally realized this wasn't working. How are people watching on TV supposed to get excited when the people there can't even get into the game? Games are now filmed with the student section (which is full) in full-view and the words "Nittany Nation" are stamped into the corner of the court.

After the groundwork was placed by both students and the AD, it was up to the team to bring in the fans. Battle and company quickly confronted this challenge and have delighted fans to what is, in my opinion, the best and most exciting basketball season Penn State has ever seen. The Lions have posted a 17-2 record at home this year which featured not one, but TWO last-second heroic shots, one of which sent the students into a frenzied rushing of the court.

To increase exposure nationwide, the team has beaten multiple NCAA juggernauts on National Television, including Michigan State, Illinois and now winners of 2 of the last 3 National Championships, Florida. Even coach Ed DeChellis admits he's not sure which is better, an early-exit in the NCAA Tournament, or all of this television exposure and big-game experience the team receives as they trudge through the NIT bracket.

The athletic department even canceled Wednesday's football spring practice media day, after the Lions defeated the Gators on the road to earn their trip to New York. That sums up the rise of the program right there.

Now, with the Lions two wins away from calling themselves NIT Champions, Nittany Nation has a chance to strut their stuff in Madison Square Garden, the greatest arena in the world. And although the game is days away, the Lions should have quite the following when they tip off in New York City Tuesday night. Minutes after Norte Dame beat Kentucky to punch their ticket to New York, a Facebook event entitled "White Out Madison Square Garden" was sent out to every member of Nittany Nation.

Facebook event can be seen here....

It's amazing to see how far not only the students have come, but Penn State fans in general have come to support the basketball program. I'd like to think the support will continue after this magical season is over, but to be honest I'm too excited about Tuesday to think about that now. If you haven't done so already, I highly suggest you get your $10 dollar ticket off of Ticketmaster (which is good for the 7pm game between San Diego State and Baylor as well), get to New York and cheer on your Lions. It's the least we can do for Cornley who has worked so hard to get here. Let's send him out like a champion.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ARENA


"If you're not excited as a basketball player about playing in Madison Square Garden, then you need to check your pulse." - Bob Huggins

Monday, March 23, 2009

SPITE THE GATORS

My three day boycott of Gatorade started Sunday and will last through Tuesday night as Penn State gears up to play Florida tomorrow in the third round of the NIT Tournament. I highly suggest that you, and everyone you know join in.

Although it is tasty, and quite refreshing on a hot summer day, I started secretly hating Gatorade when they started airing their commercial which features the "history of Gatorade". Something about Keith Jackson speaking about a "new carbohydrate electrolyte beverage" while standing in the "swamp" just rubs me the wrong way (although it is a pretty decent spot).



"Naturally, we called our stuff Gator-aide."

Shut it, Dr. Robert Cade. The Lions are in town, and they're mighty thirsty.

Vitamin Water anyone?

Friday, March 20, 2009

MY APOLOGIES

I would like to send my sincerest apologies to the Penn State men's basketball team.

As hard as it is for me to say this, I gave up on them earlier this week.

With four seconds left and George Mason at the line last Tuesday, I was getting ready for football season. I said to myself, "there's no way there can possibly any magic left in this team." And, sure as the rash you got from that burner last weekend,  Talor Battle worked his magic again.

I believe Joe said it best on the phone to me seconds later before overtime began, "there's NO way we can lose now." However, thinking back to that phone call, Joe's words meant more than I thought. He didn't mean there was no way we could lose that game, but there is no way we can lose again this season.

Let me back up a little bit. Neck and neck with a feisty George Mason team, Jamelle Cornley was sent to the trainer's table after his shoulder popped out in the second half for the third time this season. Now, I've never had my shoulder dislocated, but I imagine that after the first time it hurts pretty bad.  With the Lion's leader on the shelf with a sling on his left shoulder, and Battle in one of his worst shooting slumps of the season (0-7 in the second half), I was sure the season was over and the Lions were once again one and done in the NIT.

Boy was I wrong and for that I'm sorry.  The Lions haven't given up once this season...what was I thinking?

Fast forward three days and the Lions are now resting comfortably, waiting for their third round date with Billy Donovan's Gators.  Not only is he magic still around, but apparently it has never been stronger.  The Lions have won two consecutive post-season games for the first time since 2001, and in doing so, avenged their loss to URI from earlier this season (all without their big-man). 

Now I'm not sure when the third round match up against Florida will be, and I'm not sure if Cornley and Battle will be healthy enough to play...but I am sure about one thing.  Joe was right.  There's NO way this team can lose...not now, not after everything they've accomplished this season.

(I hope.)

FILLING THE CORN(LEY) HOLE

Anybody wondering how the Penn State basketball team would fare next season after the departure of one of the greatest Lions of all time, Jamelle Cornley, had a sneak preview on Thursday night. Just two nights after separating his shoulder in the team's first-round overtime victory against George Mason, Cornley sat out the Lions' game against the Rhode Island Rams, a team that had beaten Penn State earlier in the season. If the game was any indication of how the Lions will do next year without 'Melle, the future is looking bright.

While his energy was certainly missing from the game, a 83-72 Penn State victory, the team certainly showed that it has plenty of viable candidates to replace the senior captains' scoring and rebounding. Not least among them, Jeff Brooks.

Since the wirey sophomore first arrived on campus two seasons ago, the expectations for Brooks have always been bigger than the results. A former runner-up to the title of Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky, Brooks was seen as a major recruiting victory for the Lions, and out-of-state gem plucked by the coaching staff to lead the renaissance of the Penn State program. Instead, Brooks has underacheived and frustrated, seeing his minutes dip as the Big Ten season wore on, and losing his starting job to David Jackson. Despite averaging just 16 minutes per game and 3.4 points per game during the regular season, Brooks has blossomed offensively during the first two rounds of the NIT tournament, pouring in a season-high 13 points against George Mason and adding six more against Rhode Island, the first game he's started since February eighth against Wisconsin.

The biggest difference with Brooks appears to be his rising confidence. Too often he would fade away instead of going up strong, appear indecisive with the basketball or just seem overwhelmed on the court. Now, he's making strong assertive moves with the ball in his hands and showing a creativity that could make him a real asset next season.

Brooks was joined by Andrew Jones and Chris Babb as players who stepped their games up to account for Cornley's absence. Jones, who has benefitted from playing alongside a player as tenacious as Cornley, netted a double-double before fouling out and showed a good blend of aggressiveness and finesse in the paint.

Babb has clearly taken over as the heir-apparent to Stanley Pringle. While not as prodigious at driving, he's every bit as deadly an outside shooter, if not better, and has all the tools to develop into a defensive stopper - allowing Talor Battle to conserve more energy for offense.

Should the Lions draw the Florida Gators in the next round in Gainesville, and Thursday's win was the last game in the Bryce Jordan Center for this team, it certainly gave the fans a treat. Not only did it avenge an earlier season loss with a wire-to-wire victory, it gave everybody in attendence reasons to believe that next season just might be better than this one.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

THINK THEY'RE MOTIVATED NOW?



Shame on you if you were in the State College vicinity and were not at this game. I'm sure it won't haunt you for years to come.

Talor Battle may have just become a candidate for next year's Player of the Year award.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

GIVE 'EM THE HEATER RICKY...

Do you remember the classic baseball movie, Major League? There's a scene about halfway through it when everything has gone wrong for the team. Besides being mired in a horrible season, the Cleveland Indians are also being sabotaged by their ruthless owner in a ploy to get the team moved to sunny Miami, Fl.

Fed up with being treated like dirt, the players realize that the best way to spoil the owner's plan would be to start playing the best baseball of their life and make the franchise viable again. These sentiments are summed up in a classic exchange in the tribe's clubhouse between the team's manager, Lou Brown (played by James Gammon), the thirdbaseman, Roger Dorn (played by Corbin Bernsen), and the team's captain, catcher Jake Taylor (played by Tom Berenger):

Lou Brown: [at a team meeting] Can I have your attention, please?
[picks up a bat and leans on it like a walking stick]
Lou Brown: I have something I think you all ought to know about.It seems that Mrs. Phelps doesn't think too highly of our worth. She put this team together because she thought we'd be bad enough to finish dead last, knocking attendance down to the point where she could move the team to Miami... and get rid of all of us for better personnel.
Roger Dorn: Even me?
Lou Brown: Even you, Dorn.
Eddie Harris: What if we DON'T finish last?
Lou Brown: She'll REPLACE you with somebody who WILL. After this season, you'll be sent back to the minors or given your outright release.
Jake Taylor: [Jake stands up] Well then I guess there's only one thing left to do.
Roger Dorn: What's that?
Jake Taylor: Win the whole fucking thing.
[long pause]
Willie Mays Hayes: [Willie stands up] Yeah.
Pedro Cerrano: [Pedro pounds his hand] YES!

Well, the NCAA has played its hand, rewarding teams like Maryland and Arizona with tourney bids while making the 2009 Penn State team the first in Big Ten history to win at least ten conference games and one game in the post-season tournament to not earn a berth in the Big Dance. Now, it's our turn.

It might not seem like much, but if this team can go out and win the NIT it could serve as proof that the Lions were tournament worthy. And maybe the NCAA won't notice and maybe an NIT championship isn't worth half as much as a sweet sixteen run, but it's still something and it would be a great sendoff for Jamelle Cornley and the other seniors.

As expected, the senior captain took the news pretty hard when he found out Penn State was not invited to the NCAA Tournament, but he seems to have channeled his inner Jake Taylor right in time for the team's game tonight against the George Mason Patriots.

"I know that things didn't really go our way, but there's really no point in me personally to hold my head down when I know that I gave everything I could give," Cornley said. "I know we really, really wanted to get into the NCAA tournament, but it happened and now we're here, so we might as well just win out."
- The Daily Collegian

There's nothing that could replace seeing Penn State's name on those March Madness brackets, but if the Lions can pull it together for one final run, they may still get to raise a banner to the rafters of the Bryce Jordan Center before it's all said and done. Besides, a few more games on national television would help increase exposure for the program and some post-season experience for the younger players could only help their chances of elevating this team in the next few years.

The NIT is not what fans and players hoped for, but it's what they got, so let's just go win the whole fucking thing.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

A SEASON TO BE PROUD OF

Region by region, seed by seed the participants of the 2009 tournament were announced. As teams appeared on the screen one by one, thousands of Penn State fans undoubtedly sat at the edge of their seats praying to see those Nittany Lions celebrate from the comfortable seats in the players lounge of the BJC. Unfortunately, one-by-one, bubble teams began appearing on the television screen, beginning with Arizona as a 12-seed in the Midwest bracket. Collective hearts grew heavier as Maryland was awarded a 10-seed in the West, and almost all hope of dancing were lost as Wisconsin received a 12-seed in the East. With one region left to go, CBS cut to the live-shot of the Lions we all were hoping, however it appeared as if the realization had already sunk in as the room looked as uncomfortable as a jail-sentencing.

As the South region was announced and Michigan was awarded the 7th and final Big Ten berth, it was official; the Penn State Nittany Lions were on the outside looking in at another NCAA Tournament. Although the teams dreams of the Sweet 16 are over, the Lions will still be playing in the post-season. The National Invitational Tournament seedings are announced tonight at 9pm, and many members of the media have the Lions projected as a 1-seed, which will be a first for the program.

It's easy to find reasons this squad isn't dancing this season. With the running total of tournamentless seasons now at eight, fans are finding it easy to point fingers in every direction as to whose fault it is. But, give me a reason why and I'll kindly and respectfully disagree with you.

Blame the athletic department? Can't. Yes, it's true Penn State's strength of schedule was the 310th in the country, but fans need to remember that the athletic department is in the middle of a complete renovation of the basketball program. Tired of losing seasons in front of an empty gym, the department needed to purposely schedule some easier non-conference games, which in turn means a winning record, which in turn brings in fans, which in turn creates excitement, which in turn creates a few major wins such as Michigan State and Purdue, which in turn brings in better recruits, which in turn allows you to schedule tougher opponents in the future. You can't just throw on a couple of top-10 teams into your schedule and expect to create a tournament worthy resume. By scheduling the non-conference slate the way they did, the athletic department put the team in the position to make a run during the Big Ten season and earn a tournament berth. To me and clearly to the athletic department, we are still a year or two away from scheduling those top 100 RPI teams prior to the start of conference games. You need to remember, we beat Purdue without their best two players, Michigan State without Raymar Morgan, and Iowa without Cyrus Tate. It's clear that the program has gotten better, but we're not done yet. I believe the team is lucky to have gotten to the point that they did. Sitting on the last-4 out was unheard of for the Lions in previous years but one or two bounces the Lions way and PSU would maybe seen themselves on the last-4 in. As the Lions have created excitement in Happy Valley around the program, the athletic department clearly has this program on the right track.

Blame other teams? How can you? I don't even feel the need to defend where I stand on this one. This is the greatest thing about college basketball - anyone can win at anytime. You can't fault other teams for playing their hearts out with the same goal of seeing their names on the bracket come March (Temple, USC, and Mississippi State are great examples). It was up to Penn State to play their way into the Tournament, and unfortunately it just wasn't in the cards.

Blame the NCAA committee? That's tough to defend as well. Although bids to Arizona, Minnesota and Maryland might not sit well for Nittany Lion fans, each team had strong resumes which trump PSU's in some ways. Not all ways mind you, however obviously just enough to squeeze onto the bracket.

Blame coach Ed DeChellis? Stop it right there. DeChellis has done more for this program in the past couple of years than it shows. With his message of "family", DeChellis has constructed a team that Nittany Nation can now be proud of. No longer can the Lions be circled as an automatic victory on opponents schedules. Although not everyone agrees with his coaching strategies (use of timeouts, use of bench players, etc)., this team has shown periods of greatness this year which have to be credited to the Big Ten Coach of the Year - DeChellis.

While it's true that seeing your team in the "last-four out" column may be the most disappointing and heart-breaking way to end a regular season, it's important that all of Nittany Nation doesn't forget about how amazing this season has been. Senior and team-leader Jamelle Cornley has captured the attention of fans everywhere with his never-quit attitude and determination. Although it's a shame that his dreams of a NCAA Tournament appearance will never come to fruition, I'm not sure if you can find a more-deserving guy in college basketball. He has been the rock of this team and deserves to go down as one of the best student-athletes to have ever put on a Penn State basketball uniform.

Talor Battle has made a name for himself in not only the conference but in also the country. It's easy to say that he has single handily turned this team into a contender and has made PSU hoops fun to watch again. Along with all of the fun, has come some exciting games. Not only have the Lions defeated a top-10 team this season, they defeated multiple top-25 teams, finally won at Assembly Hall, and won at home with a last-second, hit-every-inch-of-the-iron shot, which sent thousands of rabid students to center-court.

Even walk-on senior, Will Leiner who barely ever saw playing time, drew a standing-ovation from a near capacity crowd as he slashed through the lane against Indiana for a up-and-under move reminiscent of Jason Kidd.

While it's true that both the players and fans won't sleep great tonight after the Lions weren't selected, it is true that this has been a season to remember. The players won't have too much time to dwell on that, however, as it's back to practice on Monday in preparation for their first round NIT game.

Although it most likely won't happen, these kids deserve a sell-out for their first round game, and a standing ovation as they enter the gym. This has been a season to be proud of.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

AND NOW WE WAIT



Friday, March 13, 2009

MORE BIG TEN BASHING

ESPN.com writer Pat Forde offered his latest backhanded compliment to the Big Ten today. Forde, who predicted that Indiana would upset Penn State yesterday, now seems bewildered that the conference might get eight teams into the NCAA Tournament. He points out that it would be "surreal" for the Big Ten to have more bids than the ACC or the Big East, and that it could produce "Linda Blair 'Exorcist' reactions."

Although Forde includes that the "season-long, nationwide concensus" has been that the ACC and Big East are clearly superior to the Big Ten, the RPI ratings sing a different tune. According to the lastest rankings, the Big Ten is ranked as the second toughest conference in the country behind only the ACC. The Big East comes in at fourth, behind the Big XII.

Forde also makes sure to single out Penn State from the other teams that won in Indianapolis yesterday:
So simply by avoiding a really bad day, the Gophers, Wolverines and Nittany Lions had a really good day. It's not clear beyond a doubt that they locked themselves into the bracket -- especially Penn State -- but they certainly did not kick themselves out.
I was hoping that once football season was over, the Big Ten bashing would end too but it seems like some writers are on a mission to put the conference down. Instead of pointing out how three of the top four seeds in the Big XII lost in their first conference tourney game, or how UConn and Pitt both got bounced in their first action of the Big East tourney - Forde wishes to point out the horror of eight Big Ten teams earning a berth in the tournament. Thankfully we're just 48 hours away from learning exactly what the field of 65 will look like and whose bubbles have burst. Maybe then we can be spared of being reminded just how pathetic and weak the Big Ten is.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

WE'RE IN... PROBABLY


Penn State desperately needed a win today against Indiana to secure a bid to the NCAA tournament, and they got it. After barely surviving the two regular season meetings, the Nittany Lions won in a somewhat convincing fashion today. They built a lead of 25 mid way through the 2nd half, but a late Indiana surge left the final score at 66-51. Mel Cornley and Stan Pringle led the way, with 22, and 16 points respectively. A day after being named 1st team all Big Ten, Taylor Battle left the game with a foot injury. He returned but played limited minutes.

Penn State now faces Purdue, a team they split the two regular season meetings with. A win will put the Lions into the semi finals of the Big Ten tournament, and would hypothetically guarentee them a spot in the NCAA tournament. A loss, and we might still be nervous on Sunday. Realistically, we are probably in. Doug Gotleib, among other ESPN analysts, have us pegged as one of the last 4 teams in. If the Lions can make a little run now, it will be fun to see how high our seed can reach.

On a side note, Danny Morrissey was referred to as an "assassin" by Brent Munsberger.

Next up, Purdue: 9:00, Friday night.

MOMENT OF TRUTH

I mentioned yesterday in a post that this has been a year of stepping stones for the PSU program. Along with breaking the 20-win mark (a huge feat), the Nittany Lions have cleared a lot of hurdles that were deemed impassable in the past. The Lions have finally won in Assembly Hall, finally finished in the top half of the Big Ten, and finally removed the dusty black curtains from the upper deck of the BJC.

Beginning this evening, the Lions will try to hurdle yet another obstacle. The Big Ten Tournament has been a frustrating stick in the spokes of the Penn State basketball program since its commencement - 12 years ago. With just one tournament win in the past seven years, the Lions season has often come to an end with the first round of tournament play. Penn State has only twice reached the semifinals (2000 and 2001), and will hope to add to that number tonight when they face Indiana.

Entering the tournament with their highest seed ever (6), the Lions are playing a team they've only seen once in Big Ten post-season play. In the first round of the 2003 Big Ten Tournament, the Lions were handed their worst tourney loss ever, 77-49. Hopefully using that as motivation, the Lions will try to clear one more hurdle this season as their hopes of an NCAA tournament berth live and die with this evening's contest. Unfortunately, they're playing a team that has nothing to lose only 30-miles from their campus.

Talor Battle has told the Centre Daily Times, "we’re going to go out and really try to throw the knockout punch early. They’re a feel-good team; they start hitting some shots, they start to believe they can beat you.”

I hope Battle proves to be true to his word, because tonight's contest is clearly the Lions moment of truth.

DVR - Don't fail me now.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

TRAP GAME

Main Entry: trap game
Pronunciation:ˈtrapˈgām
Function: noun
Etymology: New English, stems from sporting events

1) A trap game is a sports term used to describe a forthcoming hazardous game. A trap game often occurs when a good team beats another good team and then subsequently has to play a mediocre team. The good team is often emotionally spent and overlooks the mediocre team, hence the trap. A trap game can also occur when a good team has to play a bad team one week and a good team the week after. The good team overlooks their next opponent and concentrates their efforts on the better team. This could lead to a trap loss. (Thanks Wikipedia).

Example: Penn State vs. Indiana - Big Ten Tournament Opening Round
____________

Thursday's first round match up with the Indiana Hoosiers is exactly the type of game that fans dread. The Lions, who realistically are not sure what they'll gain from a win, but have everything to lose, will face 6-win Indiana in what will basically be a home-game for the Hoosiers.

Penn State has beaten the Hoosiers twice already this season, but neither game was necessarily comfortable for PSU fans to watch. A 10-point win in January on the road was back and forth until late in the second half, and the Hoosiers played PSU tough until the final buzzer at home, when the Lions squeaked out a 3-point victory on senior night. Anyone who follows college basketball knows it's very difficult to beat a team three times in a season - especially in a low scoring league like the Big Ten.

This years tournament is very reminiscent of last year's when the Lions were paired up with Illinois in the opening round. The Lions had swept the season series against the Illini, however were defeated by a last second in-bounds play to see their season come to an abrupt end. Fans are hoping this year is different as Penn State has different goals in mind. A win or two in the tournament can save the Lions some stress on selection Sunday when the final at-large bids are announced.

Indiana, fresh off their worst regular season in school history, will come into this game flying high. As they are a young team with nothing to lose, they'll be playing fast-paced and reckless with juvenile thoughts of that automatic bid granted to the winners Big Ten Tournament. You can be sure Indiana coach Tom Crean will fill his pregame speech with fluff about the program's winning tradition, legends and how "anything is possible... starting with this game."

The Lions will need to stick to their game, stay hungry and make good decisions. Last year's opening round contest was littered with poor shot selection and turnovers by the Lions, and even though their playing a team with one conference win, this cannot be repeated. If the Lions stay true to their identity, make good shots and protect the ball - a 15 point win is very possible.

Unfortunately, Penn State fans aren't the only ones considering this a trap game. ESPN's Pat Forde called for the upset today in an article.

"Team that could bust the bracket: No. 11 seed Indiana. Call The Minutes crazy, but the endlessly plucky Hoosiers will upset Penn State in the opening round and then take on arch rival Purdue in a quarterfinal that will get Conseco rocking."

Thanks for the bulletin board material Forde. If the Lions come out of the tunnel as the best-team they possible can be on Thursday night, there's no way Indiana can beat them. So let's hope they realize that...or else it's very possible that this blog will come to an abrupt halt...much like the Lions NCAA hopes.

By the way, as I'm writing this post I'm watching a current trap game in progress. Number 17 Butler, a shoe-in for the tournament is losing by 4 to Cleveland State in the Horizon League Championship. Makes me sick.

(Trap game update...Butler lost to Cleveland State, which means an at-large bid must now go to ranked Butler. Not good for Penn State.)

STEPPING STONES

It's been a year of milestones for the Penn State men's basketball program. Actually milestones might not be the best word to describe them. We'll call them stepping stones as Penn State continues to build a program worthy the white and blue jerseys they wear.

Here's a brief list of the accomplishments so far:
  • Just the 10th 20-win season in program history
  • Finished tied for 4th in the Big Ten (best finish ever)
  • Victories over four Top 25 ranked teams
  • Wins over two Top 20 ranked teams on the road (first time ever)
  • Ten Big Ten wins (second most ever)
  • Five road wins overall (most since 2000-01 season)
  • Three Big Ten road wins (ties program record)
  • 15 home wins on the year (school record)
  • 13,425 attendance over final three home games (highest three-game attendance average since 2000-01 season
The Lions weren't done at the end of the regular season either. Monday evening, coach Ed DeChellis was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year by conference media voters. For a man who has had critics calling for his firing at the end of each season since he came to Happy Valley, this has to be a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. Although there were times this season when fans everywhere didn't think DeChellis was qualified to coach middle school girls ball, let alone Division One (CALL A FREAKING TIME OUT!), the award was certainly earned after looking at the list of accomplishments this team has achieved.

DeChellis is just the second Nittany Lion coach ever honored with a Coach of the Year award and the first since his mentor Bruce Parkhill was named the Atlantic-10 Coach of the Year in 1990. For a program that has struggled to pull in blue chip recruits for as long as you and I can remember, adding a coach of the year title to your coaching staff will definitely boost your credentials.

The Lions took a giant step in the right direction last off-season with the hiring of assistant coach Lewis Preston. Preston, who won a National Championship last season as an assistant with the Florida Gators, is a key recruiter for the Lions and known as a post-player developer (something the Lions need). Now, with a head coach with a Big Ten Coach of the Year title and an assistant with a championship ring on his hand, Happy Valley looks a little brighter in the eyes of young recruits.

In addition to DeChellis's award, you know the Big Ten awards couldn't be complete without Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley. Battle earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from both conference coaches and media. Although this award fell short of the Big Ten Player of the Year aspirations both fans and coaches hoped for, it was certainly a feat as he's only the fifth Nittany Lion ever to hold first-team honors. For a sophomore who led the Big Ten regular season in scoring (17.3 ppg), the praise was certainly earned.

In addition to Battle, Cornley earned second-team selection from the media and third-team honors from the coaches and senior guard Stanley Pringle was an honorable-mention pick from both. Rising big-man Andrew Jones was named Penn State's sportsmanship award winner.

Let's hope the Lions can put these awards to good use as they'll face Big Ten cellar-dweller Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. The NCAA Tournament is the next stepping stone for the Lions, and they can't get there without a win on Thursday.

SO FAR, SO GOOD

After the first few conference post-season tournaments, things have pretty much gone Penn State's way. Since the Lions are squarely on the bubble, it would be best for their tourney hopes if no at-large bid worthy team lost in its conference tournament. When squads like Gonzaga and Siena took their conference hardware on Monday night, it meant that the full complement of at-large bids were still up for grabs. Teams like Davidson and Creighton could potentially get an at-large bid after getting bounced from their respective conference brackets, but I think both of those teams are behind Penn State anyway.

The real threat to Penn State's chances will come later this week when the other major conference's tournaments begin. Should a team other than LSU or Auburn win the SEC, or a team like Cincinnati, Notre Dame or Georgetown cut down the nets in the Big East tournament, they could potentially take a spot away from Penn State. But all this speculating about other conference tournaments is a bit premature, the Lions really only have one thing to worry about, the Indiana Hoosiers.

If there were one team I didn't want Penn State to play in the conference tournament besides Michigan State, it would be Indiana. The Hoosiers not only came within three points of ruining the Lions' senior day at the Bryce Jordan Center earlier this season, but they have home court advantage and absolutely nothing to lose. Still, if the Lions can't beat Indiana with their tournament hopes on the line, they probably don't deserve an at-large bid after all.

Drawing the Hoosiers could be the one silver lining of the Lions' precipitous fall from a potential #2 seed in the Big Ten tournament down to #6. Yes, the Lions lost out on a first-round bye, but they also earned a chance to pick up an important win against the last-place team in the conference and landed in the opposite half of the bracket from top-seeded Michigan State and Wisconsin, a team we just can't seem to solve.

Should Penn State pad its tournament resume with another victory, it will make it that much tougher for the committee to exclude them on selection sunday. On the other end of the coin, should the Lions end their season with back-to-back losses to the conferences two worst teams, Iowa and Indiana, I'll remind you that you can't spell Nittany without N.I.T.

Friday, March 6, 2009

BRINGING THE BJC BACK TO LIFE

Even though the collar was stiff and yellowed from sweat, I still couldn't bear to throw away the T-shirt that was now two sizes too small to squeeze into. Instead of the garbage pile, I stuffed the relic into the bottom dresser drawer where it would always be should I be overtaken by a feeling of nostalgia. The shirt is a classic. White cotton with a Microsoft clipart style basketball hoop and sneakers drawn on the front and the words, "I Was There To See The Nittany Lions Shoot The Three In Rec Hall's Final Season," running across the back in electric blue letters.

During the 1995 season, each time Pete Lisicky, Glenn Sekunda, Dan Earl or others buried a triple, the cheerleaders in the northwest corner of the basketball cathedral would grab pre-bundled shirts and fire them into the crowd. These were the days when stadiums weren't as big as towns and you could actually reach the top rows without a hydraulic cannon or giant slingshot. I wasn't lucky enough to catch one, but my parents sent me down to the merchandise stand to pick one up, which to me was just as good.

There were mixed emotions that season when Penn State hoops cut its ties to Rec Hall and moved across campus to the palatial Bryce Jordan Center. The new facility was state of the art in every way, and became a model for what other on-campus facilities would become. It had the largest portable wooden floor in North America and was a perfect way to distinguish Penn State's recent move into the Big Ten, home of college basketball royalties like Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State.

On the other hand, the Lions were leaving behind a gym that held one of the most raucous atmospheres in the country, and a place with nearly 70 years of history. It had packed nearly 9,000 fans in for a victory against Virginia in 1973 and hosted the 1991 A-10 tournament that Penn State won to earn an automatic bid to March Madness. It was a place that opposing Big Ten coaches like Gene Keady and Bobby Knight hated to come to - too sweaty, undignified and loud for their proud programs. It mimicked famed courts like The Palestra and Cameron Indoor, not in its team's success or quality of players that it saw, but in the way that the walls would sweat and referees had to clear fans out of the way before an inbounds pass could be made.

Still, as great as Rec Hall was, The Bryce Jordan Center was clearly a step in the right direction, especially for the 1995-96 squad that was off the best start in Penn State history. In the BJC's first few years, the building was rarely empty, despite having a capacity twice that of Rec Hall. Then, as the product began to slip so too did the gate. The Jordan Center began to resemble a morgue more than a basketball court. Ominous black curtains hanging from the rafters to hide empty seats and dim lighting that seemed to induce a relaxed mood, or maybe to keep fans calm while the home team stumbled through another ugly loss. Soon, the arena became better known for its concerts than its role as an athletic facility.

Finally, a few years ago, a combination of aggressive marketing by the athletics program and a well-organized effort by a small but vocal group of students helped to slowly give the BJC some presence again. Now, after back-to-back crowds of over 15,000, a whole new crop of fans are getting to see the true potential of this building. Featuring minor-league baseball type gimmicks of $1 hot dogs and buy one get one free student tickets, the BJC is luring fans in and actually delivering a great product. For all of the argument about how to get the BJC going again as a home-court advantage, the real answer was simple, just win baby, and Penn State is doing it.

The Lions are 15-3 at home this year and going to games is fun again. Don't believe me? Just ask the crowd that rushed the floor on Thursday night after the buzzer-beating win against Illinois or the multiple cheering sections that are popping (pun not intended Stanley) up for individual players just like in football. The structure might never feel as intimate as Rec Hall does or shake the way the old building used to when the Lions were on a run, but it can be turned into a home court advantage and the Lions are doing their part to make it one.

MARCHING TO THEIR OWN BEAT

Pardon the pun, but March has come in like a Nittany Lion this year. Since the last day of February, Penn State has posted two thrilling home-court victories to complete season sweeps over Indiana and Illinois respectively. The back-to-back wins have featured buzzer-beating shots, comebacks, heartfelt speeches from seniors, swelling BJC crowds and a Heisman-candidate quarterback storming the court. It's been a magical month.

Historically, this time of the season has been better served by dreaming of April's football scrimmage or the dawning major league baseball season. This year, the Lions have served notice that they have saved the best for last, and who knows what and when that will be. Since head coach Ed DeChellis' first season in 2003-2004, the Lions are a combined 3-12 in March, including a 1-6 mark in postseason play. This year the Lions have a great chance to win both of their March contests and earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament for the first time ever.

Penn State's win against Illinois on Thursday night was as thrilling a victory as you could ever hope for and seems to have cemented the Lions' spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Lions have now won four of their last five games and put themselves in a position where a win on Saturday at Iowa coupled with a Purdue loss on senior day at Michigan State would land Penn State in a tie for second place in the Big Ten standings.

With the success that Penn State is enjoying come new pressures. As much as the fans love the Lions for their big win on Thursday, nobody will forgive a flat effort against the Hawkeyes, even though it comes less than 48 hours after the buzzer-beating win against the Illini. Furthermore, the Lions will always have to prove themselves worthy, fairly or unfairly, in both the Big Ten tournament and the big dance. This program has won only seven NCAA tournament games in its history, and it will be hard for pundits and fans not to judge this squad based on the short tournament resume of its predecessors. But as we've said before, there's little resemblance between this crop of Lions and the others that have come before it. Hopefully that will never be more true than in March.

HEAR 'EM ROAR



Thursday, March 5, 2009

THEY DID IT

I know that an ending like the one that Talor Battle and Penn State gave its fans on Thursday night is worthy of a much more eloquent post than this. But right now, if you're like me - delusional with happiness and don't know what to do - just listen to what the Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibbs, better known as the Bee Gees, tell you to do. Get ready cause we're going dancing!

GAME TIME

Tonight's game against Illinois has now been dubbed the most important Penn State basketball game in the Ed DeChellis era by not only myself, but also legitimate members of the media. Not only is ranked team coming into the BJC for the last home game of the year, but tonight's game has been dubbed a "white house", the first ever for the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Athletic Department is doing everything they can to create a playoff-type atmosphere at home tonight.  It's dollar hot dog night and students can get tickets buy one, get one.  While it most likely won't sell out due to the fact that it's a weekday night, it's still great to see fans excited about basketball for once, in and out of State College.  Over 1,000 students have joined the game's Facebook event, while only about 400 joined for the Indiana game (which had an attendance of over 15,000).  I'm not sure if that means anything at all, but I'd like to hope it does.

Not only is this a huge game for our tournament hopes, but it's also a HUGE step for the program.  There's been multiple times when it's looked as if the Lions are only a few steps from becoming a legitimate program only to slide right back down the hill into Division One mediocrity.  Captain and senior Jamelle Cornley said before the season, "if we don't make it to the tournament this year, it'll be my fault."  That's a big thing to say for one player, however if I had to give anyone that responsibility, it would certainly be him.  Tonight, he'll be playing for more than this team, he'll be playing for the entire program.

You can bet both teams will come flying out of the gates, trying to erase all memory of their last match up, a 38-33 PSU victory.  That game was the sixth lowest scoring game in the shot-clock era, and the lowest since 2005.  Penn State has won three of their last four games against the Illini, sweeping last year's regular season series, only to be defeated in the Big Ten Tournament.  I'm not an expert, but I'm going to guess you'll be a much more fast-paced and back and forth game tonight.  With so much on the line for Penn State, I have a feeling Battle, Pringle, Morrissey and Babb will be shooting early and often, trying to see who has the hot hand. 

Hopefully for the Lions, they all do tonight.
God I'm nervous.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

QUICK READS

There's a lot being written about Penn State hoops as they enter their final week of regular season play. Even a spokesman for the team says that Thursday's game against the Illini might be the most important game since the 1991 Atlantic 10 Championship against George Washington. Catch up on your reading..


"Big basketball games in early March? NCAA tournament talk? It's all relatively new for success-starved Penn State. The spring football practice chatter will have to wait in Happy Valley: the Nittany Lions (20-9, 9-7 Big Ten) are making noise on the hardwood with their best season in years. Penn State hasn't been to the NCAAs since 2000-01, the last time the program reached 20 wins." - AP
Read the full article here....


"Tied for fourth place in a conference expected to garner as many as eight NCAA tournament bids, the Penn State men's basketball team appears to be in a relatively stable position with just a pair of regular season games remaining." - The Daily Collegian
Read the full article here....


"The mood was light and easy before Penn State's Monday afternoon practice. The Nittany Lions joked with each other as they shot baskets, at one point trying to see how many balls the net could hold at once. Ed DeChellis stood near midcourt and watched quietly, allowing his team a few more moments to relax before the most important week of his six years at Penn State began in earnest." - Centre Daily Times
Read the full article here....



"Making his first start since high school Saturday, senior Will Leiner jokingly told Talor Battle he'd supply the sophomore's Big Ten-leading stats. Leiner, a former walk-on with nine career points to his name, started early when he ball-faked, got into the lane, then anticipated dishing off to a teammate if the center had stepped up higher." - The Daily Collegian
Read the full article here....

Monday, March 2, 2009

JAMELLE CORNLEY

Although it would have been better if it was against a top-10 team, Saturday's game was still amazing to watch. The largest crowd to watch a basketball game in the BJC since 2001 was treated to a nail-biter win against Indiana. It was fitting that on Senior Night, the last basket was a one-handed jam by none other than Captain Jamelle Cornley. Immediately after the final buzzer, Cornley grabbed a mic and saluted the crowd.