IT'S HOW YOU FINISH

Another great video put together by Alex Cohen of Nittany Nation.

STOP EVAN TURNER

I'm sure coach Ed DeChellis will have a few more points on his bulletin board before this evening's game with ninth-ranked Ohio State, however I think everyone knows what the main goal is.

Ohio State will come into the Jordan Center tonight not only boasting a top-10 national ranking, but also a Player-of-the-Year contender in Evan Turner. Turner, a versatile junior point guard, has been heating up in 2010 since missing a month of play in December with two broken vertebrae.

Since Penn State has been spreading the scoring around (finally), Turner now leads the Big Ten Conference with averages of 19.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, and is second in assists at 5.8. He led Ohio State (21-7, 11-4) in a key win at Michigan State on Sunday. For the record, Talor Battle is in second averaging 19.0 points per game.

Turner has been relentless over his past few games (averaging just under 25 points over the last two, earning his sixth Big Ten Player of the Week honors), and it's obvious the Lions will have their work cut out for then. However, as the defense has been tightening things up over their last two road wins, they might just be peaking at the right time.

The Ohio State point guard hasn't taken as many three-point attempts this year as in year's past, however that doesn't mean Penn State's zone can relax with him at the top of the key. The key to limiting Turner's chances will be the Penn State big men tightening the middle of the zone, and the guards helping trap Turner in the corners. Similar to Coach Jim Boeheim's style of zone up north at Syracuse, the Lions will have to play with increased energy, constantly shifting to take away passing lanes - especially to the inside. It's obvious the Lions don't have the height or length as Syracuse's 2-3 zone, and have had trouble shifting in the past, however there's no reason to believe they haven't improved over weeks past.

In the Lions 13-point loss to the Buckeyes back in January (which was much closer than the score shows), Turner lit up the scoreboard for 27 points on 9 of 15 shooting, hitting 9 of 11 free throws. If PSU is going to keep the overall score low (which is always their goal), they'll need to limit Turner's opportunities without giving him an easy 10 from the free throw line. As he cuts to the basket with relative ease, quick hands and feet for Penn State will be dire.

All facets of the Penn State defense have shown signs of improvement, including Drew Jones who held his own against Michigan's DeShawn Sims. Sims, who averages 17.5 points per game, was held to only 10 points on Saturday. If everyone on the defensive end can play as aggressive tonight as they did against Michigan, a third-straight Big Ten victory might just be in the cards for the Nittany Lions.

If the scoring and rebounding can stay as balanced as they have been over the last week, I'd double those chances.

WHAT LOSING STREAK?

What's better than winning your first Big Ten conference game? Winning two in a row. More than just doubling its win total in conference, Penn State's victory on the road against Michigan on Saturday symbolized the killing of two demons with one stone.

First, the Lions earned a tough road win in a place that has always given them problems. Secondly, Penn State finally won one of those close games that has tortured the team all season. The season isn't saved, not yet, but after twelve straight losses the start the Big Ten schedule, back-to-back wins have allowed this team and its fans to exhale.

The four point victory against the Wolverines wasn't much for aesthetics, but it was evidence of a team that finally conquered, at least for one game, the late game collapses that has become its trademark. A final look at the play-by-play from Saturday revealed another such drought, but this time, despite scoring just four points in the last 9:57 of the game, the team's defense and rebounding proved to be enough to steal a much-needed win.

The two straight wins weren't without their flaws, and nearly all of them, if not corrected, will be exposed by the Ohio State Buckeyes on Wednesday. It sounds strange to say given its struggles, but this team needs to continue to be motivated by its new-found success rather than relaxed by it. Sure, some of the pressure is off after shedding the "0-for-" label, but the Lions have three big dogs remaining on their schedule and can throw a monkey wrench into the conference standings if they can pick at least one of them off.

Not all of what has led to the change in fortunes of the squad can be explained on a whiteboard, but there are noticeable differences in the way the team has played. The Lions hoisted an average of 19.8 three-pointers per game during the 12-game losing streak but shot only 17 against Northwestern and tied a season-low with just 13 attempts against Michigan. This has been made possible by a seemingly concerted effort by the guards to get the ball in low with entry passes to the front-court players early in the shot clock. This attempt at balancing the floor has resulted in some easier buckets and an apparently more confident Jeff Brooks and Andrew Jones.

Sure, the turnovers continue to be a problem and opponents still get wide open looks due to late rotations, but it is encouraging to see the team correcting the problems that plagued it to start the season. If only it could have engineered this turnaround six weeks ago.

T-E-A-M

For the first time since Penn State's thrilling run in the NIT Tournament last March, the squad was able to put together a full 40 minute team effort, which in-coincidentally resulted in their first Big Ten win of the season.

After relying on the prowess of Talor Battle all season, the rest of Ed DeChellis' squad decided to show up and bail the junior out on a night he was struggling from the floor (2-8, 1-6 from three). All five Lion starters scored in double figures, and it was the first time since Penn State had two players score at least 20 points since January 24th of last year.

Leading the charge were F David Jackson and G Chris Babb, who both had career games after heavily under-performing for the majority of the season. Jackson, who has struggled to find his rhythm on the floor this season, played with confidence as he recorded his seventh straight double-digit scoring game. Jeff Brooks and Andrew Jones added 12 and 10 points respectively, on a night the Lions hit 56% from the floor and 41% from behind the arc.

However, as the Lions are traveling to Ann Arbor tomorrow (a place they've only won once in their previous 15 tries), they can't get caught up celebrating their first Big Ten victory. When Michigan made the trip to State College in early January, the Lions blew a 17 point lead, eventually losing by 9 in front of a paltry crowd of just over 5,000.

But, if they can build off Wednesday's performance, the Lions should be in good shape to contend for their second straight victory. With the exception of Babb (the only player in double figures), the Lions shot horribly from the floor against Michigan on January 7th. The Wolverines (13-12, 6-7), utilize a mix of a 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone which the Lions have traditionally struggled with, however against Northwestern on Wednesday, PSU had their way with the 1-3-1. Jones and Andrew Ott were consistently able to get inside the center of the zone, and Battle and freshman Tim Frazier had no trouble beating the Wildcats on the baseline or with the backdoor cut. While Michigan is holding their opponents to only 57 points over the past 10 games, the Lions will come into the Crisler Arena with the same game plan they had against Northwestern - get the ball to the middle forcing two guys to cover the ball, and kick out for an open look.

While Michigan's offense, led by DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris, is certainly more dynamic than the Wildcats, Penn State was able to keep them to 16 points during the first half of their last contest. If Penn State's 2-3 zone can successfully extend to keep Michigan from getting open looks from three, the inside three should certainly be able to hold their own on the defensive glass.

It's not very often you see Battle have two sub par games in a row, so you can look for him to come out hungry off the opening tip. If his supporting cast can come out with the same enthusiasm and confidence they had earlier in the week, the Lions should be able to stay close until the final whistle. Hopefully it'll be a flight home the TEAM can be proud of, not just Battle.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING?

When it comes to basketball, it's quite rare to think of anything that Penn State has done as historical. Then again, the team did set the school's all-time record for victories in a season and raised a banner in the Bryce Jordan Center with last year's NIT Championship run and is currently is on pace to become the only school, other than Northwestern, to ever lose every game in a Big Ten basketball season since Woodrow Wilson was president.

Fans that have paid attention to this year's squad knows that it probably is a good deal better than its record would indicate, but the record books won't make any special designation to that fact. All that history will preserve is the zero in the win column, a distinction that will rank the Lions with the Wildcats teams from 1999-2000, 1991-1991, 1923-1924 as the only teams to go the entire season without an in-conference win in the last 85 years.

Penn State has seven games left, including a first round game at the Big Ten tournament, and the desperation to stop the losing will grow with each half of basketball it plays. Only three of its remaining contests are home games and only one of those is against an unranked foe. Ironically, the best chance for the Lions to get that elusive first win might be in one of its two remaining matchups against Northwestern, the program it's hoping to avoid joining for all eternity as the ultimate losers. However, should the Lions lose the rest of the games it plays this season (conference tournament games don't count towards a team's conference record), its final mark of 0-18 would officially be worst in the history of Big Ten basketball. What a difference a year makes.

THE WINNING RECIPE

It's plain to see, even to Joe Paterno and his new surgically enhanced eyes, that something needs to change for Penn State basketball. The first six weeks of conference play have provided exactly zero victories and shoved the Lions into the basement of the Big Ten standings. However, as the recent slide by Saturday's opponent Michigan State has shown, things can change in this league in a hurry.

Just because the Lions haven't won yet, doesn't mean they can't or won't - it just means that they'll have to make some changes to get over that hump that looks more like Mount Everest after eleven straight losses. So, in the midst of what amounts to a bye week, we're taking the opportunity to look forward instead of backwards and breakdown what has to be done if Penn State is going to salvage what's left of the season.

PUSH THE BASKETBALL
Nobody will confuse this Penn State team with the slow, plodding types so often associated with Big Ten basketball. It's brutally painful to watch this team try to execute in the half-court with an offensive arsenal that consists of ball screens 25 feet away from the basket, an occasional staggered screen for Talor Battle or Chris Babb or my personal favorite, bleeding the shot clock dry to run a clearout for Battle to try and take his man off the dribble. When you have a roster like Penn State's, without a true back-to-the-basket post player, why not try and use your guard strength to create tempo and get some easy buckets off of the other team's misses.

One of the problems with this proposal is that the guards aren't available to receive the long outlet passes since they are the ones rebounding the basketball. Still, you should be able to leak out a guard to try and push the ball up the floor and if the bigs aren't the ones snaring the rebounds, then they should be able to fill the lanes on fast breaks or clear out space for open looks from the other guards on the secondary break.

GET IN THE ZONE
This team is struggling to defend teams man-to-man. It can't seem to stop the ball on penetration and the help defense is too often late, causing major problems when the defense has to rotate to find the open shooter. Ed DeChellis, master of the 1-3-1, should take some of his own advice and employ a trapping 1-3-1 or a 1-2-2. At the very least, Penn State should use these defenses after made foul shots just to give the opponent something to think about. A player like Tim Frazier would be perfect on the baseline of a 1-3-1 and playing zone would help keep Battle fresher for the offensive end.

The danger with playing zone defense would be open looks from three for the other team off of skip passes or the lack of rebounding assignments. However, the Lions are already the worst defensive three-point team in the conference and the rebounds it does collect are often from the guards crashing the glass. A good mixture of trapping, aggressive zone defenses and man-to-man pressure could give Penn State a psychological advantage and help to create more turnovers that lead to easy buckets.

THEY'RE CALLED FREE FOR A REASON
There's just absolutely no excuse for Penn State to be making less than 70% of its foul shots. Shooting free throws is more muscle memory than anything and being successful comes from repetition of a sound routine. The routine starts with finding the middle of the floor with your lead foot and ends with the ball going through the hoop. I've always felt that practice time is too precious a commodity be wasted on foul shots. The players who are really struggling need to be putting in extra time so that when the opportunity does arise in the games, it's an automatic two points.

INBOUNDS PLAYS
Whatever playbook the Lions are using to get their inbounds plays from needs to be torn up. Then thrown away. Then lit on fire. Then have the ashes put in a cannon and shot into outer space towards the Sun.

Counting to three and then launching a soccer style toss into the backcourt for your guard to chase down isn't just unproductive, it's embarrassing. I find it hard to imagine that the team and the coaches have yet to find away to consistently pass the ball to somebody within shouting distance from the hoop. Every inbounds play doesn't necessarily have to result in a slam dunk. But it really should be more than just an upper body exercise for the man throwing it in.

It's been a excruciatingly tough start for the Lions, but with seven games remaining and the magical elixir known as the Big Ten tournament exactly one month away, the team is running out chances to do something positive with the momentum it built in Madison Square Garden last spring. This Saturday against the slumping Spartans is the perfect stage to unveil some of the magic that made last season so special and prove that this squad will be a tough out in Indianapolis.

EVERYONE'S EXCITED THE FLOATING LION IS BACK

THE PERFECT VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT

Do you want to make this a Valentine's Day she'll never forget? Looking for something that will show her exactly why she's so special? Then don't waste your money on chocolates and flowers, get her a gift she'll treasure for years. Get her Ed DeChellis: 1-3-1 Extended Half Court Zone Defense on DVD!

This action-packed, instructional video will entertain you while also teaching you the fundamentals of this unorthodox, yet effective defensive philosophy. Rated 8.9 out of 10 on IMDB, Ed DeChellis: 1-3-1 Extended Half Court Zone Defense has been called, "This generation's Casablanca," and, "Honestly, the best god-damn thing money can buy," by me.

But don't take my word for it. Read what others have said:

"I like basketball." - President Obama

"Girls love DVDs." - Matt Leinart

"Ed DeChellis is a modern-day Cupid." - Russell Crowe

"We don't play a 1-3-1 half court zone defense." - Penn State Guard, Tim Frazier

If you want to make sure you stay out of the doghouse this Valentine's Day, don't hesitate to order Ed DeChellis: 1-3-1 Extended Half Court Zone Defense and show your special someone how much they mean to you.

THIS IS WHY HE'S OUR LEADER

Can you have scripted better answers from Talor Battle during the post-game conference on Saturday?

Q: Can you talk about the attitudes right now of the guys?
A: We are still basketball players and we love to play the game. When you go out there and you expect to get steamrolled, you may as well quit. Being 0-11 now, that's like the worst feeling ever. But it gives you the stride to want to win. We are trying and trying. Sometimes I think we get up tight a little bit, but tonight we hit our shots. And then they just came back and made a spectacular shot.

Q: A lot of people are saying you guys are building character. Are you guys tired of hearing that cliché?
A: At this point, in the locker room I feel so bad for coach because he tries so hard. After a loss like this there is not much he can say. I know he is getting sick of telling us we got to keep our heads up and continue to play because we are right there and can't get over the hump.

Q: Does it feel like you guys are 0-11?
A: At this point, I have excluded all the win loss columns and I am going into each game saying we are 0-0 because it is a bad feeling. Whenever we play a game, no team takes us lightly except for Purdue and Wisconsin here. We've been right down to the net with every other team even on the road. We go out and fight. It's just unfortunate this year. We cannot get over the hump and win one.

That's just not the way college juniors are supposed to talk. But Battle doesn't play basketball the way most college juniors are supposed to be able to either. Although the season looks like a wash right now to most of Nittany Nation, you have Battle giving it his all on the court, whether it's its under the bright lights of the BJC or in the practice gym. His shots haven't been falling as often this season, but it's his attitude after possibly the most crushing loss of the season which gives everyone hope for next season.

In Big Ten games where Penn State teams of old would certainly be losing by double digits, Battle has lead the team to five losses by 6 points or less. In 11 Big Ten games to date, the Lions have lost by an average of 8.5 points per game. That's only three possessions. Three shots. Three turnovers. As he said, they've yet to turn the corner, but this team is very close, and they have Battle to thank. I have a feeling the Big Ten's leading scorer is just heating up...which is a very dangerous thing, especially if his teammates are able to rally behind him.

OFF WEEK: PRACTICE SCHEDULE

After their heartbreaking, last-second loss against Minnesota on Saturday, Penn State has an off-week to figure out some things and head back to the old, proverbial drawing board.

Now, I'm not a head coach, and I've never played college basketball, however I've taken the liberty of relieving coach Ed DeChellis' coaching duties until the game on Saturday. Maybe he can spend the time off re-watching some of his old East Tennessee State tapes to remind himself why he won the PSU job in the first place.

So, I'm probably going to need a team manager or someone to make sure the players get this memo because starting 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, it's a whole new ball game.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE AS FOLLOWS:

Tuesday

First of all, Talor Battle will have the day off. After averaging 36.7 minutes per game (a number which is closer to 38-39 minutes a game in the Big Ten schedule) through 23 games so far, the kid certainly deserves some time off. Heck, someone make him breakfast in bed.

No basketball will be played on Tuesday. The day's activity will include no more than a simple lift in the morning followed by 6 hours of watching last year's highlights.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we'll head over to the Intramural Building on campus for some old-school pick up basketball. Clearly after a 0-11 Big Ten schedule start, this team has forgotten what it feels like to win. Stripped of all Penn State supplied gear, I want Andrew Jones and company to challenge the first five kids they see on Court 1. I believe a little loose, relaxed basketball is exactly what this team needs. Talk some smack, take a foul or two. Couldn't hurt. Obviously, this guy will be there, and he'll most likely score in double-figures the way we've been playing defense in the post, however you have to learn someday. Now, I know...I can hear your skepticism already. "What if they can't cut it in the IM building Dan? What if they actually lose again?" And, here's my response to that; you're exactly right. Maybe we'll just go watch more tape of last year.

Thursday

On Thursday we're going to fire up the team jet. Hand in those 'get out of class for free' passes kids, we have a heavy flight plan.

9:00 a.m. - Louisville, Kentucky to visit the hometown and high-school of Jeff Brooks. I'm sure somewhere tucked away in the trophy case of Doss High School is a shrine to Brooks high-school career. As a Mr. Kentucky finalist and a ESPN top 100 recruit coming out of his senior year, Brooks was one of the most decorated recruits Lion history. However, averaging only 6.8 points a game this season, the forward has certainly not amounted to what this coaching staff envisioned. A visit back to his old stomping grounds might remind him of why he's playing Division One basketball and light a much needed fire under his feet.

12:00 p.m. - Arlington, Texas to the home of Chris Babb. Although he's listed as 6'2, 215 lbs. in the Penn State media guide, Babb plays more like a 5'11, 175 lb. white guy (aka me). We're heading west for a good ol' fashioned Texas BBQ to put some more weight on the kid. Once we're there, I'll make sure he gets a stern talking to from his father whom he credits much of his basketball success to. Hopefully he'll remind him how to fight through a screen, because Babb is constantly knocked, bumped and pushed out of defensive position.

3:00 p.m. - New Orleans, LA. This is more for me than anyone, but we're going to take a quick trip to Bourbon street. Someones gotta show these kids how happy people get when you win. Shirley Temple's for everyone!

6:00 p.m. - State College, PA. Before we actually head back home, we're going to stop off at Dick's to get some Mueller Stickum Grip-Enhancing Spray for Andrew Ott. The Villanova transfer NEEDS to to be able to catch the ball when he's able to get in position under the basket. I think it cost $14 bucks, I'll buy it for him.

Friday

The day before the game, it's back into the BJC first thing in the morning for a high-intensity practice. I'll invite Jamelle Corley and Danny Morrisey back to the practice facility to give the team a good ass-whooping. Hearing the frustrations and motivation from two Penn State - dare I use the words - basketball legends, will do wonders for a team that's desperate for some leadership.

Practice will be dedicated to one thing, and one thing only. They're called SET PLAYS. I don't think Ed's worked on any of these this year, so the team may be a little rusty. With the focus set on running the offense after a timeout, I plan on making the team run anytime Battle is forced to throw up an ill-advised three after play resumes. The game is at 12:00 on Saturday, but I'm guessing Friday's going to be a long day.

Normally I would give Ed back his job first thing in the morning, as I'm sure he'll probably have a few ideas or breakthroughs he'll want to share with his team. However, I can't sit back and let the team suffer through one of his utterly disastrous pre-game speeches. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a fan of Coach D, however, his "motivational" talks leave something to be desired. Maybe we could get this guy.

Something obviously needs to change behind the scenes as the current method just isn't getting these young Lions over the hump. A shock to their normal routine might just do the trick.

GOPHERS RIP OUT LIONS' HEART

Do they give out 1/2 wins? Penn State raises the bar yet again for most heartbreaking defeat with a last second loss at home to Minnesota. While the buzzer-beater by Lawrence Westbrook is what people will remember from this game, there were a few other noteworthy occurrences that could help the Lions get that elusive first win somewhere down the road.

Something that Penn State should be looking to repeat in almost every game it plays is the up-tempo style that dominated much of the first half of its contest. With guys like Talor Battle, Tim Frazier and Chris Babb, pushing the ball and playing a 94-foot game is beneficial - especially when the team isn't shooting particularly well (40.4% vs Minn.). Secondly, the Lions finally got some productive minutes from Frazier in the second half, who showed he is maturing quickly enough to be a solid contributor on this team for forty minutes.

The Lions continue to struggle at the foul line and from behind the three-point arc, but continued to show improvement in attacking the basket - even if it didn't always lead to a positive result. The area that has plagued the Lions the most and struck again on Saturday was the lack of tough defense. Penn State got beat to too many loose balls and surrendered too many open looks. On the other end, the athleticism of Bill Edwards was missed, but the frontcourt has to provide more offense than it did against the Gophers. David Jackson poured in 18, but 14 of them were from the foul line or came on three-point field goals. Thirty-nine of the other 46 points came from the guards.

It's probably good that the Lions have a week off after this win. Some might say that it's too much time to digest such a heartbreaking loss, but maybe the best thing for this team is get away from the court for a couple of days and put this ugly losing streak behind them. Michigan State is up next, a team that tends to bring out a strong effort against Penn State. Much like the football team, this squad needs something to hang its hat on this season - and a win against Tom Izzo would certainly provide that. It was refreshing to see the Lions play well in the last couple minutes of Saturday's game, it will be even better to see them in the win column.

IT'S TIME TO DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND

Today's the day. Today's the day. Today's the day.

It is somewhat fitting that the team that started it all will also be the team that ends it. The conference schedule, and subsequent 10-game losing streak, began with a five-point loss to Minnesota. It's only slightly comforting to think about what might have been had the Lions not shriveled in the waning minutes of that game. Perhaps it would have been a spring board to another successful season rather than a sliding board to the basement of the Big Ten.

There's no real reason to think that today's game will really be any different the last ten, and it's rather sad when you're best chance of winning a game comes down to the laws of probability (We have to win one, right?), but just maybe the old unis and the blizzard outside will provide the recipe for some home cooking at the Bryce Jordan Center and help end the drought.

More than a victory, I am looking for something else today. The most frustrating thing to me this season has been how the team has reacted, or not reacted, to the losses. Sure, there was the clearly audible expletive from Talor Battle at the end of the Ohio State game and the cameras have caught a few other frowns from the guys on the bench, but where's the real emotion felt from losing ten straight? There hasn't been one technical foul, one hard foul or any pushing and shoving. I know, discipline is important, but at what point does a 20-year-old kid get sick of getting pushed around, or does his coach decide to show some real emotion instead of just holding his head in his hand?

So here's a memo to the team: It's okay to be angry and to play that way too. It's okay to get sick of guys hitting uncontested layups on you or getting your shots blocked back in your face. It's okay to send a message with a hard, clean foul on a player. We're not talking about Jon Chaney's goon squad from a few years ago, just something to let the other team know you're not exactly okay with being the league's doormat.

It's going to take a Herculean effort to get that first win, with the suffocating weight of ten straight losses working to hold the team down, but today's a perfect day to break through and start the slow climb back to respectability.

::UPDATE::

The Penn State Men's Basketball Team will wear throwback uni's in this weekend's contest against Minnesota, in an effort to shed the stench their current jerseys permeate after an 0-10 Big Ten season start.

Full article here....

I don't work for the athletic department or anything, but if the Lions can pull off the win, I say they throw the throwbacks in the mix for the rest of the season, polyester/wool blend or not...