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...