Penn State Basketball News, Nittany Lion Basketball Recruiting, PSU Message Board: PennStateHoops.com

Friday, December 31, 2004

FightOnState.com: Holiday Column

FightOnState.com: Holiday Column:

"In his first opinion piece for Fight On State, editor and co-publisher Mark Brennan catches up with Jamaal Tate, the Nittany Lion basketball player who overcame alcohol dependency issues to rejoin the program.

"Ah, New Year's Eve. A time to reflect on the year that was. A time to project to the year that will be. A time to share a few drinks and celebrate the holiday.

And the perfect time to honor one of the least likely - yet most effective - role models at Penn State.

"He is 22 years old, ancient compared to the other athletes on the Nittany Lion basketball team. He carries too much weight, too many tattoos and not enough hair. Hell, he doesn't even play ball anymore.

" 'To make myself feel better, I say my metabolism slowed down,' he explained with a smile when asked about his thick build. 'I'm 50 pounds heavier than the last time I played.'

"And he's an alcoholic, albeit of the recovering variety.

"Meet Jamaal Tate, perhaps the most important member of Coach Ed DeChellis' program. This even though he surrendered his roster spot recently to focus on graduating (in August) while keeping his disease in check. "

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Centre Daily Times: Smith's career high leads Nittany Lions to victory

Centre Daily Times | 12/30/2004 | Smith's career high leads Nittany Lions to victory:

"Maybe Tuesday's loss to Valparaiso stung Marlon Smith and Ben Luber a little more than the rest of the Nittany Lions.

"Maybe they just got tired of hearing about Penn State's freshmen.

"Smith rebounded from a dismal game with a career-high 33 points Wednesday, and Luber played an outstanding floor game as the Nittany Lions (6-6) snapped a four-game losing streak with a dominating 80-56 defeat of Long Island in the consolation game of the ASU/azcentral.com Hoops Classic at Wells Fargo Arena."

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

FightOnState.com: Long Island preview

FightOnState.com: Hoop Preview : Long Island:

"Penn State Notes:

"* The Lions trailed by as many as 24 points against Valpo before rallying late to save a bit of face. Thirteen first-half turnovers and a 4-of-20 shooting performance in the opening period did PSU in against the Crusaders. Said DeChellis: 'We were just awful in every sense.' ..."

Centre Daily Times: Crusaders cruise to victory over Nittany Lions

Centre Daily Times | 12/29/2004 | Crusaders cruise to victory over Nittany Lions:

"Starting strong hasn't been a strength for the Nittany Lions this season, but
Penn State took it to a whole new level Tuesday.

"The Nittany Lions had 15 points and 13 turnovers in the first half, spotted Valparaiso a 24-point lead early in the second and couldn't recover, falling to the Crusaders 69-56 in the first round of the ASU/azcentral.com Hoops Classic at Wells Fargo Arena.

"Penn State will play Long Island, a 92-63 loser to Arizona State, at 6:30 p.m. today in the consolation game.

"Penn State (5-6) lost its fourth straight game and fell to 2-5 away from the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions hit their first two shots, then finished the half 2-of-18 and trailed 34-15 at halftime.

"Behind a spirited effort from freshman forward Geary Claxton, who scored 15 of his game-high 17 points in the second half, Penn State picked up its intensity in the second half and got as close as nine on two occasions, but couldn't come back from its largest deficit of the season."

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

AP: Valparaiso 69, Penn St. 56

Valparaiso 69, Penn St. 56:

"Seth Colclasure scored 15 points to lead four players in double figures as Valparaiso defeated Penn State 69-56 Tuesday night in the first round of the Arizona State Hoops Classic.

"Jimmie Myles and Dan Oppland each added 13 points and Ron Howard had 12 as the Crusaders (3-6) advanced to Wednesday night's championship game against either Long Island or host Arizona State.

"Geary Claxton scored 17 points to lead Penn State (5-6). Aaron Johnson scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Travis Parker added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Nittany Lions, who have lost four in a row.

"Valparaiso used a 15-0 run during an eight-minute stretch of the first half to get a 34-15 lead. The Nittany Lions missed nine consecutive shots and at one point in the second half was 6 of 31 from the field. After trailing by as much as 24, Penn State rallied to get within 55-46 with 5:05 left but never got closer. ..."

FightOnState.com: Valpo Hoop Preview

FightOnState.com: Hoop Preview ? Valpo:

"* DeChellis tried like crazy to get out of this tournament (the scheduling commitment was made by previous PSU coach Jerry Dunn) but the ASU folks would not let him off the hook. DeChellis sees holiday tourneys as relics because they force a team to play two games on the road without getting any home games in return.

"* Another reason DeChellis hates this tournament: Forcing the players to travel so close to Christmas. Each Nittany Lion flew from his respective hometown to Phoenix on Christmas day. Despite the travel nightmares facing parts of the nation, all players and coaches arrived when they were supposed to. "

Centre Daily Times: Penn State faces Valpo in holiday tournament

Centre Daily Times | 12/28/2004 | Penn State faces Valpo in holiday tournament:

"Ed DeChellis likes that a two-day holiday tournament some 2,300 miles from home gives his young Penn State men's basketball team a chance to bond, to spend some time together off the court.

"He doesn't like that it gives his Nittany Lions the chance to pass a stomach virus around.

"Less-than-healthy Penn State (5-5) will face Valparaiso (2-6) at 6:30 p.m. today in the first round of the ASU/azcentral.com Hoops Classic at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz.

"DeChellis said freshman point guard Mike Walker, a starter in Penn State's last seven games, picked up the virus, which was also contracted by sophomore walk-on Dan Adler, on Christmas Day and has struggled through practices since. DeChellis said Walker would try to go today against the Crusaders, adding that a number of other Nittany Lions were suffering from common cold and flu symptoms.

"Breaking down tape of his team during the past few games is what has made DeChellis' stomach turn. In their last three games, all losses, the Nittany Lions have surrendered 74.0 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot an average of 50.4 percent from the field."

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Centre Daily Times: Nittany Lions freshman looks to lead team

Centre Daily Times | 12/26/2004 | Nittany Lions freshman looks to lead team:

"The stroke is at once mechanical and fluid, a natural movement refined by too many years and too many practice shots to count.

"Arrive a few minutes early to any Penn State practice and you'll see Mike Walker shooting. Sometimes a team manager is there to rebound for him, sometimes not. A layup or two, then foul shots, eventually on to threes. Over and over again, as if there wasn't anything else in the world to do.

" 'You're always so busy here at school, it's not like you can come back to the gym and shoot 300, 400 shots,' Walker said, as if 300 shots was an afterthought. 'So I try and get out here a little early just to get some shots up and stay a little bit later. But it's something I've been doing my whole life.'

"Here's a guy who is, in the words of his coach, the 'ultimate gym rat,' starting for a Big Ten team in his freshman season because of those long hours of shooting. His teammates rally around the 6-foot-2 freshman from Lewisberry, not even knowing why. Want the pulse of this young Penn State team? Look no further than its point guard."

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Jones: Mom's right, nice is priceless

Mom's right, nice is priceless: "It's Christmas.
That means, as you read this, you probably spent the morning listening to music you can't stand played by your teen-agers who had to have it and are so happy you bought it for them.

"Or maybe you're winding down from a pre-breakfast of noise toys and compugames, aided only by coffee -- black, because someone forgot to get milk. But you didn't complain about that.

"Then, there was the real breakfast, featuring the waffles made on the new waffle iron you'll never use again. Eaten by you wrapped in the bathrobe you won't use past next week because you prefer to walk around every morning in sweats and old T-shirts with the arms cut out.

"But you liked it all fine. You were nice.

"Which is why it's Christmas. This morning is about being nice without reason. "

Friday, December 24, 2004

GoDuke.com: Interview with David McClure

GoDuke.com Sat Down With Freshman Basketball Player David McClure:

"GD: Who was your biggest rival in high school?

"DM: Well we probably had three big rivals in high school. We had Stanford High because they were in the City Championship game almost every year and almost every year even though we were ranked higher than them they always gave us a close game, so that was a good one. Warren Harding High School gave us a couple of good battles in our division and I'd say through the whole state I think either Colby Cathedral or Northwest Catholic. We normally saw one of those two teams in the final each year. And then players - there probably wasn't one player in my division but I think the biggest hype game of the year was when I played Geary Claxton, who was going to Penn State to play. He was the big scorer and I was on the big team and we clashed and they said it was number one versus number two and everything like that and both of us kind of cancelled each other out of the game. I think we both ended up with about 9 points or something like that so, we didn't get defended well and our team won by thirty points. "

CDT: Nittany Lions will be better -- maybe sooner than you think

Centre Daily Times 12/24/2004 Nittany Lions will be better -- maybe sooner than you think:

"I know what you're thinking. It's OK, you can say it.

"Buffalo?

"They lost to Buffalo?

"A loss to Pittsburgh, a legit top-10 team, is excusable. Georgetown on the road? Sure. Even neutral-site losses to Illinois State and South Carolina State, which, so early in the season, were essentially organized scrimmages, can be forgiven.

"But Buffalo? At home?

"There are rationales, excuses, explanations, if you will. That the Bulls, though a MAC team, were a darned good MAC team. That the game was held immediately following finals week, a time during which the Nittany Lions historically struggle. That it's hard for any team to come to play after a 10-day layoff, let alone a team as frightfully young as Penn State.

"Honestly, though, if the Nittany Lions had pulled Tuesday's game out -- as they nearly did, erasing a six-point deficit in the final two minutes -- it might have been the Bulls who said: Penn State?

"There is little doubt that the future is bright for Penn State basketball, that the program is moving forward. Where it is right now, though, is a place where wins over teams like Buffalo aren't guarantees, a place where the Nittany Lions can play with and stay with anybody but can also, as they've recently showed, can get beat by anybody."

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Sports Info: Post-game quotes

Post-game quotes:

Head Coach Ed DeChellis Quotes

Can you explain the loss?

'We didn't execute our plan and that's how it went all night. Our young guys made mistakes and Buffalo outplayed us all game. We didn't do what we needed to do in practice to get ready for tonight.'

Were your players surprised at the quickness of Buffalo?

'Yeah I think they were a little surprised. It took us ten minutes to get into the quickness of the game. I tried to emphasize that it would be a tough game throughout practice. We didn't shoot the ball well and it made it hard to generate offense.'

Do you think the team didn't get good looks from the 3-point line?

'I don't think we got great looks from the 3-point line. I think we had other open shots that we didn't make and easier shots that we didn't make. We weren't the aggressors tonight. We had a chance to win and the end of the game but we didn't take advantage. Buffalo is use to winning close games and they had the confidence to pull out the win tonight.'

Penn State Player Quotes

Travis Parker

What could the team have done differently to stop the buzzer-beater?

'We just didn't stop him, that's it. We could have put more pressure on the ball but like I said we just didn't stop him.'

What is the focus of the team now over break?

'It's a tough loss that we have to deal with over break but we just have to get ready for the tournament next week.'

Do you think the team had enough rest after finals week?

'We were well prepared and had plenty of rest. I don't think finals had anything to do with it. We weren't rusty either we just didn't come out to play tonight and you have to give Buffalo credit. We were prepared for what they were going to bring tonight but we weren't emotionally ready.'

Ben Luber

Describe the perimeter pressure from Buffalo tonight.

'We knew that they were going to put pressure on us coming into the game. We have to be more aggressive, handle the ball better and make some plays.'

There were a few 'back door' plays that you guys tried tonight. Do you think Buffalo was ready for that?

'I think they probably prepared for it in practice. We ran a couple of plays but we didn't execute.'

Do you think Buffalo is a quicker team than the average Big Ten team?

'I think they are quicker than the average Big Ten team because they are smaller than the average Big Ten guard. Quickness is their style of play but we have seen it before against Rutgers. They played harder than us and they deserved to win.'

Sports Info: Game Notes

Penn State vs. Buffalo Game Notes

* Junior forward Travis Parker led Penn State in scoring for the first time this season, scoring a career high 17 points, including 14 in the second half. Parker was 7-of-10 from the floor, with one three-pointer, and 2-for-2 from the foul line.

* Aaron Johnson kept his double-figure scoring streak alive with 13 points. The junior has reached double figures in all 10 games this season.

* Mike Walker connected on two three-pointers, raising his team-high total to 18 for the season. His first trey knotted the score at 26-26, and his second three-pointer pulled Penn State to within 59-58 with 4:32 remaining in the second half.

* Penn State shot nearly 40 percent for the game (39.7) despite connecting on only 4 of 20 attempts from three-point range (20 percent, matching a season low). From within the arc, Penn State was 19 of 38 (50 percent).

* All four Nittany Lions who averaging in double figures in scoring reached double digits against Buffalo: Johnson tallied 13 points, Parker 17, Marlon Smith 13 and Geary Claxton 14.

CDT: Nittany Lions buffaloed by Bulls

Centre Daily Times | 12/22/2004 | Nittany Lions buffaloed by Bulls:

"Games like this aren't lost on the final possession. They're decided by the turnover in the first half, the missed free throws early in the second half or any number of other plays along the way.

"So when someone hits a shot at the buzzer, as Buffalo's Turner Battle did to give the Bulls a 72-70 win over Penn State Tuesday at the Bryce Jordan Center, those two points shouldn't mean any more or less than those which preceded it.

"It never quite feels that way, though.

After Marlon Smith's layup tied the game with six seconds remaining, Battle drove the lane, spun and hit a floater as time expired to give the Bulls (7-2) their first defeat of the Nittany Lions (5-5) in 36 years."

Monday, December 20, 2004

Detroit News: Wolverines lose tourney opener on last-second shot - 03/08/01

Wolverines lose tourney opener on last-second shot - 03/08/01: "Penn State got a surprising lift from freshman Jamaal Tate, who came off the bench to hit four straight second-half 3-pointers as the Nittany Lions wiped out a five-point halftime deficit and took a 70-61 lead with just under 10 minutes left. "

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Dave Jones Preview: Tate leaving team

Editor's note: Although I have never initiated contact with any high school player or coach, occasionally they contact me. Jamaal Tate's high school coach was one such coach. He didn't say much more than how excited Jamaal was to be headed to Penn State and what a good man everyone involved - family, coaches, Jamaal - thought that Jerry Dunn was.

When things don't work out for a player, I think of those days when everything seems possible and the player and his family and friends think he is on the fast track to something big ....

By David Jones
Of The Patriot-News

Jamaal Tate loves basketball. He showed how much by returning to the game this season after overcoming a yearlong bout with alcoholism.

But he loves his life of sobriety more. And he wants to keep a firm grip on it.

Tate has decided to quit the Penn State basketball team for good to make certain his recovery is permanent and his graduation is imminent, according to PSU coach Ed DeChellis. The coach said Tate met with him and PSU team physicians Friday and informed him of his decision.

DeChellis stopped short of saying Tate feared a relapse of the alcohol binges that knocked him off the squad and almost out of school in 2002. He did say Tate felt too consumed by the rigors of athletics and academics while still performing the daily affirmations necessary to keep his alcoholism in check.

DeChellis related Friday's meeting when contacted yesterday:

"He said to me, 'Coach, I don't think I can do it anymore.' He wants to make certain he's going to his A-A meetings and wants to make sure he takes care of his academics.

Washington Post: ACC Is Leagues Ahead of the Rest

I've never believed that any of the sturm and drang about the Big 10 would have any effect on our membership in the conference, but the ACC is where we should go ...

ACC Is Leagues Ahead of the Rest (washingtonpost.com):

"Larry Shyatt, a Florida assistant, had examined Miami's game against Xavier on Nov. 27, so he knew the Hurricanes were quick and could shoot well. What he didn't anticipate when the Gators hosted Miami a week later was this: Miami 72, Florida 65.

"The two most noteworthy nonconference games involving ACC teams occurred in Gainesville, Fla., and Charlottesville. Miami, expected to be a bottom-rung ACC team, beat one of the Southeastern Conference's top-tier teams. And Virginia, a supposed middle-of-the-pack ACC team, beat Arizona, the Pacific-10 favorite, by 18 points. "

Thursday, December 16, 2004

Dave Jones: Big Ten's future doesn't look bright

Big Ten's future doesn't look bright:

"Early returns do not bode well for the Big Ten in the grand scheme of college basketball this season.

"While the conference is strong at the top, it has been disappointing after the top three or four. With finals lull going on across the nation, it's a good time to crunch the results.

"Most noticeable, the conference has been weak against similar competition, the leagues who comprise the loosely defined 'high-major' category of Division I.

"Thirty-one conferences populate D-I. You can choose anywhere from six to 10 leagues as high-majors, depending on your opinion.

"Like European soccer, some of the mid-major conferences, such as the Mid-American and Missouri Valley, play their way into high-major status during any given season.

"And normal high-majors sometimes play their way into the middle of the pack, as the Pac-10 did last season.

"But in any given year you can usually depend on eight conferences to be clustered at the top of Division I: the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Southeastern, Big Ten, Conference USA, Big 12, Mountain West and Pac-10.

"These are the conferences the Big Ten always competes against for recruits, national stature and NCAA at-large bids come March. The Big Ten has not been pulling its weight recently, witness its paltry three NCAA bids last season, lowest in 20 years since before the expansion of the bracket to 64 teams. ..."

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Dave Jones: Old Penn State was no recruiting force

Old Penn State was no recruiting force:

"Every time someone like Pitt's Chevon Troutman plays at Penn State, you wonder what's really possible for its men's basketball program.

"If Penn State could only keep more Pennsylvania players in-state.

"If Penn State could ever take advantage of its rare moments of momentum, such as after 1996 or 2001 NCAA appearances.

"If a focused, energetic recruiting effort like the one Ed DeChellis has organized had been in place the last eight years.

"If, if, if. ..."

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Centre Daily Times: Young Nittany Lions on schedule after one-third of season

Centre Daily Times | 12/14/2004 | Young Nittany Lions on schedule after one-third of season:

"Sometimes you wonder how often a coach is speaking collectively. 'When you've been waxed three or four years in a row, and you're trying to convince guys for three days of practice that you can play with the 11th-ranked team in the country, that's just not all, snap, snap, 'OK, we kind of believe you, coach,'' Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said after No. 11 Pittsburgh dropped his team 84-71 on Saturday. 'It wasn't just an easy adventure for three days trying to convince them they could compete and maybe pull an upset.'

"Whether DeChellis was talking about the game or the season, his quote illustrated the challenge he and his staff are presented with a third of the way through their second season -- convincing the members of his team that they are not their former selves.

"With three freshmen and a junior college transfer in what is essentially a seven-man rotation, that hasn't been difficult. What has been is enduring the inconsistency that comes from relying on so many young players.

"The Nittany Lions, who sit at 5-4 in the midst of a 10-day break, have played hard, if not always well. They've done a lot of things right, if not always repeatedly. They will continue to go, as DeChellis has often said, as far as their youngsters can take them.

"Here's a position-by-position breakdown of the Nittany Lions through the first nine games: ..."

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Penn State game important to Troutman

Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Editor's note: I was at the same game that Troutman visited, and was in the arena milling around (along with Chevy, apparently) when the lights went out. Our interest in Chevy was at best tepid, as it appeared he would not qualify academically. He did not. It is a testament to Howland's judgment and Chevy's perseverance that he earned back his fourth year of eligibility by graduating from Pitt in four years. - Ed.

STATE COLLEGE — Chevon Troutman never really liked Penn State.

It’s not because then-coach Jerry Dunn left him alone in the Bryce Jordan Center with the lights off during a recruiting visit.

It’s because when he grew up in Williamsport, it was Penn State-this, Penn State-that, and he wanted to get away from anything blue and white.

So he went to the perfect place to be anti-Penn State — Pitt.

And just like a Pitt player should, he’s always geared up to play the Nittany Lions. Saturday, he scored 18 points in the Panthers’ 84-71 win over an outmatched Penn State team playing about as well and as hard as it could.

"It felt like a home game to me. I always like to come out to Penn State and beat them," said Troutman. "It’s home, I told my teammates it’s home, and we played like it’s home."

Pitt guard Carl Krauser said Troutman talked on the bus about how important the game was for that and other reasons. Penn State was the first power-conference opponent this season for the Panthers (7-0).

"We wanted to come out and play together and show the younger guys this is how we lead," said Krauser.

Tribune-Review: Ross Jr.: PSU shows progress in loss

Ross Jr.: PSU shows progress in loss - PittsburghLIVE.com:

"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Obligatory disappointment at another Penn State men's basketball loss to Pitt was tinged with relief Saturday.

"Pitt now has beaten its intrastate foe four consecutive times. But where the previous three wins had come by an average of just over 28 points a game, this latest installment yesterday in the Bryce Jordan Center was by a relatively competitive 84-71 score.

"This is progress.

"Penn State had even managed to lead, briefly, 30-29, as late at 5:25 before halftime. That Pitt responded to minor adversity to build the advantage back to nine by halftime, or that the 11th-ranked Panthers kept the Lions at arms-length through the second half, didn't obscure totally signs of obvious improvement for Ed DeChellis in his second season of the rebuilding campaign at Penn State.

" 'We competed. We thought we could win,' DeChellis said. 'When you've been waxed three or four years in a row, and you're trying to convince guys for three days of practice that you can play with the 11th-ranked team in the country, that's just not all snap, snap, 'OK, we kind of believe you coach.' ' ..."

Tribune-Review: Pitt avoids letdown, outlasts PSU

Pitt avoids letdown, outlasts PSU - PittsburghLIVE.com:

"For Carl Krauser, it was sort of a divine moment of inspiration.
Unlike the past three times the teams had met, Pitt's swagger and gaudy record did not intimidate Penn State on Saturday.

"When the Nittany Lions grabbed a one-point lead late in the first half, jerking the half-capacity crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center to its feet, Krauser paused.

" 'I had one of those Isiah Thomas flashbacks,' Krauser said, grinning. 'It was time to take over the game.'
Krauser and Chevon Troutman sparked a decisive run, and the No. 11 Panthers (7-0) hung on for an 84-71 victory.

"Penn State (5-4) became the first team this season to put up more than 60 points against Pitt. That's especially stunning, considering the Panthers had beaten the Lions by an average of 28 points the past three seasons.

" 'We weren't scared at all,' Penn State freshman guard Mike Walker said. 'We just wanted to play.'

"Walker and Krauser, a junior, tangled the entire afternoon. Walker scored 16 points and won some battles, nailing four 3-pointers from way beyond the arc that caught Krauser by surprise.

" 'I turned my head and I saw those 3-balls going up from yesterday,' Krauser said, shaking his head and laughing. 'If he gets hot, he can shoot from anywhere he wants to. I should've stayed up on him the whole game.' ..."

Post-Gazette: Krauser's 28 points lift Pitt (7-0) to 84-71 win against PSU

Krauser's 28 points lift Pitt(7-0) to 84-71 win against PSU:

"Midway through the first half yesterday, Pitt was faced with its first adversity of the season. Penn State had just gone on a 15-2 run and taken a one-point lead with 5:25 remaining before halftime.

"On the road for the first time and getting blitzed by the home team, the Panthers needed a boost. In stepped Carl Krauser, down went the Nittany Lions.

"Krauser took over the final 25 minutes, leading the No. 11 Panthers to an 84-71 victory at the Bryce Jordan Center. Krauser scored 21 of his career-high 28 points after Penn State took its only lead. He was 11 for 18 from the field with six assists, two steals and three turnovers in one of his best performances of his career.

" 'I had one of those Isiah Thomas flashbacks,' Krauser said afterward. 'It was time to take over the game.

" 'As a point guard, there's a certain time in the game where you can't let your team down. You have to have the passion in your heart to know that you have to do something. I wasn't going to let my team lose. I wasn't going to let us go out like that.

" 'I just wanted to pick it up and give my team a big emotional lift and lead by example.'

"The Panthers (7-0) answered Penn State's run with a 15-5 run of their own to end the half. Krauser scored five of those 15 points and adeptly ran the offense as Pitt built a 44-35 advantage at intermission after Ronald Ramon made a 3-pointer at the buzzer for his only points of the game ...."

Centre Daily Times: Pitt turns back Nittany Lions

Centre Daily Times | Pitt turns back Nittany Lions:

"Mike Walker looked first at Carl Krauser, then at the healthy cushion Pittsburgh's junior point guard was giving him at the top of the key.
Then the Penn State freshman calmly released the ball and watched it arc some 27 feet into the basket.

" 'I turned my head,' Krauser recalled later, 'and I saw the three-ball go up from yesterday.'

"Walker and the Nittany Lions were full of surprises during Saturday's intrastate showdown with the No. 11 Panthers, full of energy and full of resolve.

"They could have used a little defense.

"Behind a masterful floor game from Krauser, who scored a career-high 28 points, the Panthers (7-0) shot 58 percent from the field and led for all but 39 seconds of a 84-71 win before a revved-up crowd of 11,980 at the Bryce Jordan Center. "

Dave Jones: Lions' grit, errors evident

Lions' grit, errors evident:

"On the surface, a 13-point home loss doesn't look so encouraging. Unless you saw what the Pittsburgh Panthers did to Penn State last year.

"Aaron Johnson had the best seat in the house -- the visiting bench at Pitt's Petersen Center. The PSU center was recovering from a detached retina and couldn't play. So he had to watch his teammates get intimidated and obliterated, 64-37. They trailed at one point 41-11. His memories:

" 'Embarrassment. Domination. Outclassed. Just about everything negative you could possibly feel in a game, I felt. And I didn't even play.'

"Though Johnson's Nittany Lions lost 84-71 to the Panthers again yesterday, there was no such fear factor. The Lions didn't always play smartly, throwing the ball away 17 times. But they played hard and well considering their liabilities and actually were in the game late, down a mere 75-67 with free throws coming at the 2:55 mark.
Johnson bricked the front end of a one-and-one and that was pretty much that. But it was about all he did wrong in a 17-point, zero-turnover effort.

" 'This year, we're a tough team,' said Johnson. 'To beat Pitt, or to be in the game at the point we were in it, you have to be just as physical as they are. To an extent, I think we followed that.' "

Saturday, December 11, 2004

AP: No. 11 Pittsburgh 84, Penn State 71

No. 11 Pittsburgh 84, Penn State 71:

"Pittsburgh found itself in a relatively close game for the first time all season. Point guard Carl Krauser made certain it didn't stay that way for long.

"Krauser scored a career-high 28 points and No. 11 Pittsburgh held off Penn State flurries in each half for an 84-71 victory Saturday and the Panthers' third 7-0 start in as many seasons.

"Pitt beat Penn State (5-4) for a fourth consecutive season in an intrastate series that has continued despite an interruption in their long-competitive football rivalry. But this one wasn't as one-sided as the previous three seasons, when Pitt won by an average of 28 points. "

Box score: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs Penn State (12/11/04 at State College, Pa.):

"Official Basketball Box Score
Pittsburgh vs Penn State
12/11/04 2:00 p.m. at State College, Pa."

Spots Info: Freshman Reserve John Kelly To Leave Nittany Lion Basketball Team

State College, Pa. - December 11, 2004 - Penn State freshman center John Kelly (West Milford, N.J.) has decided to leave the Nittany Lion basketball team and plans on transferring to another institution.

'We respect John's decision,' Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said. 'We appreciate all his hard work and will do whatever we can to assist him.'

Kelly red-shirted last season and played in two games this year, logging seven minutes vs. Lock Haven and one minute vs. Western Carolina."

Patriot-News: Pitt's perfect heading to PSU

Pitt's perfect heading to PSU:

"For reasons only TV types could possibly explain, the play-by-play on this afternoon's Pittsburgh-at-Penn State men's basketball broadcast (2 p.m., Fox Sports Pittsburgh) is former NFL bit player and Northwestern star halfback Mike Adamle.

"Adamle is not known for broadcasting hoops. He is known for hosting 'American Gladiators,' that once-hot, now-extinct obstacle course contest where amateurs competed bravely against cut-up professional triangle bodies.

"At some point today, the Nittany Lions might feel like they stumbled upon the set -- unfortunately, as contestants.

"We took some deserved heat in this space last week for boding ill about the young Lions' chances at Rutgers. This is an entirely different prospect.

"The Panthers (6-0) are two things the Lions are not: Loaded with NCAA tournament experience and full of cut-up studs in the frontcourt. Penn State will do well just to hang around a while. Anything else would be a tremendous accomplishment. ..."

CDT: Penn State not intimidated by Panthers

It is believed the CDT will staff the game - Ed.

Centre Daily Times | 12/11/2004 | Penn State not intimidated by Panthers:

"Every shot, every pass will be that much more contested, every possession that much more important.

"Every mistake that much more costly.

"The Pittsburgh Panthers are coming to town, bringing with them one of the nation's best defenses and a battle-tested nucleus that looks just as strong this season for a 2 p.m. game today at the Bryce Jordan Center. A young Penn State men's basketball team (5-3) is not intimidated by the No. 11 Panthers (6-0) but knows they command plenty of respect, particularly when the Nittany Lions have the ball.

" 'They really guard the ball well,' said Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis, whose team is 3-0 at home this season. 'They really get down and make it tough for you to score, they really make it tough for you to get by them. I think their on-the-ball defense is tremendous, and their pressure is very good.

" 'When they smell blood, they can really get after you, and maybe even turn it up another notch.' ..."

Post-Gazette: Panthers Scouting Report: Pitt vs. Penn State

Panthers Scouting Report: Pitt vs. Penn State

Post-Gazette: Pitt has enjoyed an edge lately over rival Penn State

Pitt has enjoyed an edge lately over rival Penn State:

"Penn State junior Aaron Johnson watched the game against Pitt last season from the bench because of an injury. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Johnson had another problem.

"He was sick to his stomach.

"'It was embarrassing,' Johnson said. 'They treated us like little children.'

"A succinct refresher course on what transpired last season at the Petersen Events Center: Penn State scored 11 points in the first half on 4-for-26 shooting and got run out of the gym. Final score, 64-37.

"It's a game Penn State coach Ed DeChellis would rather forget. And that's what he preached to his team this week as the Lions prepared for the No. 11 Panthers.

" 'We have to wipe the slate clean,' DeChellis said. 'We can't change the butt kicking that took place last year.'

"The butt kickings have taken place for the past three years in this series, which dates to 1906. The 144th meeting between these two rival schools will be played 2 p.m. today at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park.

"Pitt has won the past three games by an average of more than 28 points per game. All have been by 22 points or more. In the previous 94 years of the series, only three other Pitt victories had been by 22 points or more.

" 'The games have been so lopsided the last three years,' DeChellis said. 'That's a credit to Pitt. It's kind of hard to call it a rivalry when it's so one-sided. We hope to change that [today]. We hope to give them a challenge. We have to help our guys believe they can win.' ..."

Altoona Mirror (excerpt): DeChellis anxious to 'wipe slate' with Pitt

Untitled Document:

"A Pittsburgh writer asked Ed DeChellis if he's thought much about last year's Pitt game and how the Nittany Lions can get off to a better start today.

" 'It was 39-11,' DeChellis said. 'Why would I want to think about that?'

"DeChellis forced a chuckle. It's been important for him to keep his sense of humor during the massive rebuilding project he's undertaken with Penn State's basketball program: He might as well wear a hard hat to work every day."

Tribune-Review: A sort of homecoming for Gray

A sort of homecoming for Gray:

"When Aaron Gray signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Pitt two years ago, he learned that finding Panthers apparel around his Eastern Pennsylvania hometown wasn't an easy task.

" 'It's all about Penn State there,' said the 7-footer from Emmaus, between Allentown and Philadelphia. 'You can't find articles of clothing on Pittsburgh. When I signed, I did it in front of a camera and it took me like a week and a half to go out and find a Pitt hat just so I could wear it.'

"But Gray expects to see a Pittsburgh posse in the crowd when Pitt plays at Penn State's Jordan Center in University Park at 2 p.m. today.

" 'I know it's going to be a big game for me,' he said. 'I'm going to try to have about 45 people there. It's only a little over an hour to my house. I want to try to go out there and give a good show to all my family and friends.' "

Friday, December 10, 2004

Tribune-Review: Ross Jr.: Rivalry days gone for Pitt, PSU

Ross Jr.: Rivalry days gone for Pitt, PSU - PittsburghLIVE.com:

"The topic of a Pitt-Penn State rivalry in men's basketball is more brontosaurus than unicorn. The rivalry really did exist once upon a time, but you have to do some digging to find the evidence.

"Certainly, recent meetings have been anything but rivalry-like, and not just because Pitt's margins of victory in the past three meetings have been, beginning with last year's example, 28 points, 22 and 30, respectively.

"That is a factor, though.

" 'They've beaten us soundly the last few years,' Penn State second-year coach Ed DeChellis said. 'We haven't really given them a run.'

"That doesn't figure to change much Saturday, when Pitt plays a 2 p.m. game in PSU's Bryce Jordan Center. The Panthers are 6-0, fresh off a 70-51 dispatching of Memphis in the Jimmy V. Classic. Penn State is 5-3 and a 66-53 loser to Georgetown in its previous outing.

"Factors beyond a lack of competitiveness have conspired to relegate this formerly flourishing rivalry to the tar pits. ..."

Centre Daily Times: State rivalry leaning Pitt's way right now

Centre Daily Times | 12/10/2004 | State rivalry leaning Pitt's way right now:

"On Jan. 1, 8-3 Pitt -- excuse me, Pittsburgh -- will meet 11-0 Utah in the Fiesta Bowl, a matchup forged by Lucifer himself -- excuse me, the BCS -- if you happen to be a Penn State fan.

"What could be worse than Pitt, with three losses, playing in a New Year's Day bowl game -- a BCS game, mind you?

"The Nittany Lions not playing on New Year's Day, or any day until September, for one.

"Saturday's inevitable shellacking of the Penn State men's basketball team by the same hated Panthers, for another.

"The state's great collegiate rivalry has fizzled, mainly because the schools will no longer play each other in football and aren't fit to be in the same gym in men's basketball. And the latter doesn't have as much to do with Penn State's recent hardwood woes as it does with the stunning four-year rise of Pitt(sburgh).

"On March 19, 2001, Pitt lost to Mississippi State in the second round of the NIT, capping a 19-14 season. Four days later, Penn State's remarkable season ended at 21-12 with a loss to Temple in the NCAA regional semifinal.

"In the three-plus seasons since, Penn State is 28-64, while the Panthers have gone 94-16, won three consecutive Big East titles and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years. They've done so with outstanding coaching, strong recruiting and a brand of basketball that is brutally efficient if not terribly elegant.

"The keys to that defense have been guys like now-departed Julius Page and Javon Brown, big, versatile guards that do some damage on offense but make their living at the other end of the floor. ..."

Collegian: PSU to face test in No. 11 Pitt

PSU to face test in No. 11 Pitt:

"The big boys are coming to town Saturday.

"You can forget about all of the East Stroudsburg's and Lock Haven's of the world when No. 11 Pittsburgh comes to the Bryce Jordan Center to take on the Penn State men's basketball team at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

"Unlike some of these lower division schools on the Nittany Lions schedule thus far, Pitt (6-0) is a well-oiled machine. The Panthers are led by senior forward Chevon Troutman, 6-10 sophomore forward Chris Taft and junior guard Karl Krauser. In its annual season preview, The Sporting News said, 'there is no team with a better point-post duo' than Krauser and Taft.

" 'They're big kids, strong kids, athletic kids,' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'It's a very, very good front line, something that we're obviously going to have to deal with.' ..."

Tribune-Review: DeChellis defined by persistence

DeChellis defined by persistence:

"As he drove home from practice Wednesday night, Penn State coach Ed DeChellis chatted on his cell phone with a reporter. The signal cut out a couple of times, but DeChellis kept hitting the redial button.

"He's persistent like that.

"Good thing. If his first 19 months on the job in Happy Valley are any indication, that trait will come in handy.

"The Nittany Lions won just nine games in DeChellis' debut, and won't do much better this season. A handful of players have bolted the program. In August, DeChellis needed emergency bladder surgery and missed out on coaching the Big Ten's foreign tour team in Europe.

"Every time DeChellis plugs a hole in the dike, water squirts out someplace else. Not even a week into the season, point guard Ben Luber, who averaged 38 minutes a game last year, took a stress-related leave of absence.

"Two games later, shooting guard Marlon Smith went down with a twisted ankle. That forced the Lions to play with three freshmen on the perimeter.

" 'I haven't had the greatest luck,' DeChellis said with a wry laugh. 'But we've been able to work through it and get through it. So, that's a positive.'

"Saturday, a blowout looms when Penn State (5-3) plays host to Pitt (6-0) at the Bryce Jordan Center. DeChellis is realistic about his team's chances. ..."

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Centre Daily Times: Luber resumes practice, likely to play Saturday

Centre Daily Times | 12/09/2004 | Luber resumes practice, likely to play Saturday:

"For 25 of the 33 games he has coached at Penn State, Ed DeChellis has had one scholarship point guard available. All 25 times, that point guard has been a true freshman.

"In his 34th game, DeChellis will have at his disposal what to him might seem a luxury -- two point guards.

"Ben Luber participated in his first full practice with the Nittany Lions in nearly three weeks on Wednesday, and both he and DeChellis expect Luber will play when Penn State hosts No. 11 Pittsburgh on Saturday.

" 'Throughout the past week I've been feeling a lot happier just playing basketball,' said Luber, who had been on the Nittany Lions' inactive roster since Nov. 19 for personal reasons. 'And something inside me just told me that I needed to be back out here. That's what I wanted to do.'

"The 6-foot, 178-pound sophomore from Richboro once again declined to get into the reasons for his absence, but his return should provide a boost to a very young Penn State backcourt that has played a lot of minutes in the early part of the season."

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Post-Gazette: Attitude biggest challenge for DeChellis at PSU

Attitude biggest challenge for DeChellis at PSU:

"An aggregation of hundreds -- players and coaches; dignified and determined men -- came here hoping to halt history's avalanching momentum.

"The force of losing has sent careers hurtling off track. 'The job just wore me out,' said Bruce Parkhill, who coached Penn State from 1983-1995 before stepping down. 'It's kind of consuming, really.'

"The force of losing has deterred those who could potentially stop it. Rarely, in the previous generation, have the top in-state basketball recruits attended Penn State. Matt Carroll, who is searching for permanent work in the NBA, visited Penn State almost 10 times while in high school near Philadelphia. He then decided on Notre Dame. Scranton's Gerry McNamara thought about signing with Penn State, but he preferred a program that could sustain success, not manufacture it from nothing.

" 'I wanted to go to more of a basketball factory,' said McNamara, who later chose Syracuse and helped it to a 2003 national championship. ..."

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Apology: Server troubles at PennStateHoops.com

Sincere apologies for the problems we began experiencing last night on PennStateHoops.com.

The hosting company upgraded its operating system over the weekend, and this caused some of its clients' databases to fail intermittently. This is what we experienced during the game last night.

The IT staff at PennStateHoops.com mistakenly assumed that it was a denial of service attack, so they began feverishly applying overdue security upgrades. When that didn't work, they attempted to upgrade the content management system - well into the night.

That went poorly.

Rest assured, several people have been fired, others are under review and operating on probation, and some of the IT work will now be outsourced to Aroostook County. We are working on the paperwork for that as we speak.

In the meantime, we have

Converted the blog page to serve as the PennStateHoops.com home page
Turned on the new forum software (with security patches applied)

More cleanup work is expected in the days ahead.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Jones: PSU misses wake-up call

PSU misses wake-up call:

"WASHINGTON, D.C. - It is the start of the cold and flu season. And last night the Penn State Nittany Lions played as if need of rest and plenty of fluids.

"On the heels of a road win at Rutgers in which the Lions appeared ready to win even when down 8 early, their latest road foray was one long search through the fridge for Jell-O.

"Georgetown led wire to wire, got a combined 46 points and nine blocks from long forwards Brandon Bowman and Jeff Green and needed only to fight off a single second-half run to register a 66-53 win before 6,127 in the MCI Center.

"The Lions (5-3) also forgot their alarm clocks. And with top scorer and team leader Aaron Johnson and third guard Danny Morrissey both suffering from the flu and a cold respectively, they might as well have gone back to bed.

"They did muster a fight. After reeling in almost all of an opening 17-point deficit, the Lions trailed only 42-39 with 11:45 still to go and had a sizable contingent of State fans in the MCI Center outyelling the home fans. "

Centre Daily Times (by phone): Georgetown's early run dooms Nittany Lions

Centre Daily Times | Georgetown's early run dooms Nittany Lions:

"The mountain was too high. Or, depending on how you viewed it, the hole too deep. Either way, a lot of climbing by the Penn State men's basketball team went for naught Monday in a 66-53 loss to Georgetown at the MCI Center.

"The Hoyas (3-1) scored the game's first 17 points and held off a spirited Penn State run early in the second half. The Nittany Lions (5-3) committed five of their 19 turnovers on their first five possessions, and had nine turnovers when Aaron Johnson finally put Penn State's first points on the board with a 3-pointer with 12:03 left in the first half.

"'We didn't come out of the gate,' said Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis, who saw his team's four-game winning streak snapped. 'We were bad ... all of us were bad, it wasn't just one guy.'"

Rev. Moon: Hoyas Report

Hoyas Report:

"43 Percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc entering last night's game for Georgetown, second best in the Big East behind Connecticut.

"PLAYER OF THE GAME

"When Penn State turned what seemed like a rout into a contest, Georgetown freshman forward Jeff Green stopped the Nittany Lions' run in the second half. The 6-foot-9 Green became Georgetown's go-to guy down the stretch. Green was unstoppable inside, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the second half. Georgetown's prized freshman recorded the first double-double of his career with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks and three assists. "