Monday, February 28, 2005
PennLive.com: Search:
"If you're a Penn State men's basket ball fan -- one of the few and, at this point, not so proud -- you've probably been searching for good news. Any smidgen of good news.
"Well, I have some:
"Geary Claxton told me Saturday after another abysmal PSU loss he's definitely coming back for his sophomore season and that he's in this thing for the long haul.
"Considering the wreckage of this Penn State season and the fact that Claxton is the team's only Big Ten-caliber athlete, that's not just good news. It's vital news for PSU coach Ed DeChellis. As in, the patient is still critical but vital signs are stable.
"I caught the 6-5 freshman forward soon after the Lions' listless 22-point loss to struggling Iowa Saturday afternoon and asked, 'Is there any possibility at all you would transfer from Penn State?'
"Said Claxton: 'No. None. Coach DeChellis and the staff promised me the chance to play right away here and no one else did that.
"'It's rough right now. But I'm sticking this out. This is the place for me.'
"That sentiment was echoed yesterday by the three other freshmen who must be a steel core if DeChellis is able to build anything of a program headed for its fourth straight last-place Big Ten finish. ..."
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Lions fall flat on Senior Day:
"Things started out pretty well for Penn State's Jason McDougald on Senior Day.
"With family and friends in attendance at his next-to-last home college basketball game, the seldom-used McDougald scored the game's opening points against the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday afternoon on a pretty two-handed slam.
"He would get the chance for another dunk later in the contest -- but the situation had changed to something he and fellow seniors Kevin Fellows and Jamaal Tate have been all too familiar with during their stay in Happy Valley.
"This time, McDougald's dunk cut Iowa's lead to just 22 points.
"Can you say deja vu?
"In yet another one of their lackluster efforts this season, the Nittany Lions (7-20, 1-13 Big Ten) were easily defeated by Iowa (17-10, 5-9), 78-56. Penn State coach Ed DeChellis went so far as to apologize to the seniors afterward, embarrassed by his team's performance.
"'Obviously, our start was absolutely horrendous; our first half was horrendous,' DeChellis said. 'I don't have an answer for that; they didn't have an answer for that. I apologize to the seniors because that's not the way they should have senior night. Obviously we didn't do a really good job of preparing them -- I didn't do a very good job of preparing them.' ..."
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Sunday, February 27, 2005
Lions' tank is on empty as they fall to lowly 1-13 in Big Ten Conference:
"STATE COLLEGE - The overriding lesson of this Penn State men's basketball season is this:
"It's foolish to say it can't get any worse. It can always get worse.
"It did yesterday afternoon for the Nittany Lions. Seventeen days after getting blown out by 27 at then-last-place Purdue, a week after scoring 39 points at Northwestern and three days after snapping Michigan's 10-game losing streak, the Nits sleep-walked through a 78-56 loss that handed the Iowa Hawkeyes their first Big Ten road win of the aging season.
"It's one thing for a young, under-confident team to spiral into a losing mind-set. This team doesn't even seem to be trying to pull back the yoke. Even before home crowds lately, they have offered no fight, no struggle. They look like rabbits in a cage of pythons waiting for an inevitable termination.
"This is a troubling sign. And not just for the here and now. ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/27/2005 | Frustrations continue to mount as Nittany Lions lose ninth straight:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Mike Walker trotted to the Penn State bench and sat down dejectedly. Assistant coach James Johnson patted Walker's knee, but the usually upbeat freshman would not be consoled, shaking his head and staring into space.
"Moments later, Geary Claxton, the Nittany Lions' unflappable Freshman-of-the-Year candidate, could be seen mouthing 'Oh, my God' as he headed back up the floor following a call that didn't go his way.
"Frustration is mounting upon frustration in Happy Valley, and it reached a new apex Saturday as Penn State spotted Iowa a 27-point halftime advantage, eventually falling 78-56 on a subdued Senior Day at the Bryce Jordan Center.
"The Nittany Lions (7-20, 1-13 Big Ten) lost their ninth straight game, this one to a group of Hawkeyes (17-10, 5-9) that hadn't won a conference road game all season.
"Guards Adam Haluska and Jeff Horner, Penn State's primary points of focus in practices this week, scored 22 and 19 points, respectively, many of them in transition -- the Nittany Lions' other focus.
"'We really didn't execute the things we talked about needing to execute,' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said, 'and I think that's the most disappointing thing to me.' ..."
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Saturday, February 26, 2005
FightOnState.com: Penn State Has No Answer:
"Iowa hit Penn State with an early haymaker at the BJC Saturday. The struggling Lions failed to respond and were blown out again.
"Say this much for Penn State basketball coach Ed DeChellis: He knows the game.
"Prior to facing Iowa at the Jordan Center Saturday, DeChellis told his team (and the media) about two keys to stopping the Hawkeyes. The first was using strong transition defense to encumber Iowa's fastbreak. The second was keeping a hand in the respective faces of Hawk deadeyes Jeff Horner and Adam Haluska.
"He couldn't have been more right. Because in pounding the Nittany Lions 78-56 on a forgettable PSU Senior Day, Iowa churned out 22 points on breaks, 16 of them when the game was decided in the first half. Horner and Haluska, meanwhile, got open looks at will, combining to make 17 of 29 shots (6 of 12 3-pointers) for 41 points.
"'We identified what we needed to do,' DeChellis said. 'We talked about that for a couple days, and we couldn't get it done. ... We really didn't execute the things that we talked about [that] we needed to execute, and that's the most disappointing thing to me.' ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/26/2005 | Despite records, Fellows and McDougald bidding a fond farewell:
"Kevin Fellows can count the number of Big Ten wins he has been a part of in four years on two hands, but he can't forget Senior Night 2003.
"B.J. Vossekuil and Brandon Watkins combined for just nine points that night -- Watkins left the game late with a bruised tailbone -- but their teammates rallied around them as Penn State defeated Indiana 74-66 to record just their second conference win of the season.
"'I didn't touch the floor that night but it was still my favorite game,' said Fellows, who will be honored with fellow seniors Jason McDougald and Jamaal Tate before the Nittany Lions host Iowa at 12:15 p.m. today at the Bryce Jordan Center. 'To have (the seniors) get a win that night, it was just amazing.'
"Traditionally, Senior Night is held on the team's final home game of the season, which this year is Wednesday against Minnesota. The Nittany Lions decided to move the ceremony to a weekend to accommodate the seniors' families. ..."
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Friday, February 25, 2005
FightOnState.com: Senior Day for Nittany Lions (Iowa Preview):
"Penn State faces Iowa at the Jordan Center Saturday. It is the next to last home game of the season for the Lions, and seniors Kevin Fellows, Jason McDougald and Jamaal Tate will be honored. We caught up with Fellows and McDougald at a press conference Friday, and posted the audio of the interview [on the site]. ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/25/2005 | Jeff Rice | Nittany Lions stepping back to move forward:
"The question of the day, Penn State men's basketball fans: Can you move forward and move backward at the same time?
"As coach Ed DeChellis, his youthful players and that small but fervent section of Nittany Lion faithful continue to promise that sunny days are ahead, the losses that occupy the present grow uglier and more frequent, and the majority of the fans struggle to stay patient.
"Barring at least one more win, which would require a level of play the Nittany Lions haven't displayed this season in its four (or more) remaining games, Penn State will record the worst season in its 109-year history.
"Losses in their final three regular-season games and the first round of the Big Ten Tournament would put the Nittany Lions at 7-23 and 1-15 in the Big Ten.
"No Penn State team has ever had that many losses (the 1984 Nittany Lions were 5-22) and only one has had more conference losses (the 1993 Nittany Lions were 2-16 in the Big Ten). ..."
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Thursday, February 24, 2005
FightOnState.com: Penn State's Streak Goes On:
"Penn State's last best hope to end its Big Ten road losing streak this season fell by the wayside in Ann Arbor Wednesday night. Michigan, riding a 10-game skid of its own, dispatched the Nittany Lions 63-48.
"The loss, Penn State's eighth straight overall this season, was also the Lions' 31st on the road in the conference (dating back to 2001). Including the Big Ten tournament, PSU has now lost 34 consecutive league games away from the Jordan Center. ..."
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Lions falter again on road:
"The Penn State men's basketball team snapped a streak last night -- Michigan's 10-game losing stretch, that is.
"Thanks to the Nittany Lions (7-19 Big Ten, 1-12), Michigan (13-15, 4-10) picked up its first win since defeating Penn State on Jan. 15 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
"With a 63-48 win against the Lions at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Wolverines slipped past Purdue and now sit third-to-last in the Big Ten standings.
"Penn State, however, sits pretty comfortably at the absolute bottom of the conference, with nearly a four-year Big Ten road-losing streak still waiting to be snapped. ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/24/2005 | Wolverine sophomore's career-high helps down Nittany Lions:
"ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- There was No. 5, the most athletic player on the floor, slashing and dashing and raining jumpers from everywhere.
"It wasn't Geary Claxton.
"Dion Harris, the slippery sophomore who has taken slumping Michigan on his back since the suspension of Daniel Horton, matched his career-high with 24 points Wednesday, leading the Wolverines to their first win in 11 games, a 63-48 defeat of punchless Penn State. ..."
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MLive.com: SportsFlash - Michigan 63, Penn St. 48
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — It wasn't the unbridled joy the Michigan basketball team had hoped to create for itself and its fans this season, but it was a big sigh of relief.
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Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 02/23/2005 | Nittany Lions hope to follow Duke's formula for success:
"Duke went through this, too.
"Penn State's freshmen are too young to remember -- OK, they weren't even born yet -- but the Blue Devils, a powerhouse among men's college basketball powerhouses, were 10-17 (4-10 in the ACC) in 1982 and 11-17 (3-11) in 1983, the second and third seasons of coach Mike Krzyzewski's storied career.
"The freshmen of that '83 squad -- Johnny Dawkins, Jay Bilas, Mark Alarie and David Henderson -- went on to produce 20-win seasons the next two years, then went 37-3, won the ACC championship and advanced to the title game of the NCAA Tournament their senior year.
"This week's message from Penn State coach Ed DeChellis to his struggling rookies: Why not you?
"'Here's a team that is on top of the world the last 10 years, but it didn't start out that way,' DeChellis said of the Blue Devils. 'It's all about growing up and maturing and developing.' ..."
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Penn State and Michigan have both struggled to compete at various points this season.Turmoil familiar to both teams:
"The guys are just hanging out at a typical Monday afternoon practice -- smiling, telling jokes, even taking a half-court shot or two for fun.
"None of this is what you would usually expect from a team that has lost seven games in a row and 16 of its last 18. But for members of the struggling Penn State men's basketball team, they know one thing for sure: Things can't get much worse.
"'I don't know how to feel, it's the same feeling,' guard Danny Morrissey said. 'You can't really dwell on it anymore, if you keep dwelling on it ... with all the losses I don't know how much worse it can get. But you can only plan that hopefully it gets better.'
"When the Nittany Lions (7-18, 1-11 Big Ten) look across the court at 8 tonight in Ann Arbor, Mich., they will see a Michigan squad that has also seen better days. The Wolverines (12-15, 3-10) have lost 10 in a row, with their last win coming Jan. 15 -- in the Bryce Jordan Center against Penn State. ..."
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Parker takes unorthodox route to Penn State:
"When you first see Travis Parker, you're probably thinking what a lot of other people are thinking: 'I want to stay on this guy's good side.'
"At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Parker is an imposing figure. But it takes only a few minutes with Parker to find out that the image couldn't be further from the truth.
"Not only is Parker one of the more outgoing members of the Penn State men's basketball team, he's one of the loudest.
"'He's just really outgoing, he's loud. He's real loud,' teammate Danny Morrissey said. 'He has a real good personality, more joking around. He'll get on people in practice as everyone else does, he's just real loud. In the locker room, joking around, he's always loud.'
"And you can't blame Parker for talking up a storm and enjoying every minute of his life at Penn State. After all, it wasn't easy getting here. ..."
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FightOnState.com: The Bottom Line: "Michigan's Tommy Amaker (left) has lost 10 straight games. Penn State's Ed DeChellis (right) has dropped seven in a row. Something has to give when their teams meet in Ann Arbor."
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Monday, February 21, 2005
Centre Daily Times: Changes backfire on PSU:
"In an effort to jump-start his sluggish offense, Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis made wholesale changes to his starting lineup for Saturday's game at Northwestern.
"The result was the Nittany Lions' worst offensive performance of the season.
"Penn State (7-18, 1-11 Big Ten) reached season lows in points and field goals made and a season-high in turnovers in a 54-39 loss to the Wildcats (13-12, 5-7) at Welsh-Ryan Arena. ..."
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PennLive.com: Search:
"Ryan Hockensmith awoke from a medically induced coma in Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on Nov. 6, 1999, three days after his 22nd birthday. Immediately, he wished he hadn't.
"The pain was by far the most excruciating and enduring he had ever felt. This was going to put a crimp in his dream of becoming a staff writer for Sports Illustrated -- if it didn't kill him.
"Hockensmith looked at his mother, Christie, and his then-girlfriend and now wife, Lori Kubacki.
"'It was a surreal moment. I remember thinking, 'There's no way I'm going to survive. This must be how it feels to die. These are the two most important women in my life. Should I tell them how I feel about them before I die?'... ''
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Sunday, February 20, 2005
PSU hoops hits rock bottom - PittsburghLIVE.com:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Ex-Penn State basketball star Bob Weiss initially declined to be interviewed for this story, saying he'd lost touch with the Nittany Lions' program.
"Well, who hasn't?
"'They're not really on the radar here,' said Penn State sophomore Bobby Mannino, who sat in the student section Wednesday and watched top-ranked Illinois humiliate his team. 'We just don't get the recruits in basketball.'
"The Nittany Lions fell to 1-10 in the Big Ten that night, dropping their conference record to 9-50 since the beginning of the 2001-02 season.
"Average margin of their conference losses this season: 16.9 points.
"Second-year coach Ed DeChellis, a Monaca native and former Penn State assistant, can only hope this is rock bottom. ..."
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Collier: PSU basketball stuck in winters of despair:
"UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Winter has enforced its typically brutal lockdown at Penn State, where the biting cold, the slush-gray sky and the hardened faces of overworked students headed to the day's first classes all reflect the grim presumption that spring's just about an eon away.
"It is not yet 9 a.m., but Ed DeChellis already has been in his office for hours. He was there well after 1 a.m. the night before as well, going over tape of the Penn State-Illinois game, in which the No. 1 team so overmatched DeChellis' Nittany Lions that the crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center seemed as interested in a courtside wing-eating contest as in the fact that Penn State's players couldn't get close enough to Illinois' ultra-quick athletes to even apply any defensive principles.
"In one startling sequence, Dee Brown, the spectacular Illinois point guard, took a long defensive rebound near the top of the circle and started up court into a den of Lions. Brown was 1 on 3 and he beat all three to the hoop.
"DeChellis grew up in Monaca, never figuring he would end up as one of those guys who was always trying to answer The Question.
"The Question seems ageless now, not that it predates the chicken-egg conundrum, but long enough to make the if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest thing look almost fresh. The Question -- why isn't Penn State any good at basketball? -- has walked this campus like a specter for generations. ..."
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FightOnState.com: Lions Hit Another Low Point:
"Penn State's difficult season hit another low point in Evanston Saturday, literally and figuratively.
"In falling to Northwestern 54-39, the Nittany Lions posted their lowest point total in more than a year. It marked the first time in the 2004-05 campaign a Big Ten team managed fewer than 40 points.
"'The frustration continues for us,' PSU coach Ed DeChellis said on his post-game radio show.
"Does it ever. Now 7-18 overall and 1-11 in the Big Ten, Penn State has slipped solidly into playing-out-the-string mode. ..."
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Saturday, February 19, 2005
AP Wire | 02/19/2005 | Northwestern 54, Penn State 39:
"EVANSTON, Ill. - Mohamed Hachad scored 13 points and Vedran Vukusic added 12 points Saturday to lead Northwestern to a 54-39 victory over Penn State.
"Leading 25-18, Northwestern opened the second half by outscoring Penn State 21-4. Vukusic started it with a 3, later he had a steal and hit a jumper making it 36-20 Northwestern. He scored eight points in the span. Michael Jenkins capped it off with a 3, giving Northwestern a 46-22 lead with 12:06 left in the game.
"Vince Scott shot 3-of-5 from 3-point range and scored 13 points for Northwestern (12-12, 5-7 Big 10).
"Geary Claxton scored 12 points for Penn State and Travis Parker added 10 for the Nittany Lions, who have lost seven straight games and 16 of their last 18. ..."
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Penn State Basketball Message Board for News, Nittany Lion Basketball Recruiting, PSU talk: PennStateHoops.com: "Anyone notice Claxton's mom was sitting in the student section during the game? Last week, some girls had a big sign asking her to sit with them and this week, she was there. Pretty cool. "
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Centre Daily Times | 02/19/2005 | PSU relying on its freshmen:
"Penn State shooting guard Danny Morrissey is eloquent, candid, thoughtful. He has a clear grasp of the situation he and his Penn State teammates are in, probably has ever since he and the three other freshmen came to University Park this summer.
"'Some of the kids were going crazy,' Morrissey recalled. 'They were away from home for the first time. It was like summer camp for a lot of these kids.'
"It isn't unusual for a senior or even a junior to refer to freshmen as 'kids' -- three years of college is a lifetime -- but it sounds funny coming from another freshman. At least, it should.
"In many ways, though, Morrissey is a freshman by academic standing only. He has lived away from home for the past four years. He'll be 21 by the time he starts his sophomore season, and he might have the oldest pair of knees on the team.
"'He's a mature, serious person,' Penn State assistant coach Kurt Kanaskie said. 'The fact that he was away from home for high school probably has something to do with that. He's goal-oriented, knows what he has to do to achieve his goals, just goes about it and does it.'
"As they muddle through what can only be considered a rebuilding season, which continues at 2:30 p.m. today at Northwestern, the Nittany Lions are sending Morrissey and their other 'kids' against the men of the Big Ten. ..."
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FightOnState.com: Hoop Preview @ Northwestern: "Think this is a great chance for PSU to break the league road losing streak? Think again. NU is 20-6 at Welsh-Ryan the past two seasons and 48-23 there under Carmody. "
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Friday, February 18, 2005
The Daily Northwestern - Euro trip (Men's basketball):
"Northwestern coach Bill Carmody has been fortunate not to have his three Croatian players -- Vedran Vukusic, Davor Duvancic and Ivan Tolic -- cave into the temptations of leaving school early to return home and to play in the European professional leagues.
"But Penn State coach Ed DeChellis was not so lucky. When the Nittany Lions face the Wildcats on Saturday in Welsh-Ryan Arena, DeChellis will be without his leading scorer from last season.
Jan Jagla decided to leave the Nittany Lions following his junior season and is now playing professionally in his native country of Germany.
"The prospect of being able to play professionally close to home in a familiar style of basketball is too appealing to turn down for many European players.
"Across the conference, Big Ten coaches are losing players to the European professional leagues, which offer lucrative contracts and an alternative route to the NBA.
"'I think young guys will continue to leave,' DeChellis said. 'The NBA has gotten so involved with European basketball. It's a huge feeding ground. Basketball is becoming more popular in Europe every year, which means they're paying kids more money and the exposure is greater.' ..."
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The Lions are trying to break a few streaks tomorrow on the road against a struggling Northwestern ballclub.
PSU looks for road win:
"After losing 15 of its last 17 games, saying that the Penn State men basketball team is frustrated would be the understatement of the season.
"'You don't have the type of season we're having in terms of wins and losses and not have frustration,' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'It would be abnormal if we weren't. We're just not playing well as a group and individually, if you look at stats we're not have banner years shooting the ball and so forth ... to get out of that frustration you have to win and to win you have to do the little things for 40 minutes.'
"The Nittany Lions (7-17, 1-10 Big Ten) will have a chance to break two streaks -- a 29-game losing streak on the road in the Big Ten and an overall six-game losing streak -- tomorrow as they travel to Evanston, Ill., to face the Northwestern Wildcats (12-12, 4-7). ..."
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Thursday, February 17, 2005
Illini bury Lions:
"STATE COLLEGE - To describe the Penn State Nittany Lions' 83-63 loss to No. 1-ranked Illinois last night requires some thought.
"Hard to call it disappointing, for what PSU fans there are out there. Of a team that's been trudging through the last month winless, you couldn't have much expectation to begin with.
"The overriding feeling was one of a marquee act come to a tiny stage. The Illini were Tom Hanks visiting summer stock and playing with the wide-eyed community theater. Ali boxing a 4-round exhibition against the local toughman winner for charity.
"As an awed PSU coach Ed DeChellis said of the Illini: 'Everybody can do everything.'
Well put. This was a 30-point game (74-44) by the time Illinois coach Bruce Weber lifted off the accelerator and brought rocket-powered point guard Dee Brown (19 points, 11 assists) and sinewy power forward Roger Powell (21 points, 10-for-10 FGs) back to relax. And truth be told, his team probably played at about 80 percent of potential thrust. ..."
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Starkey: Illini playing way into Big Ten history - PittsburghLIVE.com:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State didn't belong on the same floor as No. 1 Illinois on Wednesday.
"Didn't belong in the same building, city, state, country, world or universe, either.
"Penn Hills might have provided better competition, which is why it's hard to gauge the Fighting Illini from watching their 83-63 victory before a season-best crowd of 10,966 at Bryce Jordan Center.
"Oh, everybody knows that Bruce Weber's team is good. It's very good. It's 26-0 good.
"It appears to be as good as advertised.
"'Better,' said Penn State guard Mike Walker, who watched the Illini make 22-of-33 field-goal attempts in the first half and finish with 27 assists, three short of the record for a Penn State opponent.
"'They're at a different level than other teams in the Big Ten.' ..."
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STLtoday - Sports - Illini:
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Bruce Weber searches for motivational tactics like that guy on a sandy beach waving a metal detector. Going into Wednesday night's game against Penn State, the Illinois coach thought he had found a gem: No. 2- ranked Kansas and No. 3 Kentucky each lost road games this week.
"'I saw both of the games, so he doesn't really have to mention anything to us,' Illini guard Dee Brown said. 'We understand the importance of it. We've got vets on this team.'
"Brown said Illinois, the No. 1 team in the country, was riled up about playing unranked Penn State because 'we don't want nobody storming the court on us.'... "
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Column: Get on with it - The Daily Illini - Sports:
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State student Adam Sterusky told me the football team could field a better basketball squad than what Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis puts on the floor.
"I thought Sterusky was kidding.
"He wasn't. And Illinois knew it, too.
"The Smilin' Illini looked bored during their 83-63 beating of Penn State. Not in the second half that didn't matter, but before tip off.
"How could you blame the Illini? ..."
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Quad Cities Online - Illini set school mark with 26th straight win:
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The week already had its big upsets.
"No. 2 Kansas couldn't handle Texas Tech and coach Bob Knight in a Monday-night shootout. On Tuesday, No. 3 Kentucky had little emotion or energy and fell at South Carolina. But No. 1 Illinois had no such trouble in its trip to the Nittany Mountains.
"Illinois rolled past Penn State 83-63 Wednesday at the Bryce Jordan Center for a Big Ten Conference win by slicing the Nittany Lions' defense with crisp passing and hot shooting in the first half.
"The Illini logged 19 assists and just two turnovers by halftime, then cruised to their sixth straight win against Penn State.
"'We knew the importance of this game,'' said Illinois guard Dee Brown, a blur of orange who finished with 19 points and 11 assists. 'We were riled up for this game. We didn't want anybody to storm the court on us.'... "
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Jennifer Katsamantou/CDT
Penn State player Geary Claxton, 5, left, scores in the second period with the help of Jason McDougald, 45 during a game opposing Penn State to Illinois on Wednesday February 16, 2005 at the Bryce Jordan Center. |
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Centre Daily Times | 02/17/2005 | No. 1 Illinois breezes past Nittany Lions:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- This is basketball at its simplest, and its finest.
"Pass the ball around until the defense sags, then pass it again. Two, three, four more passes, then a wide-open shot. Play stifling defense that prevents your opponent from doing the same, steal the ball, and repeat.
"It's not really that simple for No. 1 Illinois, which won its school-record 26th straight game Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, breezing past overmatched Penn State 83-63.
"But it's close.
"'They're the most unselfish team I've been around in a long, long time,' Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said. 'They guard you, they don't let you get in their stuff, they can score any way they want to.' ..."
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ChicagoSports.com - Illini this year's St. Joe's, only better:
"THE VIEW FROM PENN STATE
BY GORDIE JONES.
Gordie Jones is a sports columnist for the Allentown Morning Call, a Tribune newspaper
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- If top-ranked Illinois was going to be ambushed, it wasn't going to happen in a place where the program has been in full retreat for years.
"If college basketball's version of a 5-by-94-foot relay was going to get knocked off stride, it wasn't going to be by a Penn State squad that is, as usual, stumbling along.
"Your final Wednesday night in the Bryce Jordan Center was 83-63. And it was as clinical as it was predictable.
"'Everybody can shoot,' Nittany Lions coach Ed DeChellis said of the 26-0 Fighting Illini. 'Everybody can score. Everybody can do everything.'
"Including share the ball.
"And run. Especially that.
"Speed-wise, Penn State point guard Mike Walker said, 'They're at a different level than any other team in the Big Ten. . . . They have you on your heels the whole game.' ..."
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FightOnState.com:
"Penn State took its shot at undefeated and unbeaten Illinois at the Jordan Center Wednesday night. With a strong home crowd, a bubbly student section that poured into the upper deck and a jam-packed press row all looking on, the Nittany Lions promptly fired a blank, losing 83-63.
"'We had nothing to lose tonight, we had everything to gain,' said freshman forward Geary Claxton, who paced PSU with 19 points and six rebounds. 'Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way.'
"Any hope of this being a repeat of the last time No. 1 visited Happy Valley -- Indiana's thrilling double-overtime win at Rec Hall in 1993 -- evaporated immediately, as the Illini opened with three uncontested shots and a 7-0 lead.
"With three smart, veteran guards and a pair of savvy big men, Illinois (26-0, 12-0 Big Ten) moves the ball as well as anyone in the nation. Not that it had to in this one. While State (7-17, 1-10) attempted several different defensive sets Wednesday - straight man and 1-3-1 zone included -- there was no energy in any of them through the first 20 minutes. ..."
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Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Don't expect wing-ding at Penn St.:
"Here's a gauge of how much chance the locals are giving for an upset of the nation's No. 1 college basketball team tonight in State College:
"A wing place opened last month called Wings Over Happy Valley. It is offering a free order of seven jumbo wings plus celery and bleu cheese to every fan who attends the Illinois game if the Penn State Nittany Lions pull this off.
"That's a possible $4.95 times however many people show up at the Jordan Center tonight (10,000?) if somehow the Nits can upset the Illini. Considering about half the fans would actually show for the free wings, we're talking realistically about $20,000 that would come directly out of franchisee Steve Moreira's pocket. ... "
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FightOnState.com: Here Comes No. 1:
"Nittany Lions look to take it to another level against Illinois. It will mark Penn State's first home game vs. the nation's No. 1 team since 1993. ..."
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Penn State hosting No. 1 Illinois tonight:
"Penn State was humiliated by the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers in a 105-57 road loss in 1993.
"Exactly a month later, the Hoosiers came into Rec Hall ranked No. 1 and ready to take on the Nittany Lions. But Penn State put up its most impressive fight of its 7-20 season before a controversial call left the Lions with a dramatic 88-84 loss.
"That's the anecdote Penn State coach Ed DeChellis has been telling his 7-16 squad, which lost to No. 1 Illinois in Champaign, Ill., on Jan. 12 by 26 points. ..."
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Recruiting in Philly becomes priority:
"In the tri-state area, there are two hot spots for basketball talent. The obvious one is New York City, with its five boroughs and its famous streetball legacy. Penn State infiltrated The Big Apple two years ago with the signing of Bronx native and current Nittany Lions guard Marlon Smith.
"Even with the plethora of talent and the successful recruitment of Smith, New York is still a hard area to crack for a school with a low national prestige like Penn State, so the Lions' recruiting staff has to look elsewhere for hidden gems.
"To find that place, Penn State only has to cast a glance 200 miles to the southeast for the other hotbed of basketball talent -- Philadelphia, a city that has also produced some of the greatest and most recognizable players in the NBA. ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/16/2005 | PSU facing nation's top basketball team tonight:
"It is absurd to think that one win could erase a three-year stretch of disappointment. It is wishful at best to think that a team that has struggled against the Big Ten's worst could defeat the nation's top-ranked team, one that so briskly disposed of it only a month ago.
"But oh, what a dream to have.
"To No. 1 Illinois, tonight's 8 p.m. visit to the Bryce Jordan Center is little more than another Big Ten road test, another chance to build on what is so far the best season in school history. For Penn State, it is an opportunity to make a dismal season a memory.
"'It would totally change everything around here,' said Penn State freshman guard Mike Walker. 'We try to stay upbeat, we try to stay positive, but sometimes it gets tough. If we beat a team like this, it can change your whole season around.'
"Weary and downtrodden after two hard losses last week, the Nittany Lions (7-16, 1-9 Big Ten) will try to pick up their spirits and their game and hand the Fighting Illini (25-0, 11-0) their first conference road loss since Jan. 24, 2004 at Wisconsin. ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/16/2005 | Nittany Lions nearly defeated last No. 1 to come to town:
"The No. 1 team in the country is expected to come into State College tonight and blow the Big Ten's last-place team out of the water.
"Of course, the same was said 12 years and one week ago, right before Bob Knight and top-ranked Indiana barely escaped Rec Hall with an 88-84 win in double overtime.
"The parallels are striking for tonight's Bryce Jordan Center bout between the Nittany Lions and top-ranked and undefeated Illinois. ..."
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Daily Herald:
"Maybe now wouldn't be the right time to reveal this, not with Illinois still undefeated and still seeking the Big Ten title.
"Aw, what the heck.
"The real reason the top-ranked Illini have kept themselves on track for an historic season happens to be ... Luther Head's hair.
If Head's tightly curled locks look longer each time Illinois plays, there's a good reason for that.
"'Deron (Williams) and Dee (Brown) won't let me cut my hair,' Head said. 'They say it's some kind of good-luck charm, so I've got to keep it.'
"Today's visit to last-place Penn State (7 p.m., Channel 23) probably won't be the game that allows Head to visit the barber. ..."
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Northwest Herald - Online:
"The temptation for top-ranked Illinois, now five basketball games away from finishing off a perfect regular season, is to look into the distance instead of at the struggling opponents on this week's schedule.
"The Fighting Illini (25-0 overall, 11-0 Big Ten) defeated Penn State -- tonight's opponent at the Bryce Jordan Center -- by 26 points a month ago in Champaign in a game that was not even that close. ..."
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Tuesday, February 15, 2005
No mention of Penn State in the story, but some nice words about target Jermaine Taylor, a 6-5 shooting guard:
OrlandoSentinel.com: Sports:
"In the first 5:13 of the third quarter, Tavares outran the Hurricanes 16-2, with [Jermaine] Taylor igniting the charge.
"He jammed home a one-handed dunk at 4:21.
"He swished a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:31 left.
"He ripped another 3-pointer from the right corner with 2:47 left.
"Boom -- Tavares had a 45-25 lead and the lights went out on Mount Dora.
"Taylor finished with 22 points and Kelvin Burnett also got into double figures with 13.
"'Jermaine and Kelvin can fill it up pretty quickly,' said Tavares Coach Jack Clark. 'When you have the best player in the state [Taylor], you want him to take charge of the game.' ..."
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Sports Info: Geary and HoJo updates
Geary Claxton Update (PDF)
Aaron Johnson Update (PDF)
Losing mindset still Lions' biggest test:
"Before the season started, sophomore guard Marlon Smith said that in order to be a winner, you have to first be a loser.
"Three months later, an inactive Smith watches from the bench as his Nittany Lions teammates continue to experience more than their fair share of losing -- and winning has yet to follow.
"'I don't think there's anything in the locker room in terms of guys who've been successful to say, 'This is how it was,' so our kids just have to believe,' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'It's just not easy to believe you can win when you haven't won.' ..."
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AP Wire | 02/14/2005 | Penn State is next challenge for No. 1 Illinois:
"CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - When No. 1 Illinois was preparing to host Big Ten cellar-dweller Penn State at the Assembly Hall last month, coach Bruce Weber told his team that if they didn't beat the Nittany Lions by 30, they weren't playing up to their potential.
"Weber will make no such challenges when the Illini travel Wednesday to face Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center. On the road, margins of victory don't matter.
"For the only time this season, the Illini (25-0 overall, 11-0 Big Ten) will play back-to-back league road games. They face off with rival Iowa on Saturday...."
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Uh-oh ... laughs at the BJC:
"The product might not be any better this year than the previous three at the Bryce Jordan Center. But at least the student fans are manufacturing some fun on their own.
"The Nittwits, a group of hopeful and resolute Penn State men's basketball fans, have succeeded in raising the volume produced by PSU's paltry crowds.
"And they're also probably putting together the best advance previews of games (I blame myself). The Nittwits' double-sided leaflet, passed out to its fans before tipoff, is called 'Forty Minutes.' It is written mostly by Jared Smith, a senior meteorology major from Columbus, Ohio; with help from sophomore Rob Ziegler. It is hilarious. ..."
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Monday, February 14, 2005
Lions fail to find redemption again:
"Saturday night's game against Ohio State at the Bryce Jordan Center was a perfect opportunity for redemption.
"Redemption for the Penn State men's basketball team after a dramatic six-point loss to the Buckeyes (17-8, 6-5 Big Ten) in Columbus more than three weeks ago.
"Redemption for the waxing by Wisconsin at home, for the recent spanking by Purdue last Wednesday.
"Instead, it was another Penn State loss and another disappointment in the Nittany Lions' somber season. The Lions (7-16, 1-9 Big Ten) dropped their sixth-straight contest with a 66-56 loss to the Buckeyes. ..."
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Sunday, February 13, 2005
Losses weigh on weary Lions, coach:
"STATE COLLEGE - It wasn't so much what Ed DeChellis said after his team's latest loss as much as how he looked saying it. And afterward.
"This Penn State season is getting on everyone's nerves. And when your team spends a game finding every way imaginable to permit an open three against an opponent that shoots more threes than anyone in the league, well, you get chapped.
"After a series of purposely bland answers in the post-game conference, DeChellis whacked the table with the stat sheet as he got up and trudged off. It's not like him in public. He's usually measured and controlled.
"But he's tired. His team is tired. And they aren't winning games that are out there for the taking.
"The losing mentality DeChellis so fears and despises has very clearly set in with the Nittany Lions. And it was evident in a 66-56 loss to Ohio State (17-8, 6-5). ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/13/2005 | Ohio State shoots down Penn State:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- To prepare for Saturday's game at Penn State, Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta looked back to his team's last visit to the Bryce Jordan Center.
"'We got supposedly ran out of here last year by 17 points,' said Matta, who was coaching at Xavier at the time. 'And it was interesting listening to the guys tell me why.'
"The Buckeyes lost 64-47 to the Nittany Lions last Jan. 10, going 0-of-13 from 3-point range in the process.
"'They said they weren't ready to play,' Matta said, 'and Penn State just came in and knocked them down, and there was no retaliation.'
"Ohio State had retaliation in stores Saturday, not to mention ample long-distance shooting, in a 66-56 win. The Buckeyes (17-8, 6-5 Big Ten) hit 11-of-27 3-pointers, three straight during a late 9-2 spurt as they handed the Nittany Lions (7-16, 1-9) their fifth straight loss...."
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FightOnState.com: Going Deep:
"Ohio State brought new meaning to the term 'triple threat' against Penn State at the Jordan Center Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes used a barrage of perfectly timed 3-pointers to beat back three second-half rallies by the Nittany Lions, and walked away with a 66-56 win.
"'They made every big shot they needed to make,' said PSU coach Ed DeChellis, who saw his team fall to 7-16 overall and 1-9 in the Big Ten with its 10th loss in 11 games. 'Give credit to them.'... "
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Bucknuts.com: Buckeyes Drop Penn State, 66-56:
"Ohio State got thumped at Penn State last year, but this season would prove to be a different story. The Buckeyes controlled the game from start to finish and earned a 66-56 victory over the Nittany Lions on Saturday...."
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AP Wire | 02/12/2005 | Ohio State 66, Penn State 56:
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Foul trouble limited Terence Dials. It was up to Ohio State's defense and perimeter shooters to make up the difference.
"Matt Sylvester scored 15 points off the bench and Ohio State's subs outscored Penn State's 28-9 in a 66-56 victory over the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
"It was the fifth win in six games for the Buckeyes (17-8, 6-5 Big Ten).
"'This game obviously was a tough battle,' Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. 'I felt we weren't really flowing offensively. We had to shoot quickly and continue to defend. Defense was the difference in the game. I told the players that it would be an all-out war.'
"Penn State shot 30 percent from the field.
"'They are a good defensive team but I don't think it's a matter of executing any differently than we would against another Big Ten team,' Nittany Lions guard Ben Luber said. 'We got good shots but they were not falling.'"
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Saturday, February 12, 2005
Nittwits: 40 Minutes gets raves in Columbus
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| Ohio State's team and managers take time out from warmups to read 40 Minutes. |
Penn State Notes:
• Penn State’s two most experienced players, Johnson and Luber, went a combined 1 of 15 from the floor in the loss to Purdue.
• Johnson is making only 34 percent of his shots in Big Ten games, a poor number for a big guy. Making it worse: He has not had an assist in the last three games. Becoming the focal point of opposing defenses has obviously been a struggle.
• Luber had made six shots (on 27 attempts) in Penn State’s last five games. He is 2 of 13 from the arc in that stretch.
• Parker had three steals against Purdue, marking the first time in Big Ten play this year a PSU player had more than two thefts in a game.
• Nearly 30 former Lions will be honored during the team’s “Alumni Weekend” ceremony during the game. Included will be All-Big Ten guard Danny Earl and All-American Mark DuMars.
• Stat watch: Big Ten opponents are making nearly half their shots (48.9 percent) against the Lions. ...
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Friday, February 11, 2005
Lions looking to rebound after blowout:
"The Penn State men's basketball team had its confidence shattered once again on Wednesday after another 20-point loss on the road in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions (7-15, 1-8 Big Ten) will have to pick up the pieces before tomorrow's matchup with Ohio State (16-8, 5-5) -- a job that is getting harder and harder to do, especially early in games.
"'Some guys do, you can see it in our eyes -- especially on the bench,' Penn State guard Danny Morrissey said about losing confidence. 'If we make a couple of shots ... usually it is the first five minutes of the game that will dictate how we play.'
"Any coach will say that the way a team comes out in the first is usually a sign of what they've done that week in practice. If that's the rule, then Penn State is finally an exception to a rule but not in a good way. Junior forward Travis Parker was visibly frustrated after the Wisconsin game on Jan. 29 because the Lions came out flat after a good couple of days of practice, and it seems as if Wednesday's game was deja-vu for Penn State.
"'We had two of the best practices Monday and Tuesday [before the Purdue game],' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'That's why [the Purdue game] was kind of a shock to us as a team and as a staff. I couldn't have scripted the practices any better than they went. And going out and really not have the same level of basketball was really shocking.' ..."
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Thursday, February 10, 2005
Coaches join the fray in practice:
"The Penn State men's basketball team has a secret.
While the Nittany Lions have played with a painstakingly shallow bench all season, two players have received more practice time with each passing month and have presented quite a challenge to the other players on the court -- all while not seeing a single minute of playing time in an actual game.
"And no, one of those players isn't Cilk McSweeney, a Chevon Troutman look-a-like (only a bit smaller) who has been practicing with the team as a redshirt after transferring from Towson University.
"Then, why, you might ask, aren't these two particular players being utilized on a team that has struggled mightily in Big Ten play?
It's because the 'players' in question are assistant coaches James Johnson and Hilliary Scott.
"Pressed into duty for a second straight year, the duo plays on the Lions' scout team during practice because of the roster's lack of depth. ..."
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Boilers' win helps them climb out of last place:
"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Victories have been rare for Purdue this Big Ten season. But when the Boilermakers get one, they sure don't make it dramatic.
"David Teague scored a career-high 25 points and Carl Landry added 24 as Purdue escaped the Big Ten basement by cruising to a 77-50 victory over Penn State at Mackey Arena on Wednesday night.
"Purdue (6-15, 2-8 Big Ten) moved ahead of the Nittany Lions -- who have lost 29 consecutive league road games -- in the conference standings. Purdue has not finished last in the Big Ten since the 1965-66 season, when the Boilers tied with Indiana for the final spot.
"Purdue's other Big Ten victory this season came Jan. 30 in an 84-55 triumph over Michigan, which is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.
"Average margin of victory in the two games: 28 points. ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 02/10/2005 | Purdue takes fight to Nittany Lions:
"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The old dog has some fight left in him after all, which finally found its way into his young charges.
"The Nittany Lions wanted no piece of it.
"Struggling in its final season under legendary coach Gene Keady, Purdue was sharp, hungry and disciplined -- everything Penn State wasn't in a 77-50 Boilermaker win Wednesday.
David Teague scored a career-high 25 points -- nearly double his season average -- and Carl Landry added 24 as the Boilermakers (6-15, 2-8 Big Ten) climbed out of the Big Ten basement by shooting a sizzling 49 percent from the field.
"Purdue, last in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense coming in, held the Nittany Lions (7-15, 1-8) to a season-low 28 percent shooting as it handed them their worst loss of the season. ..."
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FightOnState.com: Sorry State:
"Penn State's stranglehold on 11th-place in the Big Ten is as safe as ever. The Nittany Lions rolled over against sad-sack Purdue in West Lafayette Wednesday night, falling 77-50 and taking a major step toward securing their fourth straight last-place showing in the league.
"The Boilermakers entered the game at 1-8 in the Big Ten, while PSU, rested after a bye, was 1-7. They were 11th and 10th in the conference, respectively. Since this is the only regular-season meeting between the two, the game was fairly billed as a battle for the basement.
"In that respect, Ed DeChellis's team won in a knockout.
"'It was a game they had to have and a game we had to have,' the coach told the Penn State Radio Network. 'At the end of the day, they wanted it more and were playing to win. We were playing to play.' ..."
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Welcome to Comcast SportsNet:
"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -- David Teague got Purdue started with four 3-pointers in the first half, and Carl Landry dominated the second half to lead the Boilermakers past Penn State 77-50 Wednesday.
"Teague finished with a career-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, and seven rebounds, while Landry had 15 of his 24 points in the second half. Purdue (6-15, 2-8) ended a two-game losing streak by winning for just the second time in 11 games.
"Penn State was led by Danny Morrissey, who scored all 15 of his points on 3-pointers. ..."
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Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Purdue presents chance to end losing skid:
"If there was ever a time for the Penn State men's basketball team to break out of its conference road-losing funk, tonight may be it.
"It will be a battle of Big Ten Conference bottom-dwellers when the Nittany Lions (7-14, 1-7 Big Ten) take on Purdue (5-15, 1-8) at 8 p.m. at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. The Lions have possibly their best chance to end their 28-game road conference-losing streak against the struggling Boilermakers, with road contests against Northwestern (10-11, 3-6), Michigan (12-11, 3-6) and Michigan State (15-4, 6-2) remaining.
"'If we come out and play with intensity, get the scouting report down with what the coaches have to say, you never know what can happen,' Penn State guard Mike Walker said. 'Especially a game like this, they're kind of down with us in the conference, it's a good chance for us to get a road win.'
"The Lions should be well rested after coach Ed DeChellis gave the team a rare weekend off.
"'I didn't even know what to do with myself,' Walker said. 'It was the first time we had two days off since the beginning of the year.' ..."
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With mad ups, long arms, Claxton born to play:
"It seems appropriate that his doctor detected abnormally long arms when Geary Claxton was in his mother's womb.
"It's interesting that he'd jump off his bunk bed and dunk on his mini basketball rim when he was 4 years old.
"It's hard to believe Connecticut, Syracuse and Villanova demanded that he attend a prep school for a year before playing for their Division I programs.
"It's fortunate for Penn State, though, that Claxton, the high-flying forward with an 85-inch wingspan, realized he was good enough to play at the collegiate level immediately after high school graduation.
"'I guess [other schools] wanted to polish my game up and improve on some areas, but I didn't agree with that,' Claxton said. 'I wanted to go to a school that would give me a chance right away.'
"The West Haven, Conn., native deserved that chance after Penn State assistant coach James Johnson watched the swingman lead Hill Regional Career High School to victory against the top team in the state. Claxton recorded 43 points and left a pretty good impression on the Penn State coaching staff. ..."
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The Exponent - sports:
"Coach Gene Keady's recovery from the flu is over, but what he has seen from the Purdue basketball team has sickened him.
"Keady is still angry following the Boilers disappointing 67-61 loss at Northwestern on Saturday, a game in which he said the players had no energy.
"'I'm not real happy with anybody,' Keady said. 'I take a lot of the blame right now 'cause we're failing, but its not all my fault we're failing.
"'There's a lot of reasons for it, and there's a lot of reasons we won, so it's always a two-way street.'
"The Boilers (5-15, 1-8 Big Ten) have the unenviable position of hosting a game between the bottom two teams in the conference tonight as Purdue plays Penn State...."
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Thursday, February 03, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 02/03/2005 | Nittany Lions' road losing streak continues:
"From CDT staff and wire reports
"BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The streak isn't ready to die yet.
"Another inspired road performance by Penn State resulted in another road loss Wednesday, as Indiana hung on to defeat the Nittany Lions 68-63.
"Geary Claxton led Penn State (7-14, 1-7 Big Ten) with 16 points and Travis Parker added 15 as the Nittany Lions battled back from an early deficit and took a rare second-half lead before dropping their 28th consecutive Big Ten road game.
"A long 3-pointer from Mike Walker and two free throws from Claxton got Penn State within three, 66-63, with 1:16 left. Claxton's runner on the ensuing possession fell just short and Indiana's Marshall Strickland drained two free throws to ice the game.
"Penn State freshman guard Danny Morrissey left the game with a knee injury three minutes before the half and did not return. He is scheduled to have an MRI today. The five Nittany Lion starters played every minute of the second half until Ben Luber fouled out in the final seconds.
"Walker had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and Aaron Johnson finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds after being held scoreless in the first half. Hoosiers freshman sensation D.J. White took only three shots, hitting two, and finished with six points, while fellow freshman A.J. Ratliff had 11 of his 13 in the first half. ..."
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Journal Gazette | 02/03/2005 | IU all right without star:
"BLOOMINGTON – Suddenly, Terrell Owens doesn’t have the only ankle of concern for this coming Sunday.
"Suddenly, an Indiana basketball team that has been living on the edge most of the season finds itself looking down two loaded barrels of adversity.
"Junior guard Bracey Wright, the team’s leading scorer the past three seasons, was helped off the floor with 15:30 remaining in Indiana’s 68-63 victory over Penn State on Wednesday night at Assembly Hall.
"The status of Wright, who reportedly sprained an ankle and yet still managed to lead IU with 17 points, remains uncertain as Indiana (10-9, 5-3 in the Big Ten) has four days before it travels to top-ranked and 22-0 Illinois. ..."
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ChicagoSports.com - Right score, wrong landing by Wright:
"BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- With a trip scheduled Sunday to top-ranked Illinois, Indiana needed some good news. But Wednesday night's 68-63 victory over Penn State was a painful one.
"The Hoosiers' best player, Bracey Wright, sprained his left ankle with 15 minutes 30 seconds to play, had to be helped to the locker room and didn't return.
"Whether the junior guard plays against the Illini or how effective he will be remains to be seen.
"'I'm looking forward to the game,' Wright said in a statement. 'When you get in a groove it makes it harder to accept an injury, but I'm looking forward to Sunday. I've been in the gym all week shooting because that's the only way to break out of a slump.'
"His slump notwithstanding, Wright was averaging 18.6 points. Despite missing most of the second half he was the game's high scorer with 17 points. He shot 7-for-13, made both of his foul shots and contributed five rebounds and three assists...."
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No cigar:
"The Penn State men's basketball team couldn't get the monkey off its back last night as the Nittany Lions (7-14, 1-7 Big Ten) lost their 28th straight Big Ten road game. This time in Bloomington, falling 68-63 to the Indiana Hoosiers (10-9, 5-3).
The Lions fell for the 12th straight time at Indiana, but this was the closest game at Assembly Hall in Penn State history. Penn State has also lost 11 of its last 13 games overall.
"The Lions seemed to shake off the beating Wisconsin delivered on Saturday and played one of their better defensive games of the season. Penn State's forwards held Indiana's highly touted freshman center D.J. White to just six points on 2-for-3 shooting. The Lions double-teamed the freshman-of-the-year candidate all night, but the defensive strategy came back to burn them late in the game.
"With a little under two minutes to go, Indiana fed the ball into White -- who was immediately doubled -- and he kicked it out to little-used senior guard Ryan Tapak, who drilled his first 3-pointer of the season to put the Hoosiers up seven.
"'The kid [Tapak] hit a big shot for them,' Penn State coach Ed Dechellis said on the Penn State Radio Network. 'Sometimes you just have to pick your poision. We were trying to play the percentages.'..."
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IU takes a fall, gets up to win:
"BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University basketball team might have won one and lost one Wednesday night at Assembly Hall.
"Indiana won the game, holding on for a 68-63 victory over Penn State. But in doing so, the Hoosiers might have lost Bracey Wright, the Big Ten's second-leading scorer, for an indefinite period.
"Wright suffered a left ankle sprain with 15:30 remaining in the game after hitting a 17-foot jumper. On the way down, Wright's left ankle landed on the foot of Penn State's Aaron Johnson. Wright immediately rolled into a ball, clutching the ankle. He had to be carried off the court by two teammates and didn't return.
X-rays taken after the game were negative.
"Wright, who still led the team in scoring with 17 points, was not made available to the media after the game. The media relations department distributed a quote sheet with some of Wright's postgame comments.
"'I just came down on Aaron Johnson's foot wrong and sprained my ankle,' Wright said. 'What made it worse was that I was just getting into a rhythm offensively. This was a must-win game. We needed this one and we got it.' ..."
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Coach, the name is Tapak:
"BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Penn State coach Ed DeChellis prefaced his comments by saying he didn't want to be rude.
But the truth was that he really didn't know who No. 34 was for Indiana that hit a big 3-pointer with 2:16 remaining in the Hoosiers' 68-63 victory over his Nittany Lions.
"'I thought the big shot was by 34,' DeChellis said. 'I don't mean to be rude, but he didn't make the scouting report. He made a big shot. That was a really key basket for them at that point and time in the game. I thought we were doing a decent job of guarding them.'
"The IU player was senior walk-on guard Ryan Tapak, who hadn't played since the Jan. 5 conference opener against Northwestern, and hadn't made a 3-pointer this season. He had missed his first nine attempts. His last 3-pointer was against Illinois in last year's Big Ten tournament.
"Tapak just smiled when informed he hadn't made the Penn State scouting report.
"'I didn't have a reason to be on the scouting report,' Tapak said. 'It had been awhile since I had played. And it's nice after nine misses to finally hit one. It was just something at the end of the shot clock where (Robert) Vaden hit me with a pass, and I really didn't have time to think about it. That's probably why it went in.
"'Usually if I have my feet set and I have time to think about it, that's when I miss.'.."
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Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 02/02/2005 | Young PSU to meet young Indiana:
"Ed DeChellis brought an impressive array of metaphors to his Monday morning news conference.
"First, the Nittany Lions' coach waxed poetic on the fermentation process of his young team ('You'd like to drink the wine right now, it's just not ready') then talked about sending his youthful guards off to battle.
"'It's the front line, it's the first wave, it's young guys defending our first wave,' DeChellis said, referring to freshmen Danny Morrissey and Mike Walker and sophomore Ben Luber. 'They're trying, but they're just not experienced enough, strong enough right now to really defend that first wave of attack, and that hurts other things.'
"Penn State (7-13, 1-6 Big Ten) has been under siege all season, particularly since the start of conference play. Tonight's opponent, Indiana, is somehow just as young -- except at guard, which could mean another long night for the Nittany Lions' 'first wave.' ..."
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Lions, Hoosiers set for matchup:
"The Penn State men's basketball team matches up almost identically with tonight's opponent, although its record suggests otherwise.
"Youth is not an excuse in the Nittany Lions' (7-13, 1-6 Big Ten) game against Indiana (9-9, 4-3 Big Ten). Both teams start three underclassmen and two juniors.
"Three players on each team average double figures in scoring. Penn State guard and Freshman of the Year hopeful Geary Claxton will meet his match in Indiana forward D.J. White, who was the preseason favorite to snag the honor. White sits 13 spots above Claxton (12.1 ppg) in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game.
"The difference-maker, though, could be the Hoosiers' veteran backcourt of junior guards Bracey Wright and Marshall Strickland.
"'They've got some juniors and seniors and that's important,' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'That's been a benefit to the other guys on the team, and when it really gets tough they can throw the ball to Bracey Wright and they've got a pretty good chance they're going to score.' ..."
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Tuesday, February 01, 2005
• Penn State has lost 27 straight Big Ten road games. Including conference tournament action, the Nittany Lions have dropped 30 consecutive league outings away from the BJC. Penn State’s last Big Ten road win was at Iowa (78-73) in the next to last game of the 2000-01 regular season.
• Rookie guard Danny Morrissey gives the Lions 6.8 ppg off the bench. The rest of the reserves offer a meager 4.2 ppg combined.
• State has never won in 11 trips to Assembly Hall. The average margin in those games has been 18 points, with none being decided by fewer than seven (61-54, 2002).
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Times-Mail Online Supplement - Bedford, IN: Sports:
"After two disappointing performances on the road at Minnesota and Iowa, Indiana returns to action Wednesday night against Penn State at Assembly Hall.
"ESPN-Plus will telecast the game beginning at 6 p.m.
"This is a must-win for the Hoosiers. At 4-3 in the Big Ten and 9-9 overall, Indiana needs to make things happen in a hurry.
" 'We need to win games,' Davis said Monday night during his weekly radio broadcast.
"Penn State shouldn't pose a great danger. The Nittany Lions, 7-13 overall and just 1-6 in the conference, have never beaten IU at Assembly Hall. In fact, the Hoosiers have prevailed in 14 of the past 15 meetings. ..."
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Collegian: Trying Times:
"You've all said it before. When a friend's relationship abruptly ends, a loved one passes away or when your favorite team loses the big game. You utter the four words that absolutely no one wants to hear, much less believe: Time heals all wounds.
"But if the aforementioned cliché is indeed true, it looks like Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis could use a week (or even a month) to recover from his team's recent play. A visibly frustrated DeChellis spoke to the media yesterday morning at his weekly press conference and said the team's problems are nobody's fault but its own.
"'We're the ones that kind of got us into the mess and we're the ones that kind of have to work to get us out of it,' he said. 'And we can't feel sorry for ourselves.'
"Saturday's 76-50 blowout loss to Wisconsin (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten) left the Nittany Lions (7-13, 1-6) winless in 11 of their past 13 games. After an admittedly sleepless Saturday night, DeChellis is trying hard to find some solutions.
" 'I think that's what's frustrating for me, when I come home Saturday and don't sleep, is you search, and you search, and you search and you try to help our team, try to help our kids get an advantage somewhere, or try to help them get better somewhere,' DeChellis said. 'And it's just got to be on the court and it's just going to take some time.' ..."
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Penn State nets a recruit, and frequent-flyer miles:
"Let's say you're a college basketball coach. Let's say you have a whop ping four scholarships left to give in April but only four official visits to your school remaining to hand out for the rest of the school year.
"And all you have left to choose from is a shrinking pool of recruits, many with academic issues, others in high demand with only elite schools on their lists.
"And let's say you're a coach at Penn State, last-place finisher in the Big Ten for three successive seasons and on track to make it four. How can you possibly compete?
"You work harder. You fly farther. Maybe you find a kid or two relatively few college recruiters have seen.
"That was the plan of PSU coach Ed DeChellis and lead assistant Kurt Kanaskie when they began digging into the mines of European talent.
"And they brought back two commitments in the last month. One is Joonas Suotamo, a 6-9, 225-pound forward from Finland.
"The other is Milos Bogetic, a 6-10, 242-pound forward from Podgorica, the major city in the former Yugoslavian republic of Serbia and Montenegro. ..."
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