Saturday, December 31, 2005
Penn State Nittany Lions, NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBS SportsLine.com:
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) Geary Claxton scored 16 points and Jamelle Cornley added 14 as Penn State beat Mount St. Mary's 65-53 Saturday.
"The duo did most of their damage in the second half, after a solid team effort by the Nittany Lions led to a 32-17 lead at halftime. The Mountaineers never came closer than 10 points in the second, despite a strong second half performance by Landy Thompson from three-point range. ..."
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Thursday, December 29, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/29/2005 | Nittany Lions pull away from Fort Wayne:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State forward Travis Parker said the solution to a pesky problem Wednesday was simple -- to get rid of Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, the Nittany Lions had to get serious about playing some defense.
"Penn State did just that, holding IPFW to three points over the final five minutes to pull away to a 74-59 men's basketball victory at the Bryce Jordan Center.
"Parker led the Nittany Lions (7-3), who had huge free throw shooting and rebounding margins, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Geary Claxton added 15, including five down the stretch, as Penn State turned up the pressure to outscore the Mastodons 14-3.
" 'When they were coming back in the game, we were relaxing on defense when we should have kept pushing it and going down their throats,' Parker said. 'Letting up on defense kept them in the game.' ..."
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/28/2005 | Penn State faces erratic IPFW:
"You never know what to expect from these holiday break games, and trying to figure out what to expect from Penn State's men's basketball team on a game-by-game basis during the last few seasons has been all but impossible.
"Today's opponent, however, takes erratic to a whole new level.
"Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne enters the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time at 7:30 p.m. this evening to battle the 6-3 Nittany Lions. The Mastodons, 2-9 overall, own a one-point win over Southeast Missouri State and a 26-point win over Marygrove College. The nine losses have put on full display the inconsistency of rookie coach Dane Fife's young team, which has just one senior on the roster. ..."
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Sunday, December 25, 2005
Penn State's Paterno proves his way works:
"... Paterno's doorbell rang Nov. 21, 2004 -- a Sunday -- only one sunrise separating the coach from the conclusion of a 4-7 football season. Four high-ranking Penn State officials, including university president Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley, walked into Paterno's home and told him, for the second time in less than two weeks, that they wished him to stop coaching, either at that minute or very soon.
"Curley, Spanier and the others arrived with a message they had heard from many. The 2004 season convinced legions that Paterno was instinctively driving his program to its grave. For the first time, folks spotted the coach's sincere, growling confidence and figured it the root of his decay. ..."
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/21/2005 | Penn State solves shooting woes:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Ed DeChellis walked into shooting practice Tuesday and saw his players' bags, packed and ready to go.
"'They just want to go home like everybody else,' Penn State's men's basketball coach said later. 'They've had enough of me since Oct. 15, and they were looking forward to going home, but we had some business to take care of tonight.'
"Before the Nittany Lions embarked on their holiday break, they first disposed of New Hampshire in a rather businesslike fashion, 75-51, before a sparse crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center.
"Penn State improved to 6-3, its best start since the 2001 Sweet 16 season, by once again enjoying a sharp night behind the 3-point line. Geary Claxton, who led all scorers with 18 points, hit a career-high three 3-pointers and Ben Luber made 4-of-5, also a career-best. ..."
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Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/20/2005 | DeChellis hopes current lineup can stick together:
"When Jamelle Cornley joined Ben Luber, David Jackson, Geary Claxton and Travis Parker in Penn State's starting lineup Sunday against St. Francis, Nittany Lion fans had the five they had been waiting for all season.
"Which, as head coach Ed DeChellis confirmed later, happened to be the five that had performed the best during the week in practice.
" 'I didn't care who they were; if it was four guards and one post, I'd have figured out what we were gonna do offensively and defensively,' DeChellis said, 'but we were gonna start tonight the five guys who had the best practice the last three days, who played the hardest and executed and got on the floor and did the things we wanted them to do.'
"Expect that lineup, just the third different starting mix DeChellis has used this young season, to remain the same tonight when the Nittany Lions (5-3) host struggling New Hampshire (2-8) at 7:30 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center. ..."
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Monday, December 19, 2005
BlueWhiteIllustrated.com - Parker leads PSU over St. Francis: "For the last three days, Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis has been tough on his team to play better with forward Travis Parker receiving the brunt of the coach's criticism and deservingly so. The lone senior has struggled the last three games averaging a dismal seven points.
"'I told him yesterday, 'Are you going to play well tomorrow because you had three good days of practice?'' DeChellis asked his captain. ..."
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Sunday, December 18, 2005
SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports > College Sports -- Penn State 88, St. Francis, Pa. 74:
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Travis Parker scored a career-high 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting to lead Penn State to an 88-74 win over St. Francis, Pa., on Sunday.
"Taking an early lead, the Nittany Lions (5-3) shot just over 54 percent from the field, hit 9-of-12 3-pointers and forced 16 turnovers to top the Red Flash (2-7). ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 12/18/2005 | Battered Nittany Lions host St. Francis:
"Some days, Ed DeChellis just breathes a sigh of relief if his team makes it through a practice without another injury.
" 'I don't remember having all these injuries a year ago,' the Penn State's men's basketball coach said dryly. 'We might have had them, but I don't remember them.'
"The Nittany Lions (4-3) open a four-game homestand at 2 p.m. today against St. Francis (2-6) in the Bryce Jordan Center with a limited supply of healthy bodies. The majority of those injuries, including the fractured left foot of Maxwell Dubois, have come during practice, leaving the Nittany Lions wondering if they're just unlucky or if they should save their bodies more for game day.
" 'Sometimes I think we overtrain,' DeChellis said. 'We do all this stuff in the spring, all this stuff in the summer, and somebody's always getting banged up or nicked up.' ..."
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Friday, December 16, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/16/2005 | Nittany Lions face long, tough road:
"The journey, it seems, has no end in sight.
"The road leads in circles for the Penn State men's basketball team. Blowout losses, close losses, injuries at every turn ... they just keep coming.
"All Ed DeChellis and the Nittany Lions, 4-3 heading into an important stretch of home games, can do is keep going until, one day, the circle breaks.
"Along this jagged road, if you kick a little dirt aside, there are positives. The heart and motor of Jamelle Cornley. The resilience and quiet grace of Geary Claxton. The promise of Andrew Jones and David Jackson (the Younger).
"But these jewels are far outnumbered by the craters and weeds. Penn State still cannot escape injury. Danny Morrissey, Joonas Suotamo and Ben Luber, all projected starters at the season's outset, all missed last week's game at Pittsburgh. ..."
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
DeChellis fighting uphill battle to build Penn State : The Morning Call Online:
"He inherited a Mini-Me of a men's basketball program, and if he has succeeded in fitting it with elevator shoes — a debatable point, seeing as it seemingly takes one step back for every step forward — Ed DeChellis has found he needs something more.
"Like stilts.
"Penn State still doesn't measure up. DeChellis, the Nittany Lions' third-year coach, freely admits that. And even if he didn't, the facts loom large: Four straight last-place finishes in the Big Ten, with another expected this year. Nine conference victories in the last four years. One NCAA appearance in the last nine seasons, and two in the last 14. Challenges in recruiting and retention.
"In a conference call with reporters last Friday — the day before PSU fell to 4-3 in nonconference play with a lopsided 91-54 loss at Pitt — he said he is not dissatisfied with the program's direction, just the fact that the Lions are taking baby steps where giant leaps are required.
" 'Has [progress] happened as quickly as I would like?' he asked. 'Probably not. I think we're always, as coaches, impatient, but it is a process. It didn't become this way overnight, and I'm surely not going to go in and try to put the roof on before I build the foundation.' ..."
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Saturday, December 10, 2005
Rivalry, basketball style - PittsburghLIVE.com:
"Although the Pitt-Penn State football series was halted in 2000, there is reason to believe the longstanding relationship between the two men's basketball programs could continue beyond this year, when the current contract expires.
"Both coaches are open to the idea of keeping the series going after today's matchup at Petersen Events Center.
" 'It's great. It's the right thing to do and the right thing for us,' Pitt's Jamie Dixon said.
"Added Penn State's Ed DeChellis: 'We've talked about playing again.' ..."
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Centre Daily Times | 12/10/2005 | Claxton fighting for every point:
"The stoic expression remains in place and the points continue to fill the scoring column, leading you to believe that the game still comes easy for Geary Claxton.
"But look closer. Watch his defender grab his jersey as he runs around a screen. Watch his head shake slightly from side to side as he runs back on defense after not getting the foul call he probably should have gotten. It has quickly and assuredly become a nightly grind for Penn State's electric sophomore, who will lead the Nittany Lions (4-2) against Pittsburgh (6-0) at 2 p.m. today at Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center.
"Ed DeChellis knew that Claxton, an All-Big Ten Freshman selection a year ago, would draw more attention this season, and tried to convey that early to his soft-spoken forward.
" 'You know, why do you think in practice some days I let you get whacked and I don't blow the whistle?' he asked Claxton one day in practice. 'Because this is what you're gonna face.' ..."
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Pitt has been playing Penn State since 1906, but the game today, the 145th in the series, could be the last:
"The Pitt-Penn State basketball series could be going the way of the Pitt-Penn State football series: on hiatus.
"Today's game at the Petersen Events Center is the final scheduled game in the century-old series. And although the two schools are talking about future games, scheduling conflicts could prevent the continuation of the game.
" 'We've talked about [playing again],' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'One of the things has been a date. As I remember, they needed another home game next year and so do we. I'm not sure if we can do it. It's not that we don't want to. It's just a matter of both teams needing [home] games.'
"Penn State is Pitt's second-oldest rival on the basketball court. Today's game will be the 145th meeting. Only Pitt and West Virginia have played more times over the years.
"Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said this week that he would like to continue the series.
"'I think it's great,' Dixon said of the rivalry. 'I think it's the right thing for us. Other people bring up things, reasons not to play them, but I think we're doing the right thing by [trying to continue] it. If you do the right thing, over the long run it bodes well for your program and the university.' ..."
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Thursday, December 08, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/08/2005 | Bench sparks Penn State to win:
"UNIVERSITY PARK -- Mike Walker had said earlier in the week that he and the Penn State reserves needed to bring a spark off the bench, but he couldn't have known how badly his Nittany Lions would need such a spark Wednesday against Missouri-Kansas City.
"And he certainly couldn't have known what kind of flame that spark would lead to.
"Walker and freshman Jamelle Cornley both scored a career-high 17 points and freshman Milos Bogetic added a career-high 14, also off the bench, as Penn State came back from to huge deficits to defeat the Kangaroos 75-71 at the Bryce Jordan Center. ..."
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BlueWhiteIllustrated.com - Penn State edges UMKC 75-71:
"Geary Claxton was held scoreless in the first half. Travis Parker didn't make his first bucket until 3:15 left in the game. On most nights, the cold shooting combination would be disastrous for the young Penn State squad. But for the Nittany Lions' bench, it just turned out to be the right recipe to get the offense cooking against University of Missouri-Kansas City.
"Both Mike Walker and Jamelle Cornley came off the bench and scored career-high 17 points, while Milos Bogetic added a double-double as the Lions edged UMKC 75-71 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State's bench scored 50 points as the starting five shot a dismal 8 of 31 for the night. ..."
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Scout.com: Cornley Strong off Bench in Win:
"Freshman power forward Jamelle Cornley has yet to start a game for Penn State this year. If the Nittany Lions' sluggish performance against Missouri-Kansas City at the Jordan Center Wednesday was any indication, maybe that ought to change.
"Statistically, Jamelle Cornley is by far Penn State's best post player, having entered the game as the team's second-leading scorer (12.2 ppg.) while hitting a strong 70.3 percent of his shots. And with him on the pine to start both halves, the Lions were outscored 15-0 early in the first and 15-4 before he hit the floor in the second.
"That's 30-4, if you are keeping tabs at home. The rest of the way, with Cornley pouring in 17 points and leading an active defense, PSU outscored UMKC 70-41 to escape with a 74-71 victory and improve to 4-2 on the season while busting a two-game losing streak. ..."
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Centre Daily Times | 12/07/2005 | Penn State aims to improve from long-range:
"The three-ball left Mike Walker's hand with the familiar release -- smooth, swift and repetitive -- and descended on the rim. It got about halfway down, rattled around, and bounced out.
"Walker's uncontested shot came at the end of a long practice, but the result was what is starting to become a nervous trend for the sophomore guard and the rest of the Penn State men's basketball team.
"The Nittany Lions (3-2), who return to the Bryce Jordan Center at 7:30 tonight to face Missouri-Kansas City, are getting a busy signal while dialing from long range early in the season. Penn State, which will look to snap a two-game losing skid tonight, is shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range and coming off a 1-of-14 night Saturday during a 60-55 loss at Texas A&M. ..."
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Friday, December 02, 2005
Penn State-Texas A&M Game Notes
Penn State (3-1; 0-0 Big Ten) Vs.
Texas A&M (3-0; 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005 @ 4:00 p.m. (EST);
Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
Series At A Glance: Penn State is 0-2 all-time against Texas A&M. The Aggies defeated Penn State 62-60 last year in the Jordan Center.
Coaches: Penn State: Ed DeChellis - 19-43 (3rd season at Penn State);124-136 (10th season overall); Texas A&M: Billy Gillispie - 24-10 (2nd season at A&M); 54-42 (4th season overall).
Television: None
Radio: Penn State Sports Network (Steve Jones & Dick Jerardi)
WEB: The radio feed and Gametracker will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Up Next: Penn State will return home for a Wednesday night game on Dec. 7 against Missouri-Kansas City. Tip time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The two teams have never met.
Penn State Hits The Road For First Time On The Year: Penn State will play on the road for the first time this season when they take on Texas A&M at Reed Arena (12,500) Dec. 3. Penn State went 1-9 on opponent's home courts last season, with the win coming with a big 83-80 victory at Rutgers. Penn State is 2-20 on the road in two seasons under Coach Ed DeChellis, with the other win coming 67-64 at Buffalo in DeChellis's first season. Penn State had not won a game on an opponent's home court and just one away from home the previous two seasons prior to DeChellis's arrival. Penn State has posted three other wins against opponents at neutral sites away from the Jordan Center under DeChellis and is a combined 5-25 away from home the past two seasons.
Penn State Returns To Texas And Big 12 Country For First Time Since Mid-90's: Penn State is 5-5 all-time against current Big 12 Conference members, with the last meeting coming last year in a 62-60 loss to Texas A&M in the Jordan Center. Penn State has never visited Texas A&M and last played on the road in the Big 12 in 1995 when Bruce Parkhill's team defeated Nebraska in the Devaney Center 65-59 in the second round of the 1995 NIT. Penn State last played in the state of Texas on Dec. 27, 1997 when the Nittany Lions lost at Texas-El Paso 79-60.
GAME CENTERPenn State 2005-06 Record: 3-1
PROJECTED STARTERS Season Stats
# Player P Ht. PPG RPG/APG Notes
3 BEN LUBER G 6-0 10.0 1.8/6.5 2nd in Big Ten in Assists (6.5)
32 DAVID JACKSON G 6-2 9.3 4.3/3.75 Career-high 15 pts last game
5 GEARY CLAXTON G/F 6-5 17.3 8.5/2.25 Career-high 27 pts in last game
11 TRAVIS PARKER F 6-5 11.3 5.3/2.0 3rd career double-double (18&11) Nov. 26
23 BRANDON HASSELL F 6-9 3.8 3.0/0.25 Averaging 16 min./game
BENCH
2 JAMELLE CORNLEY F 6-6 12.3 4.5/1.25 3-straight double digit scoring games start year
41 MILOS BOGETIC F 6-10 5.5 6.0/0.75 Double-Double (13&12) vs Nicholls St.
4 MIKE WALKER G 6-2 6.0 1.3/2.75 third on team in assists
45 CILK McSWEENEY F 6-6 4.0 2.3/0.33 in 2002-03 played 28 games at Towson
1 MAXWELL DUBOIS G/F 6-3 4.5 0.5/0.5 All-State selection at Dillard HS
20 KEITH HARDIN G/F 6-5 2.0 0.0/0.0 State College HS PIAA Champ. Team
14 NIKOLA OBRADOVIC G 6-5 1.0 1.0/2.0 helped team to three Serbian national titles
33 CLAY SCOVILL G 6-3 2.0 0.0/0.0 son of PSU tight end Brad Scovill (1978-80)
21 JOONAS SUOTAMO F 6-9 0.0 0.0/0.0 out 2-3 weeks with stress reaction (foot)
Texas A&M 2005-06 Record: 3-0PROJECTED STARTERS Season Stats
# Player Yr. P Ht. PPG RPG/APG Hometown
01 Acie Law Jr. G 6-3 19.3 4.3/3.3 Dallas, Texas
22 Dominique Kirk So. G 6-3 6.3 1.0/4.6 Dallas, Texas
23 Josh Carter Fr. F 6-5 7.0 2.3/5.0 Dallas, Texas
30 Joseph Jones So. F 6-9 14.0 5.0/1.3 Normangee, Texas
42 Marlon Pompey Jr. F 6-8 10.0 1.7/1.0 Toronto, Canada
KEY RESERVES
04 Adjuan Green Sr. F 6-7 1.0 3.0/0.33 Houston, Texas
05 Kenneth White So. G 6-1 5.7 0.7/0.33 Dallas, Texas
10 Chris Walker Sr. F 6-5 3.7 0.0/0.33 Dallas, Texas
12 Eddie Smith Sr. G 6-2 9.7 5.0/5.0 Springfield, Ill.
20 Logan Lee Jr. G 6-2 2.0 2.0/0.33 San Antonio, Texas
24 Jeffrey Addai Jr. G 6-3 1.7 0.0/1.0 Houston, Texas
44 Antanas Kavaliauskas Jr. C 6-10 5.0 3.3/0.66 Vilnius, Lithuania
Head Coach: Billy Gillispie (2nd Year)
Assistant Coaches: Alvin Brooks, Steve Forbes, Buzz Williams
PENN STATE CLEMSON Claxton (17.3) Scoring Leader Law (19.3)
Claxton (8.5) Rebound Leader Jones & Smith (5.0)
Luber (6.5) Assist Leader Smith & Carter (5.0)
81.8 Scoring Offense 85.0
67.5 Scoring Defense 51.3
+14.3 Scoring Margin +33.7
41.5 Rebounds Per Game 31.0
+9.3 Rebound Margin +2.3
20.8 Assists Per Game 23.3
6.8 Steals Per Game 10.0
49.4 Field Goal% 50.6
41.9 FG% Defense 37.3
33.3 3PT. FG% 40.3
30.9 3PT FG% Defense 21.9
1.5 Assist/Turnover 2.0
3-7 Last 10 7-3
L1 W/L Streak W3
Series HistoryOverall: 0-2
Last Meeting: 1/2/05 at PSU
Last Result: L, 62-60
Current Streak: L 2
At PSU: 0-2
At A&M: 0-0
Neutral Site: 0-0
DeChellis vs. A&M 0-1
Penn State vs. Big 12 5-5
DeChellis vs. Big 12 0-2
SERIES HISTORY1/2/05 at PSU L, 62-60
12/28/72 at PSU L, 62-55
Scouting Texas A&M: The Aggies return four starters and two of the their top three scorers and rebounders from a 2004-05 team that went 21-10 (8-8 in the Big 12) and made an appearance in the NIT. They bring a 3-0 record into the weekend after posting an 83-57 win at Tulane on Nov 26. Penn State is the Aggies first opponent in seven days. The Aggies are led in scoring by 6-3 junior guard Acie Law who is averaging 19.3 per game. Sophomore forward Joseph Jones (6-9/250), who had 20 in their last game hitting 12-of-15 from the charity stripe, and junior Marlon Pompey (6-8/225) als average double-figures with 14.0 and 10, respectively. Jones is also the team's leading rebounder alsong with 6-2 guard Eddie Smith with 5.0 per game. The Aggies play eight players that average at least 13 minutes per game and have scored 80 or more points in each of their first three contests, including wins over Southern (88-44) and Mississippi Valley State (84-53). They are shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc (shooting 20 treys per game), and average 23 assists against 11 turnovers per game. Their defense has held opponents to 37.3 percent shooting and they have won by an average of 33.7 points per game in their first three contests. The Aggies feature home grown talent as 15 members of their 18-man roster hail from the state of Texas, including four of their starting five and nine of their top 12 scorers.
A&M At Home A Tough Task: Texas A&M is 20-3 in Reed Arena the last two seasons and has won 16-straight regular season non-conference games, 15 at home.
Last Time vs. Texas A&M: Penn State dropped its final non-conference game of the 2004-05 season to the Aggies 62-60 in the Bryce Jordan Center as the Nittany Lions moved to 6-7 before starting Big Ten Conference play. The Aggies outscored Penn State 10-3 over the game's final 5:37 to overcome a 17-point second half lead by Penn State. Junior Aaron Johnson led the charge with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Penn State was hot in the first half shooting 63.6 percent (14-22) while holding the Aggies to just 32.3 percent (10-31). Junior Travis Parker got out of the gate early hitting 4-of-5 in the half and scoring nine points. Penn State took a 39-28 lead into intermission and then scored the first six points of the second half. A pair of Aggie treys cut the lead to 11 and Penn State went cold. Parker, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, made a lay-up at 5:37 to give Penn State a 57-52 lead, but the Nittany Lions hit only one other field goal the rest of the way. "As soon as they turned up the heat on us we didn't respond very well," said Head Coach Ed DeChellis following the game.
LAST TIME OUT -Clemson 96, Penn State 88:
Penn State suffered its first loss of the season falling to Clemson 96-88 in the Bryce Jordan Center as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. A career-high 27-point effort on 61 percent shooting (11-of-18) from sophomore Geary Claxton was not enough to overcome 14 first half turnovers and an 18-8 run by Clemson that saw the Tigers go into halftime leading 49-30. Clemson pushed the lead to 26 early in the second period before Penn State began to widdle away and closed to within six with 13 seconds remaining as junior David Jackson scored 10 of his career-high 15 points in the final two minutes. Penn State comitted just two turnovers in the second half, to finish the game with 16, and posted 58 second half points, the highest scoring half ever under Coach Ed DeChellis. Clemson scored 26 points off turnovers and it's 96 total for the game were the most ever allowed by a Penn State team under DeChellis.
Penn State Has Two Stiff Non-Conference Road Tests: Texas A&M, which went 21-10 and played in the NIT last season, is the first of two tough road tests for the Nittany Lions on the non-conference schedule. Penn State will also travel to Pittsburgh on Dec. 10 for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff. The Panthers went 20-9 last year and made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Panthers will be led by All-Big East point guard Carl Krauser who averaged 16 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last year.
Claxton Shoots 61% To Post Career-high 27 Points vs. Clemson/Second Straight Game With A Career High: Sophomore Geary Claxton got his confidence up early with a pair of transition dunks and kept it going with hot shooting from the field throughout the game as he recorded a career-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting (61%) in Penn State's loss to Clemson. It marked the second straight game in which Claxton had surpassed his career high as he overcame a tough 4-for-13 first half to go 5-of-8 in the second and net 21 points in a win over Long Island in the previous game. Claxton also grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds against Clemson and evenly divided his halves going 6-of-9 for 14 points in the first and 5-of-9 for 13 points in the second, including hitting his first three-pointer of the season.
Lions Break 80 Again: In its 96-88 loss to Clemson Penn State surpassed the 80-point mark in three straight games for the first time since the second, third and fourth games of the 1999-2000 season.
Highest Scoring Half Under DeChellis: For the second time this season Penn State set a mark for the highest scoring half under Coach Ed DeChellis when the Lions netted 58 points in the second half against Clemson. Penn State shot 55 percent for the half (21-38) as they attempted to battle back from a 19-point halftime deficit. Penn State previously posted a 51-point first half in its victory over Nicholls State this year on its way to 93 points, the second highest total under DeChellis.
Jackson Scores 10 In Final Minute To Net Career-High 15 vs. Clemson: Junior guard David Jackson nearly capped a Penn State comeback from 26 points down in the second half to Clemson as he netted 10 of his career-high 15 points in the final 1:06 of the game. The Nittany Lions trimmed the lead to six with 13 seconds to play. Jackson had three free throws, two lay-ups and a three-pointer in the final minute as he shot 5-of-7 for the game.
Jackson Second In Conference In Assist to Turnover Ratio/Three Straight Games Without A Turnover: Junior guard David Jackson did not commit a turnover in 36 minutes of action against a full-court pressing Clemson team. It marked his third straight game without a turnover after committing three in his first career game against Cornell. Jackson has 15 assists (second on the team) against 3 turnovers on the year and ranks second in the Big Ten with a 5.00 assist to turnover ratio.
Luber Second in Big Ten In Assists, Helps Lead Penn State To Conference's Top Assist To Turnover Ratio: Penn State has posted 20 or more assists in two games this season and ranks second in the Big Ten with 20.75 assists per game. Penn State posted a season-best 29 assists against 13 turnovers in its 93-56 win over Nicholls State. Junior guard Ben Luber has been leading the assist charge as he ranks second in the Big Ten with 6.5 assists per game. Combined with the play of fellow junior guard David Jackson, who is second in the conference with a 5.00 assist to turnover ratio, the pair have helped lead Penn State to a conference best 1.54 assist to turnover ratio after four games.
Penn State Leading Big Ten In Rebounding: Penn State dominated the boards in its three wins to open the season out rebounding Cornell 49 to 33 (+16), including a 22-12 edge on the offensive glass, Nicholls State 45 to 36 (+9), and Long Island 41-26 (+15). The quick start has Penn State leading the Big Ten (41.5) in rebounding after four games. The Nittany Lions are outrebounding opponents by an everage of 9.3 per game led by sophomore Geary Claxton who ranks fifth in rebounding (8.5) in the Big Ten and first in offensive rebounds pulling down 4.25 per game. Penn State held its own with a bigger Clemson team, losing the rebounding war 34-31.
Parker Breaks Out To Become Third Nittany Lion To Post A Double-Double On The Year: Senior forward Travis Parker struggled with a sore back and limited playing time in Penn State's first two games of the year, but broke out in the third posting his third career double-double (18 pts/11 rebs) in helping lead Penn State to an 80-64 win over Long Island. Parker became the third Nittany Lion to post a double-double on the year, joining Geary Claxton (vs. Cornell) and Milos Bogetic (vs. Nicholls St.), as he matched his career high with 11 rebounds and equalled his second-highest scoring total with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Small Ball Proves Effective Against Long Island: Penn State played much of a second half in which it outscored Long Island 42-32, shot 56.9 percent, scored 26 points in the paint and out-rebounded the Blackbirds 20-9 with the small front court line-up of 6-5 Geary Claxton (17 min./12 pts), 6-5 Travis Parker (14 min./9 pts), and 6-6 Jamelle Cornley (12 min./9 pts). The trio proved very effective combining to score 30 of the Nittany Lions 42 points and collecting 10 of the team's 20 rebounds. Penn State started the second half of the Clemson game with the same line-up.
Freshman Cornley Posts Three-Straight Double-Digit Scoring Games: Freshman Jamelle Cornley (6-6/235) has proven to be a force in the paint for Penn State nearly posting a double-double with 12 pts and 9 rebs in the opener and then posting a season-high 17 points in 20 minutes of action in the win over Nicholls State. Cornley had 13 at halftime, Penn State's highest scoring half to date, and went on to shoot 8-of-10 from the field. He followed up with an 11-point effort in just 16 minutes off the bench against Long Island as he shot 5-of-6 from the field.
Underclassmen Logging Majority Of Minutes: Penn State has started two underclassmen (sophomores Geary Claxton and Brandon Hassell) in the first three games this year, and underclassmen have played the majority of minutes logging nearly 60 percent of the time on the floor between three sophomores and seven freshmen. Jamelle Cornley leads all freshman playing 22.8 minutes per game, while Geary Claxton leads underclassmen logging 31.8.
Cornley's Big Freshman Debut Makes Two In A Row For Penn State: As Head Coach Ed DeChellis continues to increase the talent level of the program in his third season, his recruiting victories continue to pay immediate dividends. Freshman Jamelle Cornley was the latest to make an immediate impact as the two-time Ohio State Player-of-the-Year nearly posted a double-double in Penn State's season opening victory over Cornell. The 6-6 forward posted 12 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes of action off the bench in his first game. Cornley nearly matched the freshman debut of now sophomore Geary Claxton. The 6-5 Claxton netted 16 points and grabbed nine boards in Penn State's opening game against Illinois State last year. Claxton went on to lead Penn State in scoring and earn Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.
Bench Nets 53 Points in 82 Minutes Of Action VS Nicholls State: Penn State went to its bench early and often in the win over Nicholls State as front court starters Geary Claxton Brandon Hassell and Travis Parker found early foul trouble. The bench players responded strongly posting 53 points in 82 minutes of action, the most points ever from the PSU bench under Coach Ed DeChellis. Three players off the bench, Jamelle Cornley (17), Milos Bogetic (12) and Cilk McSweeney (10), posted double-digits in scoring and Bogetic (13) and McSweeney (7) led Penn State in rebounding.
Bench Big For Lions In Opener: Penn State got 24 points (36% of the team total) and 17 rebounds (35%) from three players that came off the bench to spark the Nittany Lions' come-from-behind win over Cornell in the season opener. Freshmen Jamelle Cornley (12 pts, 9 rbs) and Milos Bogetic (1 pt, 8 rbs) were the Nittany Lions second and third leading rebounders and sophomore Mike Walker (11 pts) hit three big three-pointers in the second half to spur the comeback. The three logged a total of 66 minutes (33%) for the game. The bench was particularly big when the Nittany Lions leading scorer, Geary Claxton, went to the bench with four fouls and Penn State trailing by five with 10:21 remaining. Eleven of Penn State's next 13 points (six from Walker, four from Cornley, one for Bogetic) came from the bench as the Nittany Lions took a 52-46 lead and never looked back.
Freshman Bogetic Off To Strong Start/Nets Double-Double: Freshman forward Milos Bogetic (6-10) is off to a strong start as he is second on the team in reboundins (6.0/g) and posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in Penn State's win over Nicholls State. The 13 boards matched the season-high set by Geary Claxton in the season opener and are one of the high for the season in the Big Ten (shared by two players). Bogetic logged the double-double in just 24 minutes of action and nearly had it by halftime as he went to the lockerroom with 10 points and 9 boards. Bogetic had eight rebounds in the opener and netted five points in just 11 minutes of action against Long Island.
Bogetic Second In Big Ten In Blocked Shots: Freshman Milos Bogetic (6-10) has posted seven blocked shots in Penn State's first four games and ranks second in the Big Ten averaging 1.75 blocks per game. He has recorded a block in every game this year and had two in games against Clemson and Nicholls State.
Claxton & Luber Match Career Highs In Opener: Sophomore Geary Claxton equalled a career high with 13 rebounds and posted his third career double-double with 13 points in Penn State's season opening win over Cornell. The 13 boards have him tied with Indiana's Marco Killingsworth (who recorded 13 against Nicholls State) for the Big Ten lead. Junior guard Ben Luber also matched a career high with 17 points in the game and added six assists and three steals in 37 minutes of action.
Claxton Nets Third Career Double-Double: Geary Claxton posted his third career double-double in the win over Cornell despite sitting for six minutes in the second half with foul trouble. Claxton grabbed 10 rebounds by halftime to finish with 13 for the game and added 13 points despite a rough 4-for-15 shooting performance. Claxton also added five assists and a blocked shot on the game.
Penn State Wins First Opener Since 2000-01: With a 66-54 win over Cornell on Nov. 19, Penn State posted its first win in a season opener since the 2000-01 season. The Lions followed with a 93-56 win over Nicholls State. The 2000-01 season was also the last time Penn State started a season 2-0 as that team defeated Kentucky in Lexington for its second win of the season.
Lions Have Youngest Squad In Big Ten: With seven true freshmen and four sophomores (11 underclassmen - including injured sophomore Danny Morrissey) on the roster, Penn State has the youngest roster in the Big Ten entering the 2005-06 season. Wisconsin (11 underclassmen) is a close second with six true freshman, one redshirt freshman, two sophomores, and two redshirt sophomores on its 15 man roster. Head Coach Ed DeChellis's third Penn State team welcomes nine new faces to the floor. Seven of those nine new faces are freshmen and two are junior transfers as the Lions have just two returning upperclassmen on the roster. Senior forward Travis Parker, a 27-game starter last year in his second season with the program, and junior guard Ben Luber, in his third season with the Lions and with 48 career starts under his belt, provide the Lions' experience. They will help lead three returning sophomores (2005 All-Big Ten Freshmen Team forward Geary Claxton, forward Brandon Hassell and guard Mike Walker), two junior transfers in guard David Jackson (Gulf Coast CC) and forward Cilk McSweeney (Towson) and seven freshmen (guards: Maxwell Dubois, Nikola Obradovic and Clay Scovill and forwards: Jamelle Cornley, Keith Hardin, Joonas Suotamo and Milos Bogetic).
Big Ten Has Four in Latest USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25: Led by Illinois at No. 12, the Big Ten had four teams in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 Poll (11/28). Michigan State checked in at No. 14, Iowa at No. 15 and Indiana at No. 16 for the Big Ten. Duke was No. 1 in the poll for the second week.
Four Starters, Six Letterman Return For Lions: A young Penn State team will benefit from the return of six lettermen and four players that started at least half of the team's 30 games in the 2004-05 season. Forward Travis Parker (27 starts/11.4 ppg/5.4 rpg), the lone senior, leads the contingent of returning starters that includes junior guard Ben Luber (22 starts/6.1 ppg/3.6 apg), sophomore forward Geary Claxton (30 starts/12.7 ppg/6.3 rpg) and sophomore guard Mike Walker (15 starts/6.3 ppg/2.4 apg). Sophomore forward Brandon Hassell (1.7 ppg/2.0 rpg) and sophomore guard Danny Morrissey (7.7 ppg/2.5 rpg), who will redshirt this season with a knee injury, and are the other returning lettermen. Penn State returns players that accounted for 70 percent of the minutes played last year.
Just The Name on the Front: At the behest of Head Coach Ed DeChellis, Penn State will not wear names on the backs of their jerseys this season. Nameless jerseys has been a goal for DeChellis since his return to Penn State. The timing to get it done with the rotation of new jerseys from Nike did not occur until this season.
We Are Family: To reinforce team commitment and togetherness, Penn State players and staff have been wearing blue rubber wristbands (similar to Livestrong bands) since the summer with the word "Family" inscribed on them and the Penn State logo.
Claxton Among Top Big Ten Players Entering Second Season: Sophomore guard Geary Claxton quickly proved he belonged among the Big Ten's top players as he earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors by posting 16 points and nine rebounds against Illinois State in his first collegiate game. A tremendous leaper with a feathery touch, he went on to lead Penn State in scoring (12.7 ppg) and blocks (23) and was second in rebounding (6.3 rpg) while playing nearly 32 minutes a game and starting all 30 contests. The Big Ten All-Freshman team selection elevated his game during the conference season starting with a superb 20-point, four rebound, three block effort against Michigan State in his Big Ten debut. He went on to score in double-digits in 15 of 17 games versus conference opponents on the year and posted an average of 14.4 points in those games. He had outstanding outings against No. 1 Illinois, putting in an 18-point effort on the road and a 19-point effort at home, and posted a pair of double-doubles against Ohio State going for 14 points and 12 rebounds in a home meeting with the Buckeyes and an outstanding 20 points and 13 rebounds in the team's final game of the season at the Big Ten Tournament.
Parker Trimmed Down For Senior Campaign: Senior forward Travis Parker worked during pre-season conditioning to lower his weight using extra individual conditioning runs. He enters the season weighing around 232 pounds, 10 pounds lighter than his playing weight of 242 last year.
Morrissey Lost to Knee Injury: A month before its season opener with Cornell on Nov. 19, the Penn State basketball team lost one of its top returning scorers to a knee injury. Sophomore shooting guard Danny Morrissey (Cleveland, Ohio), who started 10 games as a true freshman, suffered a tear to the patella tendon in his left knee at the team's practice on Friday, Oct. 21. He underwent surgery Oct. 27 and is expected to be out of competition for 4-6 months and will likely redshirt the season.
The loss of Morrissey reduces Head Coach Ed DeChellis's roster to 14 players as he enters his third season on the Nittany Lion bench.
"Obviously it's a big loss for our team," DeChellis said. "Danny is one of our top shooters and top competitors and a team leader on the floor. It's really unfortunate for him. He worked very hard in the off-season to prepare for this year. But, we feel like we have some very capable players that can step in and fill the gap and a team we will continue to prepare to have a strong season."
Morrissey suffered a similar injury to his right leg during his freshman year of high school and had surgery to clean up that injury prior to last season. He was fifth on the team averaging 7.7 points and added 2.5 rebounds per game for Penn State in his first season. Morrissey played an average of nearly 24 minutes per game and led the team with 53 three-pointers on the year, hitting nearly 36 percent from behind the arc. Morrissey stepped up his game in Big Ten play posting 8.3 points per game and recorded a career-high 22-point outing against Minnesota last March. He led the team in scoring in five games last season and posted double-digit outings on nine occasions, including 16 points against Northwestern and Western Carolina and 15 at Purdue.
Penn State To Have 17 Games Televised in 2005-06: The Penn State men's basketball team will have 17 of its 27 regular season contests televised. Three of those television broadcasts will go to a national audience starting with the Nittany Lions' first television appearance of the year, an 8:00 p.m. ESPNU match-up with Clemson on Nov. 29 in the Bryce Jordan Center. That game is part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Penn State will also appear on ESPNU on Jan. 21 vs Ohio State and on ESPN2 on Feb. 11 vs Wisconsin in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State will have two non-conference games televised. Along with the Clemson match-up, Penn State's Dec. 10 road trip to take on regional rival Pittsburgh will be broadcast by Fox Sports Net/Pittsburgh (Ch. 34).
Penn State will have 15 of its 16 Big Ten conference games televised on the year. Fourteen of those games will be produced by ESPN-Plus. Fans can catch the Nittany Lions' in Big Ten action in the State College area on FSN/Pittsburgh (Ch. 34), WWCP-TV (FOX-8, Ch. 8) and WPSU-TV (Ch. 3) and regionally on WLYH-TV (UPN 15 - Harrisburg-Lancaster) and WFMZ-TV (Ch. 69 - Eastern PA/Western N.J.) throughout the season.
FSN/Pittsburgh will air four Penn State games including the Nov. 10 game at Pittsburgh, Jan. 18 vs. Purdue, Feb. 4 at Illinois and Feb. 22 at Indiana.
WWCP-TV will air four Penn State games including Jan. 14 vs. Iowa, Jan. 21 vs. Ohio State, Jan. 28 at Michigan State and Feb. 18 at Purdue
WPSU-TV will air six Penn State games including the Big Ten opener Jan. 5 at Ohio State, Jan. 25 at Wisconsin, Feb. 1 vs. Michigan, Feb. 8 vs. Minnesota, Feb. 15 vs. Indiana, and March 1 vs. Iowa.
WLYH-TV will air five Penn State games as part of its 15 game Big Ten basketball package. Those games include Jan. 14 vs. Iowa, Jan. 21 vs. Ohio State, Jan. 28 at Michigan State, Feb. 18 at Purdue and Feb. 25 vs. Northwestern.
WFMZ-TV will air seven of Penn State's regular season Big Ten games and the first two rounds of the Big Ten Tournament (March 9 & 10). Regular season contests to be aired include Jan. 5 at Ohio State, Jan. 25 at Wisconsin, Feb. 1 vs. Michigan, Feb. 4 at Illinois, Feb. 8 vs. Minnesota, Feb. 15 vs. Indiana and March 1 at Iowa.
2005
FALL DOMINANCE AT PSU:Capturing its second Big Ten Championship since joining the league in 1993, the Penn State football team used a 31-22 victory at Michigan State on Nov. 19 to bring home the University's uprecendented fifth fall Big Ten Championship. The football team joined field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball as conference champions this fall.
Previous to Penn State's success this fall, no single member institution had won more than three of the fall Big Ten titles up for grabs, which also includes men's and women's cross country in addition to the five sports the Nittany Lions won.
With only the fall behind them, the Nittany Lions have already won more Big Ten titles than any other year since beginning conference play in 18 sports in 1991-92. Penn State had won four Big Ten titles on four occasions.
Overall, Penn State is a superlative 92-14-3 this fall for a .858 winning percentage. Penn State is the only school ranked in the Top 25 in all of the following sports: field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. with a 47-1 Big Ten record this fall, Penn State's teams have a .979 winning percentage in those sports. The five regular season championships brings Penn State's Big Ten total for regular season titles to 37.
Comfort on road vital to success:
"When the Penn State men's basketball team takes the court tonight in the Reed Center at Texas A&M, there will be no cameras, no announcers and no jeering Aggies fans. That's because the game isn't until 4 p.m. tomorrow.
"The Nittany Lions (3-1) are leaving Happy Valley early this afternoon in order to establish a comfort level with a road venue, something that was lacking for much of head coach Ed DeChellis' first two years at the helm. Penn State is 2-20 under DeChellis when playing on the road.
" 'Until you experience going on the road and playing in a different environment, a different gym, dealing with the crowd, I don't think there's a whole lot of talk that I can do to actually prepare them for it,' DeChellis said. ..."
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Thursday, December 01, 2005
Jack Ham, one of the greatest linebackers in football history, called Poz the best linebacker Penn State has ever had. Today Poz was also named an Academic All American. - ed.
Paul Posluszny Selected A First Team Academic All-AmericanLions' 32nd Honoree Under Paterno
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., December 1, 2005 - Junior linebacker Paul Posluszny has been selected a first team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America football player, Penn State's 26th student-athlete to be so honored.
Members of CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America, selected Posluszny to the prestigious team. A pair of Nittany Lions - Nolan McCready and Posluszny - had been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team. The All-District nod was the second of Posluszny's career.
A native of Aliquippa, Pa., Posluszny is the 24th Nittany Lion under Coach Joe Paterno to earn first team Academic All-America honors. The Nittany Lions' total of 34 Academic All-American football players ranks fourth among all Division I-A institutions.
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