"There always are those upsets in the cottage-conference tourneys. But it will take several this March just to equal the normal number of mid-major at-large bids.
"For fans of bubble-sitters such as PSU (63 RPI) and Temple (45), the conferences where upsets could really hurt their chances are the ones where the clear leaders are likely to survive any carnage:
"# Conference USA, where Memphis (7) is a heavyweight in what is now a middleweight league. Weak-resumed UAB (42) could have pulled itself into legitimate at-large territory Thursday night with an upset of the Tigers in Birmingham, but lost by 11. Any upset of Memphis in the C-USA tournament almost certainly snatches a bid from the at-large pool.
"# The West Coast Conference, where Gonzaga (38) is boss and has been in and out of the Top 25 all year. St. Mary's (52) looked for most of the season like a probable second bid until point guard Patrick Mills injured his wrist. The Gaels are trying hard to survive until his return and got a jolt of juice with a Bracket Busters defeat of WAC champion Utah State (25).
"# The Horizon League, where Butler (20) is czar and any tourney upset of the Bulldogs is a certain bid-stealer.
"# The Atlantic 10, where Xavier (12) is king, Dayton (34) is a likely second bid and anyone else, including Temple (45) and Rhode Island (58), is an add-on. Atlantic City will draw anxious sideways glances from the Nittany Lions while they fight in Indianapolis because they lost to both the Owls and Rams, neither on a hostile floor.
"# The Mountain West, where Utah (9) is a lock, Brigham Young (22) is close and UNLV (48) is bubbly. Watch for the Rebels.
Jamelle Cornley and Andrew Jones chose Penn State because, ultimately, Penn State chose them.
For a basketball program wishing to become a destination for blue-chippers, that is a problem.
But what Cornley, Jones and coach Ed DeChellis hope is that this season's success can transform State College into a place where top recruits want to play....
Ed DeChellis could only watch the game tape from Penn State's win over Illinois for 40 real-time minutes. His Penn State staff was subjected to the entire 40 minutes of game time.
'I don't know if I'll be in that frame of mind again,' DeChellis said Thursday. 'I didn't know what half we were in when they said the game was 38-33. I thought it was a dream. I thought it was halftime.'
Nope, that score was 17-15 for the Nittany Lions. Penn State beat Illinois Wednesday night in a game that is memorable for its statistical oddities. Illinois didn't attempt a free throw. Not one free throw, not one attempt, and the Illini were playing at home.
Illinois was 15-of-50 from the field, 3-of-16 on 3s and didn't have a single player in double figures. Penn State was 13-of-46, 3-of-17 on 3s and 9-of-11 at the line.
'It was a slugfest,' DeChellis said. 'We missed open shots. Illinois missed open shots, shots that went in and out and around the rim. Both teams defended well, though.' ...
"... But for the Nits, this decision is a beautiful thing to behold. It's PSU's third straight in a place where no one wins. It was achieved by fight and grit and resilience from a team that would much prefer to run against an opponent that specializes in defense and leads the league in fewest points allowed. Penn State beat Illinois at its own game in its own building.
"And most importantly, it gives the Lions a monumental scalp to show the NCAA selection committee when it convenes in three weeks in Indianapolis. This is another road win against a nationally ranked league heavyweight and it shows the committee exactly what it purports to value most -- toughness away from home.
"Now, the Lions (19-8, 8-6) are in business. They just might be able to get by with a 2-2 finish as long as one of the losses isn't to bottom-feeding Indiana at the Jordan Center in nine days. ..."
"... Thanks to [NCAA] media relations director [Dave] Worlock and VP of basketball operations [Greg] Shaheen, I have just taken part in a marathon bracket study session at NCAA headquarters.
"It's called the Mock Selection Seminar, and it replicates in one day with 20 reporters what the 10-person committee does in 4½..."
"It’s time to look ahead. First we’ll be watching that Purdue-Michigan State game on Tuesday. Illini players and coaches will be rooting for the Boilermakers big-time. Then Illinois hosts Penn State on Wednesday. It will be fun watching Chester Frazier guard Talor Battle.
"Then Illinois heads to Ohio State for a game next Sunday.
"Given the remaining games, I’ve listed them in order of difficulty, as I see them.
(Most difficult). Illinois at Ohio State, Feb. 22
Michigan State at Illinois, March 1
Illinois at Penn State, March 5
Penn State at Illinois, Wednesday
(Least difficult) Minnesota at Illinois, Feb. 26."
" ... When it came down to crunch, the Gophers had both points on the floor at the same time -- Joseph and Al Nolen -- but didn't really have a guy to run the show. This is the glaring deficiency in Minnesota. Nolen is a very good on-ball defender. And Joseph can shoot it. But neither is what you'd call a playmaker with a dependable handle.
"Talor Battle knew this. He almost looked like a snake stalking a scared mouse when Joseph attempted to work the dribble on him with PSU up two and a minute left. Joseph crossed over right in front of Battle -- a fatal error for a guy who's not too sure of his handle. And Talor picked him clean by timing the dribble and batting it off Joseph's ankle. Joseph lost track of the ball, looking fractically between his own legs, but Battle already was snapping up the loose ball and heading the other way.
"Battle is such a slick converter near the rack on such breakaways that he can look over his shoulder, time the trailing defender, cross to the opposite side of the rim and draw the foul just after he's released his little running banker. It's a great move for any small player to have in his repertoire.
"This is the play that had as much to do with the decision as any. It should have been front and center in the story. ..."
When Sasa Borovnjak stepped off the plane 15 months ago, Veritas Christian Academy basketball coach John Jordan asked his new big man how his flight from Belgrade, Serbia, had gone. “Hi, I am Sasa,” Borovnjak replied.
Jordan smiled and tried again, asking Borovnjak if he had eaten anything on the plane.
“Hi, I am Sasa,” was the response. Borovnjak’s English, and his game, have come a long way since.
The 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward, currently a senior at Veritas Christian in Fletcher, N.C., committed to Penn State on Wednesday and will formally announce his decision during a press conference at his high school this afternoon.
Borovnjak had been receiving late interest from schools like Georgetown and Gonzaga, but decided not to keep his top two schools, Penn State and the College of Charleston, waiting. Speaking with his family by phone confirmed his decision.
“They all agree. They would all like me to come to Penn State,” Borovnjak said Wednesday evening.
The Nittany Lions get an offensive-minded power forward who has developed against some of the nation’s best competition. Borovnjak has averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and three assists per game this season while playing the likes of Oak Hill Academy, Mount Zion Christian Academy and Patterson Prep....
"I know I've been ascending the soapbox quite a bit lately, and I promise to refrain from doing so in a bit here, but I'll ask that you indulge me once more. See, yesterday as I got on the elevator, a co-worker and I struck up a conversation about the sporting event that sandwiched the Bruce Springstein concert over the weekend. After discussing what a great game it was, this individual lamented that we were now in somewhat of sports 'black hole,' with nothing going on until pitchers and catchers were to report. 'Heavens to Betsy,' I thought - is it possible that my obsession over college basketball is the exception, rather than the rule? I can understand the disinterest in the NBA regular season - it's hard to expect the fans to care when the players don't - and although I feel hockey players do try very hard, it just seems like they're speaking another language. Not 'getting' hockey is as American as apple pie (though I admit, Midwesterners do share an interest in the puck game that goes beyond the rest of the nation's. But as a transplant, I'm afraid this escapes me). So I ask him, 'Well, what's your college team?' He replies, 'Penn State.'
"Oh my.
"This hit me to my very core. The Nittany Lions are, of course, in the midst of their best season in nearly 20 years. They currently feature the conference's most dynamic player, who is the runaway MVP at this point. They're led by an undersized senior power forward who out-efforts his opponent every time he takes the floor. They've beaten two teams worthy of holding a top ten ranking at some point this season. And one of those wins came just two days ago. I submit that if you can't get excited about this year's Penn State team, you're just not a Penn State fan. In fact, you probably need your head examined. ..."
When is the last time you saw a Michigan State basketball player smile during a game due to the sheer joy of playing?
It seems to me that, since the championship years, the pressure of playing at Michigan State has overshadowed the passion of playing for Michigan State.
Of course, getting excited about playing basketball isn't going to fix a team's ills.
Enthusiasm isn't going to magically cure Morgan.
It can, however, build confidence, and that could be the difference between a four-point loss and a four-point win.
While sitting on the baseline during Sunday's loss to Penn State, I watched Nittany Lions star guard Talor Battle step to the free throw line for two shots with 28 seconds left in a game his team led, 69-67.
He missed both, giving Michigan State — which trailed by 12 just a few minutes earlier — a chance to tie or take the lead. Battle, though, didn't scowl or put his hands to his head in exasperation. He didn't hang his head, he didn't crumble.
Instead, he laughed.
That's when you know the game is fun for a player — that a player is playing loose — when he can laugh off a costly mistake with the confidence that he and his team will overcome it. ...
Others Receiving Votes Dayton 95, Davidson 85, Missouri 39, Penn State 37, LSU 36, West Virginia 33, South Carolina 33, UNLV 29, Florida 24, Providence 14, USC 8, Notre Dame 7, Siena 4, Kansas State 4, Northeastern 3, Ohio State 3, Kentucky 2, Arizona 2, Florida State 1, Northern Iowa 1, Virginia Military 1.
Sports Info: Battle Named National Player of the Week By CollegeHoops.net
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Feb. 2, 2009 – Nittany Lion point-guard Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) has been putting together a season worthy of Big Ten Player of the Year consideration and the nation is starting to take notice.
Coming of a career-high 29-point performance in Penn State’s 72-68 upset win at No. 9 Michigan State on Sunday and a 20-point outing in a victory over Iowa last Saturday, Battle was named CollegeHoops.net's National Player of the Week. Battle joins previous weekly winners such as national standouts Jodie Meeks (Kentucky), Jeff Teague (Wake Forest), Stephen Curry, (Davidson), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) and Blake Griffin (Oklahoma).
The Big Ten leader in scoring (19.0 ppg) and assists (5.3 apg), Battle made 6-of-12 threes on the game and scored 13-straight points in the first half to help bring Penn State from 13 down to the lead at halftime of the Nittany Lions’ victory at Michigan State. He shot 11-of-19 for the game and added five boards and three assists while guiding Penn State for all 40 minutes of its first ever victory in East Lansing. The 29-point outing marked his Big Ten leading 11th 20-point game of the season. Battle is also tied for the Big Ten lead with 65 threes on the year and ranks in the top 11 of eight conference statistical categories.
In Penn State’s come-from-behind victory over Iowa, Battle helped the Lions come from 14 down with 11:30 to play running off nine-straight points and combining with senior Jamelle Cornley to score 26 of the Lions’ last 27 points in the game. Battles three with 2:14 to play gave Penn State its first lead of the game. He posted 20 points, six boards and six assists in the 63-59 victory.
Penn State’s victory over the ninth-ranked Spartans improved the Nittany Lions to 17-5 on the season and 6-3 in the Big Ten. Penn State stands tied for third in the conference mid-way through the Big Ten season and is riding a four-game Big Ten win streak, its longest since 1996.
The Nittany Lions will play at Michigan on Thursday in a 7:00 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network before returning home on Sunday, Feb. 8 for a 3:00 p.m. match-up with Wisconsin."
Halfway through the Big Ten men's hoops slate, I thought it was time to hand out some half-season awards. Here you go:
Player of the Year:Talor Battle, Penn State Even before Sunday's upset at the Breslin Center, I had this super sophomore slated here. Battle is just such a solid contributor in every category, with the exception of field goal percentage, that he helps his team in more ways than any other player. It's only a matter of time before he tallies a triple-double. Runner-up: Kalin Lucas, Michigan State Honorable mention: Evan Turner, Ohio State; JaJuan Johnson, Purdue; Jamelle Cornley, Penn State; Manny Harris, Michigan.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Remembering Penn State's last loss at Michigan State, Talor Battle delivered a victory the Nittany Lions fans won't soon forget.
Battle score a career-high 29 points in Penn State's 72-68 victory over No. 9 Spartans on Sunday, but wouldn't take credit for the win -- or blame for Penn State's 0-16 record in previous visits to East Lansing.
"I guess we made history, huh?" Battle said. "Coach mentioned that we hadn't won here. But I wasn't on those other Penn State teams. This is the '08-09 team. And we weren't going to lose by 37 like last year."
Eight-year-old Talor Battle was stuffed into his family's 1992 Jeep Cherokee with five of his siblings on the outskirts of Albany, N.Y. His mother Denise had just spent her last bit of cash on a loaf of white bread and a package of cold cuts and was making sandwiches for the six kids.
It was a rough stretch for the family in May of 1997. They were living out of the Jeep. They had just moved out of the apartment of Denise's former co-worker friend. The woman had four cats. Talor's older brother Tracy was allergic to them. His 5-year-old brother Davante was afraid of them. It was a chaotic mess. They had to move out.
But their own house wasn't yet ready to be moved into. Everything was in disarray. Talor's stepfather Dan Buie had just begun an excursion to Europe to find a job playing basketball. He was in Bologna - the city in Italy. His wife was serving bologna to her kids.
"How ironic, right?" remembered Denise on Saturday with a laugh...
