Bleacher Report - Articles by Pete Jensen

Penn State Basketball: Nittany Lions Making Noise in Early Offseason

Pete Jensen — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:39:23 -0400

After a 15-16 season in which stars went down, youth was exposed, and potential was revealed, Ed DeChellis and his young Nittany Lions basketball team are doing the dirty work in the offseason that may ultimately lead to, as Borat Sagdiev calls it, “Great Success.”

With a hungry sophomore class led by Talor Battle, David Jackson, Andrew Jones, and Jeff Brooks, complemented by a nice dose of veteran leadership from seniors Jamelle Cornley (2007 Big Ten Honorable Mention), Danny Morrissey, and the lightning-quick Stanley Pringle, Penn State, who finished seventh in the Big 10 last year, looks to build off a promising season.

DeChellis, while inspiring his team to pull off some improbable, court-rushing home victories over two ranked opponents, Michigan State and Indiana, in the final month of the 2007-08 season, also remained thoroughly focused on searching for talent across the country.

After a heartbreaking 65-64 loss at the hands of a veteran Illinois team, in which Penn State’s lineup of five first-year players threw together a 10-0 run in the final minutes to take a lead with seven seconds left, the young Lions received a nice bit of news.

Chris Babb, a 6'5" sharpshooter out of Arlington, Texas, who averaged 33 points per game in his senior year, had committed to play for coach DeChellis.

Along with the Letter of Intent from Babb, Penn State inked another 6'5" guard, Cam Woodyard (20.5 ppg - Westminster, MD), an underrated player who led his Winters Mill HS squad to an unexpected Class 2A Maryland state championship.

Woodyard earned tournament MVP honors, as he was instrumental in victories over two highly favored opponents in his team’s final two postseason games.

Also, DeChellis and his staff brought in Andrew Ott, a 6'8" forward who played for Jay Wright at Villanova last season as a redshirt freshman. Billy Oliver (Chatham, NJ) also committed in the early signing period.

More importantly, however, the program was faced with a dilemma when assistant coach Hillary Scott, who has coached with DeChellis for nearly 10 years both at Penn State and East Tennessee State, chose to take the head coaching position at Division III Lynchburg College in Virginia.

The sudden departure of Scott, who was a major recruiter for the program over the past few years, came as a surprise to many players, especially Jamelle Cornley.

Cornley, who is coming off a nagging knee injury suffered at the beginning of last season that he played through until March, expressed his concern about a replacement.

However, close to a week later, an eye-opening hire made basketball fans happy again in the Valley. Lewis Preston, a former assistant coach under Mike Brey at Notre Dame and under Billy Donovan at the University of Florida, chose to take the offer to coach with Ed DeChellis at Penn State.

Preston, who was a major part of the Florida hoops program's back-to-back national titles, made a surprising decision to leave a powerhouse program to join, well, one that has been less than stellar, to say the least, since the Sweet 16 appearance in 2001.

"We are very excited to welcome Lewis to Penn State and our coaching staff," DeChellis said. "He is an outstanding young coach and a very highly regarded national recruiter with a terrific background in basketball as both a coach and a player. We think he is really a perfect fit with our players and staff and are looking forward to having him join our basketball family."

The pieces are falling into place for Penn State.

November may seem distant. After all, the Lions have only officially scheduled games at Georgia Tech (Big 10-ACC Challenge), at home against Temple, a team that qualified for the NCAA Tournament out of the A-10 last year, and a spot in the Philly Classic, an eight-team tournament with solid participants in Villanova, Rhode Island and Niagara.

Regardless, the Nittany Lions are working hard to take the best, most logical steps possible to make Penn State basketball attractive to recruits again, and to put a squad on the floor with the best chance possible to make noise in a solid Big Ten Conference.

Penn State Football: Joe Paterno, Nittany Lions Seek Answers

Pete Jensen — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:15:47 -0400

Autumn will invade Happy Valley in the coming months, and yes, the ageless Joe Paterno will be leading his Nittany Lion Football squad through those epic Beaver Stadium gates on Aug. 30 with just as much desire, commitment and fire as any college football head coach in the nation.

Nothing new.

The 81-year old Paterno, who has won 372 games at the helm at Penn State, is eager to get his team rolling into the Big Ten season, and hoping to put the program's off-field issues behind them.

Amid an off-season highlighted (did I really use that word?) by numerous criminal incidents involving Penn State players, the optimistic Paterno has kept his 43-year old system intact and hopes to build off its Alamo Bowl victory over Texas A&M last December.

Paterno, entering the final year of his four-year contract, has not yet re-signed a deal to coach at Penn State next season. With just an inkling of a monumental change like Paterno's departure on top of all the incidents during the past year, the program is faced with some instability going into the 2008 campaign.

Also, after losing two All-American Linebackers in as many years, Paul Posluzsny (34th overall pick in 2007 to the Buffalo Bills) and Dan Connor (74th overall pick in 2008 to the Carolina Panthers), the team was expecting Senior LB Sean Lee to follow in their footsteps at Linebacker U.

After three straight Butkus Award recipients in as many years from Poz in '05 and '06 and Connor in '07, all eyes were on Lee to keep the tradition at that position. However, after Lee suffered a major setback with a torn ACL in spring drills, the team is without the heart and soul of its defense.

One bright spot for the Lions regarding Lee is that he will be on the sidelines this season, and he is fortunate enough to have that good ol' medical redshirt in store. Lee will rehab and be back for 2009; that's some good news at least.

So, who will be leading this team seeking an appropriate identity? Despite losing starters at quarterback, running back, linebacker and cornerback, the Penn State team will be led by its veteran wide receiving corps.

This group includes Derrick Williams, the team's leading receiver, Deon Butler, a player with a knack for making big-time catches, and the acrobatic Jordan Norwood, all of whom played major roles in the offense last Fall.

While Williams will need to get more looks from whoever is playing quarterback for this team, this group is easily one of the most talented at the position in the Big Ten Conference.

However, one of the biggest questions looming after the Blue and White game in April is the quarterback situation. After rising senior QB Darryl Clark was given some legitimate reps and turned in an impressive effort in the Lions 24-17 win at the Alamo Dome, it seemed as if sophomore Pat Devlin would have to wait at least another year to gain the starting job at PSU.

However, after an impressive winter and spring that truly reminded both the coaching staff and the fan base of the true potential of the Pennsylvania native, Devlin will force offensive boss Galen Hall, QB coach Jay Paterno (yes, the big guy's son) and the rest of the coaching staff to make a very tough decision.

Clark's toughness and run-first mentality together with decent arm strength will be evaluated against the sharp technique and precision of Devlin, complemented by his above-average mobility.

Overall, there is a great deal of pressure on Paterno and his coaching staff, who have led the Nittany Lions to three straight winning seasons, all of which resulted in Bowl victories. However, 2007 came as somewhat of a disappointment to those associated with the storied program, as the expectations were to earn a BCS bid and even as high as the team's third national title.

The 9-4 campaign included poor, reserved offensive showings on the road against Michigan and Illinois, both of which resulted in losses but each by a touchdown or less. Also, the staff was criticized because RB Austin Scott, who was dismissed from the team because of criminal charges, and QB Anthony Morelli never really reached the potential that the scouts thought they could coming out of high school.

Morelli especially, who had good arm strength but was erratic in his accuracy, was ranked by USA Today as the No. 2 Quarterback prospect in the nation out of high school.

Also, WR Chris Bell, who faced charges off the field this Spring and was also dismissed, had a rare size-speed combination, but did not see much playing time last season as a sophomore.

Joe Paterno has been renowned for his discipline and no-nonsense approach over his many years coaching in University Park. After meetings with University President Graham Spanier, however, still there is nothing written in stone for the man who is easily the greatest icon in the school's history, largely due to his generosity in giving back to the University and its students.

Paterno still has the desire, as he has joked that he will coach for another 10 years. But who would have thought that he would have stayed with the same program for 59 years, both as an assistant and a head coach. Truly amazing.

Now, what does he need to do to prove that he deserves to be on the sidelines in 2009? Two things: Prove that he can still keep control of his players, both on the field and off; and prove that he can utilize the talent that he has, despite the adversity facing the program.

MAJOR LOSSES
LB Dan Connor (All-Time Tackles leader, Round 3, Pick 11: Carolina Panthers)
RB Rodney Kinlaw (1,329 yards after taking over the starting job midseason, Undrafted)
WR Terrelle Golden (Undrafted: Philadelphia Eagles)
QB Anthony Morelli (Undrafted: Arizona Cardinals)
CB Justin King (Round 4, Pick 2: St. Louis Rams)

NEWCOMERS
LB Brandon Beachum (Youngstown, OH) Equipped with power, size and toughness.
RB Stephfon Green (Bronx, N.Y.) Senior season: 14.8 ypc, 9 TD at John F. Kennedy High
LB Mike Zordich (Youngstown, OH) Strong lateral movement, tackling technique and overall toughness.
LB Mike Yancich (Washington, Pa.) Excellent athleticism, speed and lateral movement.

**Recruit Strengths courtesy of Scout.com**

In the running game, Evan Royster, a standout last season as a true freshman, will be replacing Rodney Kinlaw as the full time back. Royster's 6.1 ypc last year was a pleasant surprise for a program that was looking for a leader at the position after losing Tony Hunt and Larry Johnson in recent years.

Royster scored the decisive touchdown on a breakaway run against Texas A&M last year, putting Penn State ahead for good. Another major bright spot for Penn State is Stephfon Green, an underrated freshman tailback who opened many eyes at the team's Blue-White scrimmage this spring.

With a breakout opening drive touchdown down the sideline, Green seems to have a decent amount of talent, but he will obviously need some time to start developing as Royster's backup. Another bright spot for the running game is the solidified offensive line, led by veteran center A.Q. Shipley.

Defensively, losing Lee, Connor and King hurts. Penn State football is known for a rugged defensive style, and in order for this to hold true in 2008, a few players need to be productive.

Junior Maurice Evans, who led the team with 12.5 sacks last season, is a huge weapon for coach Paterno if he keeps reeling in the numbers and pressuring opposing QB's at the D-Line position.

Anthony Scirotto and Lydell Sargeant also need to be lockdown in the secondary for this team to defend the passing game. Justin King had a tough time last season with height mismatches, and these two backs need to keep their heads in the game and reach maximum potential as senior leaders.

Also, the team will look to LB Tyrell Sales (50 tackles, three sacks last year) to fill a huge void at linebacker.

So mark your calendars, Nittany Nation, because the answers to these burning questions will unfold in the coming months, just in time for the anticipated 2008 season.

2008 PENN STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:

AUG. 30 COASTAL CAROLINA (I-AA)
SEPT. 6 OREGON STATE
SEPT. 13 @ Syracuse
SEPT. 20 TEMPLE
SEPT. 27 ILLINOIS
OCT. 4 @ Purdue
OCT. 11 @ Wisconsin
OCT. 18 MICHIGAN (Homecoming)
OCT. 25 @ Ohio State
NOV. 8 @ Iowa
NOV. 15 INDIANA
NOV. 22 MICHIGAN STATE

Penn State BB: Nittany Lions Return Home with Momentum

Pete Jensen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:00:07 -0500

I think it’s safe to say that the Penn State Nittany Lion hoops team (10-4, 2-0) is on quite a roll right now.

Head Coach Ed DeChellis’ squad has transformed from a team that hit rock bottom a year ago to a team with a plethora of depth that has a shot to contend in a solid conference.

Sunday afternoon’s victory in a hostile environment in Champaign is something that fans in Happy Valley have not seen in nearly two years—a quality road win.

Wait...let’s backtrack for a moment.

Going into last Wednesday’s Big Ten Opener at the Welsh-Ryan Arena at Northwestern University, the PSU basketball team hadn’t won a single game away from the Bryce Jordan Center since February of 2006.

Now the team is riding a seven-game win streak since their tough loss in Philadelphia in early December, which dropped them to 3-4.

Regardless of the fact that both Big Ten road wins came against anything-but-stellar teams in the Huskies and the struggling Illini, the Lions’ 10-4 record and undefeated mark thus far, both in conference play and at home, show that the team has improved tremendously from the start of the season, giving Nittany Nation a ray of hope with two huge Big Ten home contests rapidly approaching.

However, before this team can really take the money and run, I’d like to address a few things that, unless over-emphasized by the coaching staff, will continue to plague the team this season:

Poor free throw shooting (especially down the stretch) and unsatisfactory execution on second chance opportunities. These are two things that a team cannot do in order to consistently win close games in a top-tier conference like the Big Ten.

Which brings me to refer to one of my most vivid memories of the young season—dare I mention it—the venture to the Old Spice Classic in Disney World on Thanksgiving weekend.

Going into the season, a look at Penn State roster would leave any Nittany Lion fanatic knowing that the team is relatively undersized in terms of height. The starting frontcourt is home to two outstanding veteran forwards—senior Geary Claxton, a member of the pre-season All Big-10 First team, and junior standout, Jamelle Cornley.

While the 6'5" Claxton is the most advertised star in recent PSU basketball memory, Cornley, despite his outstanding work ethic and dominance in the paint, is only listed at 6'5" as well at the power forward position. Their tallest player is senior center Brandon Hassell—listed at 6'11"—with decent scoring ability, but a lack of defensive prowess.

The depth of the team was uncertain early in the season, leaving fans to wonder how they would fare in the tough games against teams with height advantages, especially after seeing the team struggle mightily a year ago in rugged Big Ten matchups.

So far, however, rebounding has surprisingly been the team’s strength. They have been flat out getting it done on the boards, ESPECIALLY on the offensive glass. In the "holiday tournament to forget," the opener against the SEC’s South Carolina was the first indication of the rebounding ability of the Blue and White.

Penn State was without Cornley, an integral part of the team’s inside game for the past two seasons, because of an injury in the Blue/White scrimmage. Despite the fact that they were shorthanded, the Lions feasted on the boards, managing to significantly out-rebound a solid Gamecock team, 50 to 28, and 22 to six offensively.

But the team’s inability to connect on second chance opportunities time and time again, on top of a breakout 30-point performance by SC sophomore Devan Downey, haunted the Lions, as they dropped a heart-breaker in the final minutes, 74-67.

Again, in the team's most recent win, 68-64 over the Fightin' Illini, Penn State dominated the boards by a tally of 45 to 22 and 20 to six offensively. However, 36 percent shooting from the field and 11 misses from the free throw line in the game gave Illinois the opportunity to tie or win the game on the final possession.

Fortunately, PSU was able to escape with a narrow four point victory.

Penn State’s shooting woes from the charity stripe this season have kept many games too close. Overall, they have improved in recent weeks, but still only connect on 62 percent of their freebies.

In a few critical games this season, great performances have nearly gone to waste due to key misses down the stretch from the free throw line. Claxton, who is among the Big Ten leaders in nearly every category, struggles mightily at the stripe, shooting a meager 57 percent for the season.

Penn State shot a dismal 50 percent from the line in its home game against Seton Hall, but prevailed in the final minutes and in OT because of the emergence of freshman guard Talor Battle, who was locked in from long range during crunch time. Even senior swingman and three point guru Mike Walker, who knocked down 88 percent of his FTs last season, has only converted on a horrid 40 percent so far this season.

On the other hand, in some instances, when the team was misfiring from the field, missed opportunities at the free throw line doomed the Lions and failed to keep them in the game.

In the team’s only true non-conference road game, Penn State hung with St. Joseph’s, going into halftime knotted at 28. However, in a second half in which Phil Martelli’s potent Hawks brought an offensive onslaught, missed free throws by Penn State gave St. Joe’s more momentum, feeding a sold out crowd at the Palestra. This caused the Lions to fall further behind, resulting in a disappointing 79-67 loss in Philly.

Enough with the weaknesses—I have to give this team a significant amount of credit so far this season. There is finally something to cheer about here in the valley aside from the happenings across the street at Beaver Stadium and down the road in Rec Hall.

These players pick each other up. Yeah, a last place finish at the Old Spice Classic was an absolute disaster and a 3-4 start wasn’t what the coaching staff expected, but the team has been resilient, walking away with some nail-biting home wins this season, making it evident that this team has character and desire.

When players are having off-days, others step in and do the job.

Newcomer Stanley Pringle has found his niche off the bench in my mind, and forwards Andrew Jones III and David Jackson have provided the team with not only valuable time to rest Claxton and Cornley, but also with outstanding contributions, both by scoring and rebounding.

Geary Claxton is second in the Big Ten in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.6 points and nearly nine boards per game, already earning him Big Ten Player of the Week honors twice. Jamelle Cornley is healthy, coming off a dominant 18 point, 12 rebound performance in Illinois.

The Big Wwo have also reeled off two consecutive double-doubles each, including eight double-doubles in 14 games for Geary so far this year.

Mike Walker and junior guard Danny Morrissey have provided the Lions with timely three-point shooting all season long and are, as always, valuable assets to the team.

Every night, it seems like a different guy steals the show for the Lions. From Pringle's 17 point day off the bench @ Northwestern to Walker's 17 in a thrilling five-point win against Virginia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at the BJC, the Nittany Lions have found contributors not only from the starters, but also off the bench. Players are accepting roles on this squad and finding a way to contribute as much as they can when they are given a chance.

Although the team has some weaknesses, these problems are, for the most part, solvable. The team has already tied its win total in the Big Ten from a year ago, which says a lot.

The team has had so much depth this season that Ed DeChellis has been forced to go with the flow and constantly switch lineups around. Penn State’s 8-0 home record, No. 110 RPI, and two straight road wins are evidence that Eddie D’s approach is working so far this year, and are also signs that something special could be brewing in the Jordan Center this season.

The hot start for the Nittany Lions parallels last season’s 10-4 opening. Last season, however, ended on the lowest note, as the struggling Lions dropped 15 of their final 16 Big Ten games, finishing in the cellar of the Conference Standings.

Currently, Penn State (10-4, 2-0) has a true shot at playing competitive basketball in the Big Ten Conference. The upcoming home stretch is critical and will say a lot about the squad’s ability to play consistent basketball.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-3, 0-1) and the nationally ranked No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers (12-2, 2-0) will visit University Park in the upcoming week, before the Lions face a tough task at No. 10 Indiana in two weeks.

Time will tell if this improving team can keep making the necessary adjustments to get past whatever obstacles come their way this season. However, all in all, Ed DeChellis definitely has something to smile about in regards to his team so far.

This article was written independently by Pete Jensen, a freshman Journalism student at The Pennsylvania State University.

Please feel free to post any opinions, comments or reviews regarding this article.