Penn State: NIT Champions!!!!

Congratulations to the Penn State men's basketball team for claiming their first ever NIT championship last night, dispatching of Baylor by a score of 69-63. Trailing by four at the half the Nittany Lions came out and took charge in the second half in Madison Square Garden with a widely partial crowd toward Penn State.

The school sent 36 packed buses of students, bringing their football student section traditions with them.

Penn State fans were decked out in their finest white, except for Joe Paterno, and the crowd definitely seemed to give the Nittany Lions a boost as they were fired up from the start and made noise the entire game.

Jamelle Cornley was named tournament MVP and did he ever deserve it. After injuring his shoulder in the opening game and missing the second round game, Cornley inspired his team to outstanding victories at Florida and a pair of victories in Madison Square Garden.

He may have gotten into some verbal exchanges that you don't like to see, but his intensity was a driving influence on this team.

Also a huge shout out to Danny Morrissey who left the game with minutes left as he dove for a loose ball and slammed his face against the floor and started bleeding from his split lip as well as suffering from a mild concussion.

He was taken off the floor and to the locker room late in fear that the Penn State fans would storm the court. His back to back three pointers in the second half turned the game around for Penn State, giving them the emotional control the rest of the way.

Penn State finishes the season at 27-11 and now looks to put the lessons learned this season into their preparation for a tournament bid in 2010.

The story of the Baylor basketball program is an inspiring one itself, but for this Penn State fan I am proud to see the basketball team fight their way to an NIT championship. Yes, the naysayers will say "it's just the NIT", but this is still a remarkable feat for this program.

I have been hoping for years that the basketball team would have some success and move in the right direction. You can only hope that this NIT championship run can get that upward swing in full motion.

I don't expect for Penn State to become the same kind of program as North Carolina, UConn, Michigan State, or UCLA etc. But I would like to see them become considered in the same company as programs like Marquette, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Is that really too much to ask or expect? I don't think so.

Shortly after the NIT championship trophy was hoisted by the team, Talor Battle's brother, Taran Buie, gave his verbal commitment to Penn State.

Some more stories for your reading pleasure...

Crowning Moment - Centre Daily Times
Send your well wishes - CDT
Cornley finished his career satisfied - The Daily Collegian
Senior wills Lions to title - The Daily Collegian
Penn State wins NIT Championship - Black Shoe Diaries
Penn State 2009 Champions!!! - Nittany White Out