SB Nation - Jamelle Cornley

Penn State Basketball Preview - Part I

BSD — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:15:11 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

8 months ago: Penn State's Jamelle Cornley (2) drives past Notre Dame's Zach Hillesland (33) during the first half of the NIT semifinal college basketball game on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Who knew they played college basketball in November? It's true. I looked it up.

You have to forgive me. I'm just not used to this whole "basketball success" thing. Normally we don't pick up the basketball team until after the bowl season. And usually by that time we're already out of contention for any kind of post season play, so who cares anyway? But this year is different. This year the team is coming off of a thrilling NIT championship. Season ticket sales are at an all time high. We're in uncharted waters here as a program. I don't want to completely ignore the basketball team until January like years past. So this week I'm going to try to roll out a few preview posts. Today we'll start with going over what we have to replace. Then we will go into what is returning. Then I'll try to do a lengthier post on the new faces on the team. Maybe if I get some time next week we'll go into the schedule and I'll make an attempt to make some kind of prediction. So with that...

What Penn State Has To Replace

Jamelle Cornley

No Penn State player played with more heart and guts over the past four years than Jamelle Cornley. Always fighting sore knees or separated shoulders, Cornley left it all out on the court and he was adored by his fans and teammates for it. The leadership will be difficult to replace. And then there is the production.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Jamelle Cornley	37	34.8	5.9	11.5	51.3	0.5	1.4	38.0	1.9	3.5	53.8	2.0	4.4	6.4	1.2	1.8	0.4	0.1	1.6	14.4

Cornley was the one player Penn State could count on when they needed a basket. When the momentum was getting away from them, and they needed somebody to stop the bleeding by pounding it in the paint and getting a hard earned bucket, Cornley was their man despite the fact he was only 6'5" tall. Replacing that big time inside presence will be the biggest challenge for Ed DeChellis.

Stanley Pringle

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Stanley Pringle	37	30.8	4.5	10.0	45.3	1.9	4.3	45.0	1.8	2.5	72.5	0.6	2.6	3.1	2.8	1.7	1.3	0.2	2.2	12.8

When paired with Talor Battle, Stanley Pringle was one half of the fastest backcourt in the Big Ten. He played good defense, pushed the fast breaks, and had a killer three point shot. But he had a tendency to disappear at times.

Danny Morrissey

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Danny Morrissey	36	20.3	1.7	4.6	37.6	1.3	3.6	35.7	0.6	0.9	68.8	0.3	1.4	1.7	1.5	0.9	0.4	0.1	1.5	5.3

I always had a special appreciation for Danny Morrissey. He played for some of the worst teams in Penn State history, but he was a starter on those teams. Then Battle and Pringle came along and Danny was asked to swallow his pride and take a seat on the bench. He attacked his new role like a loose ball going out of bounds. He gave it his all and never once complained. Give me a team of Danny Morrissey's any day. We may not be great, but we would win a few games, and I guarantee we would be fun to watch.

He wasn't the best defender in the world, but nobody could match Morrissey's toughness or hustle. A rebound here, a charge drawn there. Hitting a clutch three, or coming up with an improbable block against a guy six inches taller than him. He always had a knack for finding a way to contribute.

So if you're keeping score at home, that's two guards and a forward. It's 34.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 85 minutes per game. These three guys represented 47% of Penn State's scoring and 35% of their rebounds last year. Plus they all had years of experience. Replacing them will be no small task.

Penn State Wins the NIT Championship

BSD — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:45:53 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

8 months ago: Baylor's Curtis Jerrells (0) drives past Penn State's Stanley Pringle (11) during the first half of the NIT championship college basketball game Thursday, April 2, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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I never thought I would see the day when Penn State would ever win any kind of championship in men's basketball. I still can't believe it.

All of the hardships. The losses. The injuries. The transfers. They are all part of the past now. Penn State basketball has officially turned the corner, and we are blowing down the back stretch. I'm not foolish enough to say Penn State is a national powerhouse, but today they took a huge step in standing up in front of the nation and putting everyone on notice that the days of Penn State basketball as a national punchline are over.

Thank you to Jamelle Cornley, Stanley Pringle, and Danny Morrissey, three seniors that will always be remembered for their contributions during this great season and their overall careers. Morrissey deserves special recognition as his Penn State career came to a premature end late in the second half when he suffered a mouth injury while diving to prevent the ball from going out of bounds. His final play symbolized the very effort he gave throughout his entire career. While his play was often the scorn of Penn State fans, his heart and hustle could never be denied, and the Penn State family owes him a tremendous thank you. And maybe some new front teeth.

How wonderful is it to see Jamelle Cornley walk off a winner in Madison Square Garden. He injured his shoulder just moments after Morrissey's injury. But in typical Cornley fashion, he played through it. What a warrior. After the game he embraced Battle and the cameras caught him saying something to the effect of "This is your team now. It's your job to keep this going."

And as Penn State fans, it's our job to keep this going as well. Over the past several years I've heard a lot of people say they'll become Penn State basketball fans when the team starts winning. Well, the team just won. They did their part. Now it's time for us to do ours. Penn State fans filled 36 busses to drive six hours to support their team on a work/school night. There is no reason why the Jordan Center can't be sold out for every home game next year. None. Do your jobs.

Congrats to Ed and team. The 2009 NIT Champions. WE ARE!!!

Penn State Wins NIT; Cornley Smashes

Run Up The Score — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:38:05 -0000

Penn State Downs Notre Dame - Advances to NIT Finals

BSD — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:05:07 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Andrew Jones is on the verge of beast status. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Penn State dominated most of the game last night leading by double digits most of the way. Notre Dame made a late rally on the shoulders of All American Luke Harangody pulling to within four points, but Penn State pushed back the rally and soldiered on to a comfortable 67-59 win.

Andrew Jones continued his strong play scoring his third career double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. I keep saying good things happen when he gets the ball, and last night he shot 5-of-6 from the field. Most impressively, he was tasked with containing Harangody and he did so quite well holding him scoreless through much of the first half. He grabbed five more rebounds than Harangody and did so with only two personal fouls. I definitely noticed his control when he was beat for position on a few shots. The old Andrew Jones would have jumped over the back and got a silly foul. This one layed off and got back on defense. He's learning to play with control, and now he is approaching beast status.

How can anyone not feel good for Jamelle Cornley right now? For all of the disappointing losses, the injuries, the pain, the rehab, to see him go out and end his Penn State career in Madison Square Garden in the NIT final in front of thousands adoring fans dressed in white. I can think of a few better things, like playing for the NCAA Championship, but this is just something special kind of like throwing our own private party for him.

Also, do you think Lewis Preston is smiling this morning? Penn State has beaten two of his former teams in the last two games. I suspected he was a great hire when it was announced after last season, and I'm still convinced of that. His specialty is developing post players, and the progress made by Andrew Jones this season cannot be denied. I give a ton of that credit to Preston.

So now we'll face Baylor in the NIT Final on Thursday. With Michigan State in the NCAA Final Four, how great would it be for the Big Ten to claim both National Tournament Championships? But win or lose, this has been an awesome season as we've all come to love these kids and cheer for this team. I'm convinced under the leadership of Ed DeChellis this Penn State program is destined to go on to do greater things, but this team will always be special to me.

Threadageddon: Penn State vs. Notre Dame At The Garden

Run Up The Score — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:00:12 -0000

A little background to ease you into tonight's action, courtesy of the New York Times' Quad blog:

Battle’s younger brother Taran Buie, a junior at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, is considered one of the top basketball prospects in his class. He has five programs at the top of his list: Penn State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Notre Dame and Marquette. (Penn State and Notre Dame play on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.)

“Hopefully he comes in and some of his A.A.U. teammates come in,” Battle said. “And then I’ve started something.”

Buie could be one of the most highly regarded recruits to ever seriously consider Penn State in basketball, at least in recent memory.

Still, this isn't about Talor Battle -- he'll be around for two more years.

It's really all about this guy:

There can only be one.

Open threadiness begins now.

Nittany Lion(s) of the Week - Anastasia Ferdman and Doris Willette

BSD — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:00:10 -0000


Anastasia Ferdman		Doris Willette

When a Nittany Lion wins a National Championship in anything they immediately go to the head of the class and collect the BSD Nittany Lion of the Week Award. But when two of them win, well, they have to share it.

Ferdman dominated day one of the NCAA Championships only losing two bouts in the epee. Day two started poorly with her losing four bouts in a row. She turned things around and didn't lose another bout the rest of the day. Against Notre Dame's Courtney Hurley in the semifinal she trailed 7-12 and things looked bad. But she rallied to win 15-13, and then went on to defeat Harvard's Naom Mills 15-9 in the finals to claim the championship.

Willette scored a thrilling 8-7 victory over Harvard's Emily Cross in her semifinal bout. With time ticking down Willette lunged to score the winning touch with five seconds left on the clock of the final round. Then she went on to win the final against Notre Dame's Hayley Reese 15-5 to claim her second individual National Championship.

Really, we should congratulate all the members of the fencing team for another tremendous National Championship season. If for no other reason, it gives me the chance to put up this picture. (Ferdman in center)

Brings new meaning to "killer beauty"

Honorable Mention

A one-armed Jamelle Cornley led Penn State over the Florida Gators in the quarterfinal of the NIT scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Jordan Steranka jacked a grand slam giving Penn State a 9-2 victory over Kent State.
Max Holt won another EIVA Player of the Week award for the men's volleyball team.

Nitt Picks Emerges From The Cocoon With A Football

Run Up The Score — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:11:53 -0000

Let's get the preliminaries out of the way -- Penn State takes on Florida tonight in Gainesville with a trip to the NIT's Final Four on the line. Crispin And Cream has a extensive preview. One advantage for the Nittany Lions is the preseason addition of former UF assistant coach ~~Billy~~ Lewis Preston to the PSU staff, because we're sure to get all sort of sweet inside information:

"He told us where the good wing place was," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said.

Okay, then! Talor Battle will play. So will Jamelle Cornley.

Believe it or not, the Blue/White Game is only 33 days away. Some news to ease our collective transition to Football Mode:

Spring practice at Penn State starts tomorrow, and the Nittany Lion depth chart is already starting to take shape.
Eric Thomas provides a list of players to watch, and also profiled Sean Lee as part of his day job.
Frank Bodani makes an obvious play for our attention by writing the following sentence: "The leader could be former walk-on possession guy Graham Zug." Possession of superhuman, mind-blowing powers, sure.
Oh, and if you haven't been paying attention, Stefen Wisniewski will be at center this season.

With respect to recently departed footballers, Penn State's Pro Day went rather well for our guys. Derrick Williams significantly improved on his 40 yard dash times, as did Aaron Maybin. Oh, Maurice Evans, too. The Steelers are looking at A.Q. Shipley. Jordan Norwood's getting a little attention as well, although he knows he won't be a first day selection, if he's selected at all:

Norwood weighed in at 184 pounds Wednesday, nearly 20 more than his playing weight this past season. He will join Butler and Williams in a workout with the Eagles later this week but isn’t worrying much about his draft prospects.

“I’ve been told that I’m a guy that’s a late-round draft pick, and told by a couple teams that if I don’t get drafted, I’m on their team,” Norwood said. “And that’s exciting in itself because all I want to do is play football. I’m not really worried about draft position or anything because hopefully 10 years down the road I’m still playing football and that all doesn’t matter.”

Memorandum to Big Ten Basketball Players

PJS — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:14:51 -0000

MEMORANDUM

To: Big Ten Basketball Players

From: Concerned Fans

Subject: No Respect

Date: March 16, 2009

Dear Big Ten basketball star,

It's time to stand up and tell all of the two-bit talking heads ENOUGH ALREADY! From CBS' Digger Phelps to SI's Andy Glockner and just about every overworked and underpaid columnist and blogger in the country, they all spout the same foolish talking points.

They say with bravado, while sometimes waving magic markers that match their ties at you, that Big Ten basketball is no good. The pace of play isn't fast enough, you're told. Teams actually milk the shot clock (blashphemy, don't tell the advertisers!!!). The scores aren't high enough. Most coaches preach defense before offense, which is obviously insane because we can all see how well David Stern and the NBA has fared with its run and shoot version of basketball.

And then, simply by looking at the score (thanks a lot, Illinois and Penn State), the gatekeepers of opinion tell you that the players in the conference just aren't good. OK, sure.

Have they actually watched Kevin Coble play? How about Evan Turner? Raymar Morgan? Have they seen Damian Johnson take over a game without scoring? Have they seen Joe Krabbenhoft set the best pick in the country? How about Wisconsin senior Marcus Landry do just about everything on the floor? Have the pundits watched Kalin Lucas run around like a posessed lightning-bug? How about Purdue's Chris Kramer, JaJuan Johnon or a healthy Robbie Hummel? Let's not forget Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley, the best one-two duo Penn State has ever seen.

Big Ten alums know that these are good players. We know these are sound and talented teams. But you get no credit. You didn't even get credit for having just about the best non-conference season possible. For the record, here's a snippet of who you beat: Oklahoma State, Texas, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Missouri, Boston College, Davidson, Miami, Notre Dame, Butler, Virginia Tech, Louisville, UCLA, Duke, and Florida State.

But as Phelps, Glockner, Hubert Davis or just about anyone else would have it, because the Big Ten prides defense over offense, and because scores are lower, well, that means there is just no chance you could beat these same teams later this week.

So, our message to you is this: Put a chip on your shoudler and change that perception this weekend. You're good and great players. And you can beat just about anyone that is put in front of you. Let's shove the mainstream media's talking points back at them, shall we?

Good luck!

Nittany Lions Left in the Cold

BSD — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:37:49 -0000

Pretty much sums it up

Twenty-two wins. A 10-8 record in the conference with the second highest RPI. Road wins over Michigan State and Illinois. Home wins over Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, and Minnesota. The blood, the sweat, the tears from decades of despair. It wasn't enough.

Though most of us saw this coming, it's still a bitter pill to swallow. Selection Sunday came and went, and Penn State finds itelf sitting out in the cold once again. You would think we would be used to this by now, but we've never been shut out like this before.

We could sit here and point fingers all night. Maybe if we had beaten Iowa at the end of the season. Maybe if we had beaten Temple or Rhode Island. Maybe if we had played better against Purdue. Maybe things would be different right now. But the simple fact is there's two people to blame for this. Ed DeChellis and Tim Curley are to blame for putting together our sorry out of conference schedule that didn't even give these terrific kids a chance to compete. New Jersey Institute of Technology is a joke, and right now nobody is laughing.

Let this be a valuable lesson to Curley and DeChellis. The NCAA selection committee will punish you for trying to get an easy ten wins out of your conference. Just playing in the Big Ten isn't good enough. Just participating in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge isn't good enough. You need to schedule decent competition in the regular season if you want to play the best in the post season. There's no excuse for a Big Ten team to play anyone with an RPI over 200. None. My God, we weren't even good enough to get a #1 seed in the NIT for goodness sakes.

It's going to mean giving up two or three home games. Deal with it. I still maintain it's better to pack the Jordan Center with 13,000 fans for one game against Pitt or Syracsue than to draw 4,000 in two home games against St. Francis and Bucknell. Trust me when I say the fans will come out to see their Nittany Lions play good competition.

Mostly, I feel bad for Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle. This was the last chance those guys had to play in the NCAA tournament. They did their part and busted their butts and won a bunch of games leaving it all out on the court every single time. But the people in charge of making sure they have a competitive schedule capable of earning an NCAA tournament bid let them down. Sadly, next year we will certainly take a step backward as a program with Cornley and Pringle leaving. The Big Ten will be even stronger next year than it was this season. It may be 2011 until we get another shot at the tournament again. Hopefully DeChellis and Curley will have things figured out by then.

Now bring on the Patriots.

Big Ten Tournament Day 2

BoilerTMill — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:09:47 -0000

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has to be thrilled with the first day results in Indianapolis. The scenario to get eight Big Ten teams into the NCAA Tournament went perfectly. Michigan, Penn State, and Minnesota each had convincing wins over the teams that probably needed the automatic bid in order to dance. Only Northwestern had an outside chance at an at large bid without winning the auto-bid. Best of all, Michigan and Penn State weren't immediately eliminated with bad losses. Even ESPN's Bubble Watch agreed this morning.

There has been plenty of help around the country. Miami sucked yesterday, much to my chagrin. Kansas State is likely gone. Providence may be gone. Arizona may be gone. Boston College locking up a bid helps our seeding as that has been a nice win for us all year. If I had my way Virginia Tech and Maryland would already be out because I don't think any team that can't finish at least .500 in their league should get invited unless they get the automatic bid. For those Big Ten bubble teams that lose today they had better hope Baylor does not win the Big 12 tournament. That would steal a bid, and they absolutely have the talent to do so.

Anyone up for round 2?

#1 Michigan State (25-5) vs. #8 Minnesota (22-9) Noon

Blogcentric previews: The Daily Gopher, Spartans Weblog, Enlightened Spartan

Michigan State is obviously safe. Minnesota should be safe, but a win over the Spartans would likely take care of business. Taking care of business is exactly what Michigan State did in both meetings. The Spartans won 70-58 in Minneapolis before crushing the Gophers 76-47 in East Lansing. If Minnesota plays the way it did for much of its game with Northwestern yesterday you can expect another Michigan State blowout.

I think Michigan State has been on a mission since getting throttled by Purdue. They practically pitched a shutout in the final five minutes at Illinois to lock up the Big Ten title. They held off a determined Indiana team during the Hoosiers' final game in Bloomington, and judging by Indiana's results in their last two games it may have finally broken their spirits. The Spartans have won five straight since that night in Mackey Arena, and with Oklahoma, Connecticut, and Pittsburgh already waiting they can make a serious case for a #1 seed.

If Michigan State plays as they have lately I have a hard time seeing Minnesota beating them. I think it will take a lackluster effort by the Spartans for Tubby and Co. to move on. The Gophers do have a win over a #1 seed-esque team in Lousiville. They dominated that game as well, so the ability is there. I like Minnesota's size because with it they can compete with Michigan State on the glass. The Gophers didn't use it well yesterday though in getting outrebounded by Northwestern. Northwestern is the worst rebounding team in the league, while Michigan State is easily the best. Michigan State 75, Minnesota 65

#4 Wisconsin (19-11) vs. #5 Ohio State (20-9) 2:30pm

Blogcentric Previews: Eleven Warriors, Bucky's 5^th Quarter,

I see two identical teams here, and that is often what you get in the Big Ten's 4/5 game. Wisconsin gets the white jerseys by virtue of their 55-50 win in Madison, which was the only previous meeting between the two this year. Both were 10-8 in Big Ten play. Both played tough non-conference schedules, but Ohio State's win over Butler is a difference maker. Wisconsin lost to Marquette, Texas, and Connecticut. Both teams are likely safe, but I think Wisconsin needs this one just a little bit more. In my mind, getting to 20 overall wins in a tough conference like the Big Ten is still a solid litmus test for an at large berth. Of the eight teams in question, Wisconsin is the only one not there yet. They would be well served not to have that strike against them as competitive as the race for bids is. That 6 game losing streak in the middle of conference play is still a mark against them, as is Minnesota's sweep of them.

Marcus Landry had a big game for Wisconsin the first time around, but Evan Turner was even bigger with 23 points. Dallas Lauderdale was ineffective and Jon Diebler couldn't get open for anything. Wisconsin also kept Ohio State off the glass, winning the rebounding battle 30-21. That helped the Badgers overcome a very poor shooting night. Wisconsin was 20 of 55 the first time around, but allowed just 3 offensive rebounds and limited Ohio State to just 38 field goal attempts. Ohio State also had 19 turnovers.

If Wisconsin puts up those defensive numbers again the Buckeyes will have a difficult time getting the win. Ohio State had to grit out wins over Iowa and Northwestern to close the season as well. Wisconsin has gotten every game it absolutely had to win down the stretch here except the loss at Minnesota. Indiana is the only team to score more than 60 against them in that span, and Wisconsin countered that by scoring 85 for the first time since the second game of the year. They are playing great defense right now, and that is why I give them a slight edge in what should be a great Big Ten-style game. First team to 60 wins. Wisconsin 61, Ohio State 55

#2 Illinois (23-8) vs. #7 Michigan (20-12) 6:30pm

Blogcentric Previews: Maize N' Brew, Hail to the Orange, UM Hoops, Michigan Sports Center

Maize N' Brew practically had a party yesterday during their Cover it Live event with Black Heart Gold Pants. The convincing win over Iowa combined with solid victories over Purdue and Minnesota to finish the year likely put the Wolverines into the Dance for the first time in 11 years. That is the longest non-Northwestern drought in the conference. If Michigan wins the rubber match with Illinois they are definitely in. The Wolverines won in Ann Arbor 74-64 while The Illini won in Champaign 66-51.

Few teams in America rely on two guys as much as Michigan relies on DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris. They combined for 45 points yesterday and Michigan won in convincing fashion. If one or both are off Michigan looks awful. If Laval Lucas-Perry helps out like he did against Minnesota, Michigan becomes that much tougher to beat. Illinois has to prevent Sims from establishing himself down low early. If they can do that it allows them to get out on Harris.

A big factor in Michigan's favor could be the status of Chester Frazier. He is one of Illinois' top defensive players and he is doubtful with a hand injury. He also is the catalyst of Illinois offense with 5.3 assists per game. The Illini offense wasn't exactly a well-oiled machine down the stretch in losses to Michigan State and Penn State. It has had a tendency to disappear at times this season, especially in the infamous 38-33 loss to Penn State.

Michigan is on a mission right now. They want to erase any lingering doubt about an NCAA bid and they can do that with another win over the Illini. I can't see Illinois functioning the same way without a player like Frazier who means so much to them on both sides of the ball. Michigan 70, Illinois 61

#3 Purdue (22-9) vs. #3 Penn State (22-10) 9pm

Blogcentric Previews: Boiled Sports, Black Shoe Diaries

Our historical performance in the Big Ten Tournament is awful. Since winning our first two games ever in 1998 we're 2-11. That's just sad. Only Northwestern has been worse, never making it to Saturday or having a first round bye. They are now 4-12 in the event, and with a loss tonight we will join them. We also played like crap in our last two games.

Despite that, I like our chances tonight. While the fans have been grousing, things have been strangely quiet from Mackey Arena since the Michigan State loss on Sunday. No players have spoken. Coach Painter hasn't said much. You get the sense this team is simmering right now after having their nose rubbed in two straight dismal performances. And they should be pissed off. We're better than this, and we need to freakin' act like it.

I honestly don't see how you can have Penn State listed as the worst of the Big Ten Bubble teams. If you say that the Big Ten definitely has three locks right now Penn State went 4-2 against them. Rhode Island, Temple, and even at Iowa in double OT aren't horrible losses. They have 22 wins and I think they should be in with yesterday's convincing win over IU.

They won 67-64 in Happy Valley, but we were without both Chris Kramer and Robbie Hummel in that game. Even then, I felt like we let one get away. We were dominating in the second half and had actually built a small lead before we froze up at the end. With both Kramer and Hummel in West Lafayette we dominated, shutting out Talor Battle and winning. 61-47.

We need angry Purdue tonight. This is our fourth two game losing streak. We followed the previous three with convincing wins over Arkansas Pine Bluff, Wisconsin, and Penn State. We also showed we like the rims at Conseco Fieldhouse before the season by blowing out Davidson there. We will be the last team to take the floor in the Big Ten Tournament, but we were the only ones to play a regular season game there. I think we're going to come out angry tonight. We have a lot to prove and we're a dangerous team when that is the case. We need to keep harassing Battle and not let Cornley dominate down low. We also absolutely need Calasan and Green to show up tonight. They have been absent the last two games and need to start playing like men again. Purdue 68, Penn State 62

I'll be in and out throughout the day to comment on games. I'll also likely do a separate open thread for tonight's game at 9. I am still hoping to score some cheap tickets, so I may actually be there. If not, I may try a Cover it Live event.