SB Nation - Danny Morrissey

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.

BtB 2009-10 Big Ten Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:44:34 -0000

For all of the beating that the Big Ten took during a particularly rough and tumble regular season, the conference really validated itself in the postseason. Those March and April performances bode well for this season, especially considering that the Big Ten's main contenders didn't lose as much as the contenders in other conferences. For example, all five players on the coaches' All-Big Ten team from last season are back.

The two teams who progressed furthest in the NCAAs, national runner-up Michigan State and regional semifinalist Purdue are the clear favorites in the league, and both teams could make a serious run at a MIdwestern Final Four. Penn State, the NIT champions, will look to improve their standing enough to get into the Big Dance this time around. And of course, Northwestern will look to really shake things up in the league and make it to the NCAAs for the first time. In between, the Big Ten's other five NCAA entrants will attempt to stay in the field. The biggest thing for the conference this year is separating itself from the other BCS leagues, especially in non-conference play. With the Big Ten being hyper-competitive this year, its members really need to distinguish themselves during the early part of the season. Otherwise, teams will be clumped together on lines 8 through 12 of the bracket like last year, which doesn't bode well for sustained tourney runs. More on all 11 teams after the jump.

To refresh your memory, let's take a look at how the Big Ten standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Big Ten Conference Standings

(updated 4.7.2009 at 12:23 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Michigan St. Spartans	15	3	31	7
Purdue Boilermakers	11	7	27	10
Illinois Fighting Illini	11	7	24	10
Penn St. Nittany Lions	10	8	27	11
Ohio St. Buckeyes	10	8	22	11
Wisconsin Badgers	10	8	20	13
Minnesota Golden Gophers	9	9	22	11
Michigan Wolverines	9	9	21	14
Northwestern Wildcats	8	10	17	14
Iowa Hawkeyes	5	13	15	17
Indiana Hoosiers	1	17	6	25

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a school's name appears in red, that's a link to its SBNation site. You can go there for more detailed analysis throughout the season.

Iowa (last NCAA: 2006) The long rebuilding process continues for Todd Lickliter. It looks to be another long year in Iowa City, especially since the Hawkeyes have real point guard issues after Jake Kelly (transfer to Indiana State for family reasons) and Jeff Peterson (transfer to Arkansas) left the program. 6-1 frosh Cully Payne will have to adjust to the Big Ten game fast, as he will have to be the main option. If he doesn't, expect sophomore Anthony Tucker (10.4 ppg, 0.6 apg) to move over from shooting guard. The team's only other returning double-digit scorer, Matt Gatens (10.8 ppg), will be a force as he can really shoot the ball (40.3 % from the perimeter and 90.4 % from the free throw line). The Hawkeyes really need more contributions inside, where Jarryd Cole has battled injuries and struggled offensively, which has also been a problem for the rest of Iowa's frontline players.

Indiana (last NCAA: 2008) Tom Crean is also in a rebuilding situation, but he loaded up on recruits this offseason, something Lickliter couldn't quite do. Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Doc and a Georgetown transfer, is now eligible and will run the offense. Rivers' steady hand should improve a team that rated near the bottom of Division I in assist/turnover ratio. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen are so highly regarded that last year's leaders may see reduced playing time. Rivers' arrival, and that of freshman Jordan Hulls, will eat into Verdell Jones' playing time (11 ppg, 3,6 apg). 6-5 Maurice Creek will take time away from Devan Dumes (12.7 ppg). In the frontcourt, Tom Pritchard (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) will still see significant time, and he'll be joined by freshmen Bobby Capobianco, Derek Elston, Bawa Muniru, and Christian Watford. Considering that Crean's returning frontcourt players not named Tom Pritchard only average 0.8 ppg, they should see plenty of action. If they adjust to the Big Ten quickly, the Hoosiers may win some of those close games they tended to lose in 2008-09.

Penn State (last NCAA: 2001) You rarely see teams as happy about winning the NIT than the Nittany Lions last year. PSU had a real case for an NCAA bid, thanks to 10 league wins, but a non-conference schedule full of cupcakes cost them. On that front, the Lions hope they can get some big wins in the Charleston Classic to help their case this time around. In terms of personnel, the good news is that all-Big Ten first teamer Talor Battle (16.7 ppg, 5 apg) is back. The bad news is that his backcourt mates, Stanley Pringle (12.8 ppg) and Danny Morrissey (5.3 ppg) are gone and so is star forward Jamelle Cornley (14.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg). The effectiveness of their replacements will dictate the Nittany Lions' chances of moving up. Sophomores Chris Babb (2.8 ppg) and Cammeron Woodyard (2.2 ppg) will have to step it up to replace Pringle, but incoming freshman Tim Frazier will also play a big role in the backcourt. In the frontcourt, 6-9 Andrew Jones (6.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is expected to increase his production to make up for Cornley's graduation, so will David Jackson. Both Jones and Jackson played key roles in PSU's NIT run. Serbian freshman Sasa Borovnjak and redshirt frosh Billy Oliver will also see lots of time inside.

Wisconsin (last NCAA: 2009) The Badgers struggled on offense and defense last year. However, Bo Ryan's team was able to right the ship after dropping six in a row in January to sneak into the tournament and grab a first round win over Florida State. However, Ryan lost two key performers off that team, swingman Joe Krabbenhoft and F Marcus Landry. Jason Bohannon (10.3 ppg, 1.7 apg) and Trevon Hughes (12.1 ppg, 2.8 apg) are back, however, so the backcourt remains in good shape, typical of a Ryan-coached team. The returning frontcourt players, led by 6-10 F Jon Leuer (8.8 ppg, 3.8 ppg) and 6-8 Keaton Nankivil (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg) will have to be tougher to adequately replace Landry and Krabbenhoft. Look out for the Badgers' two redshirt freshmen, Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans, as they should see significant frontcourt time as well. If the frontline improves significantly, the Badgers could go dancing for the 12th straight year.

Northwestern (last NCAA: None) While Wisconsin (and the rest of the league) has become a consistent NCAA performer, the Wildcats are the complete opposite. Once again, NU is the only team in a BCS conference to fail to qualify for a single NCAA tournament. On March 4, the men from Evanston stood at 17-11, after winning at Indiana, against Iowa at home, and at Purdue. They then managed to lose at Ohio State by 5 to finish 8-10 in the conference. If that wasn't bad enough, they then fell to Minnesota by 13 in the opening round of the conference tournament. The Wildcats cannot let something similar happen this season. Personnel-wise, the Wildcats bring back nearly everyone from last year, most importantly all-Big Ten second teamer Kevin Coble (15.5 ppg, 4.8 apg) and point guard Michael Thompson (9.9 ppg, 3.7 apg), a deadly three-point shooter (41.7%). The major loss is guard Craig Moore (14.3 ppg, 2.7 apg) who graduated. Incoming frosh Drew Crawford could slide into Moore's slot on the roster. He's the son of NBA referee Danny Crawford. If coach Bill Carmody can squeeze a little more from his returnees, who provided solid, if unspectacular and inconsistent performances throughout last season, the Wildcats will finally make the field of 65.

Minnesota (last NCAA: 2009) Expectations are high for Tubby Smith's third season in the Twin Cities. The Gophers will have to find a way to play Michigan State and Michigan better, as they didn't manage to win a single game against those two teams (0-5). The Gophers return all of their key performers from last season, including leading scorer Lawrence Westbrook (12.6 ppg), second leading scorer Damian Johnson (9.8 ppg), point guard Al Nolen (6.5 ppg, 4.3 apg), and big men Ralph Sampson III (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Colton Iverson (5.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Sampson and Iverson should see more time at center thanks to the arrival of 6-7 freshman Royce White and JC transfer Trevor Mbakwe, if he's ever cleared to play. Mbakwe is due to go on trial for assault in South Florida in December. Nolen could also see the bench if he's as inconsistent as he was during Big Ten play, thanks to the arrival of freshman PG Justin Cobbs. The Gophers are drawn against Butler in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, which should be a good indicator of how well this team will perform in 2009-10.

Michigan (last NCAA: 2009) Much like with Tubby Smith's Minnesota team. great things are expected in Ann Arbor during John Beilein's third season. Beilein's offensive and defensive philosophies usually take consistent hold in that third season, and the team's performance improves as a result. One of the Wolverines' biggest needs is in the frontcourt, where DeShawn Sims (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) was often left on an island last season. Seven-foot, redshirt freshman Ben Cronin should provide some help, as should 6-8 frosh Jordan Morgan, if he plays. Beilein may redshirt him depending on how well he's recovered from offseason knee surgery. 6-10 frosh Blake McLimans and 6-6 junior Anthony Wright may be called into duty frequently. The backcourt is the strength of this UM squad, led by all-Big Ten performer Manny Harris (16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.4 apg). Harris should get more time to drive to the hoop (and get to the foul line), thanks to the arrival of freshman Darius Morris, who is expected to take over at the point. The reserve backcourt players need to show more consistency, as none averaged more than 6.7 ppg, despite some impressive shooting nights.

Illinois (last NCAA: 2009) While the Illini lost guards Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham, the returnees and Bruce Weber's best ever recruiting class should keep the squad near the top of the Big Ten. Demetri McCarney (11.5 ppg, 4.6 apg) already has plenty of experience at the point to replace Frazier. Incoming freshman D.J. Richardson will be called on to replace Meacham, especially from the defensive perspective. Brandon Paul, another heralded recruit, will be an inside-outside threat. In the frontcourt, Mike Davis very nearly averaged a double-double last season (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), so he'll continue to be a force. Mike Tisdale could be a star if he's more aggressive. He has plenty of room to improve on the 10 points and 4 boards he averaged last season.

Ohio State (last NCAA: 2009) The Buckeyes did pretty well last season, winning 22 games and making the Big Ten title game despite losing G/F David Lighty in the seventh game of the year. With Lighty back and all-Big Ten selection/jack-of-all-trades Evan Turner still around, the Buckeyes should be even better this time around. Joining Turner as offensive forces are guards William Buford and Jon Diebler who both averaged a little more than 11 points a game. While Thad Matta has a lot of guys who can shoot, he doesn't have a true point guard. Not that this issue really stopped the Buckeyes last year. Jeremie Simmons (6.8 ppg, 2.5 apg) and P.J. Hill (3.2 ppg, 1.9 apg) saw some time at the point after Anthony Crater's departure for South Florida, with Hill making more of an impact. If the two have issues, Turner, who averaged 4 assists per game last year, could spend some time running the offense. Turner will also see time in the frontcourt, where Lighty will serve as OSU's power forward (9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). 6-8 junior Dallas Lauderdale and 7-foot UAB transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos will occupy the post. OSU will be tested early, thanks to a matchup with defending National Champion North Carolina at the Coaches vs. Cancer event in New York, followed by a game with either California or Syracuse.

Purdue (last NCAA: 2009) The Boilermakers bring back nearly everyone from last season's team, which fell to UConn in the West regional semifinals. Thanks to the graduation of Nemanja Calasan, Matt Painter has only two returning post players. However, they're two good ones. Robbie Hummel (12.5 ppg, 7 rpg) should be fully recovered from a stress fracture in his back that cost him five games last season. Meanwhile, 6-10 junior JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) is one of the most electrifying players in the country. They'll be backed up by a crop of freshmen, led by 6-10 Croatian C Sandi Marcius. Purdue's backcourt remains intact. Chris Kramer will provide the defense, E'Twaun Moore the scoring--and some assists (13.8 ppg, 3.0 apg), while Lewis Jackson (5.9 ppg, 3.3 apg) will run the show. The Boilermakers' commitment to defense, led by Kramer, Johnson, and Jackson, is a major reason why they will seriously threaten to make the short trip to Indy this season. If they avoid the health issues of last season, they should get a seed that will help their path.

Michigan State (last NCAA: 2009) While the Boilermakers will attempt to do what the Spartans did last year, make a short trip in state to play in the season's final weekend, don't discount MSU, a team that has plenty of history of its own in Indianapolis. Tom Izzo has a team that may be able repeat Sparty's 2000 triumph. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten Player of the Year is back at the point. Raymar Morgan is back in the frontcourt. But the biggest questions are how well the Spartan frontcourt plays without Goran Suton and who replaces Travis Walton's defensive prowess in the backcourt. Junior Tom Herzog and incoming freshmen Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman will be given every chance to fill Suton's shoes. Meanwhile, Lucas will have to play more of a defensive role this season than in the past, to make up for Walton's absence. While Lucas is the unquestioned star of the team, he'll need lots of support from players like guards Chris Allen (8.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (8.6 ppg), and F Delvon Roe (5.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) to make a second straight Final Four run.

So, the Spartans will hold the Big Ten's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Check in then to see what other teams from the conference I've penciled in at the start of the season. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big Ten team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Player of the Year: Evan Turner, 6-7 G/F, Jr. (Ohio State)

Remainder of the Team
Talor Battle, 5-11 G, Jr. (Penn State)
Manny Harris, 6-5 G, Jr. (Michigan)
JaJuan Johnson, 6-10 F, Jr. (Purdue)
Kalin Lucas, 6-0 G, Jr. (Michigan State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big Ten this season?

Illinois

72 votes

Indiana

4 votes

Iowa

5 votes

Michigan

12 votes

Michigan State

106 votes

Minnesota

9 votes

Northwestern

5 votes

Ohio State

14 votes

Penn State

20 votes

Purdue

49 votes

Wisconsin

4 votes

300 votes | Poll has closed

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!!!

It's Gonna Fall In! [Penn State 64, Illinois 63]

Kevin HD — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:55:26 -0000

'But I wasn't on those other Penn State teams."

-#12 Talor Battle

Penn State Defeats Indiana...Barely

BSD — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:28:39 -0000

Final - 2.28.2009	1	2	Total
Indiana Hoosiers	28	30	58
Penn St. Nittany Lions	29	32	61

Complete Coverage >

This one had trap game written all over it. Penn State was coming off a brutal February schedule. After this game they get Illinois later in the week. It would have been easy to look past the 6-21 Hoosiers and think this was an easy win. But Penn State isn't yet at the point where they can win by just showing up. And the Hoosiers gave them everything they could handle.

The Good

The 15,000 in attendance at the Bryce Jordan Center was the biggest crowd in eight years. But they were pretty quiet the whole game until the final minutes.

Andrew Jones has become a really solid player. He had a couple of boneheaded turnovers, but for the most part when he gets the ball in the low post good things happen. He finished the night 4-for-4 from the field, and get this: over his last eight games Jones has shot 21-of-27 (77%) from the field. He has shown a nice mid-range jumper to go along with the baby hook he's developing. And when an outside shooter pops open he's good at getting them the ball. I'm starting to think he may turn into a significant scoring threat next season when he gets some of Cornley's touches.

It was great to see Will Leiner get the start on senior day and play well. He played seven minutes and pulled down a rebound, dished two assists, and had a nice cut to the lane with a pretty up and under finish.

Chris Babb is coming along nicely in his development. He's looking very confident out there. He got a few open looks, but only one of his four attempts went in. I'm particularly impressed with his defense. He's really good at deflecting passes and poking the ball away if his man leaves it out there.

I'm really impressed with how this team has learned to close out games. They were trailing by four points with 5:26 to go in the game. in years past we would have panicked and thrown up some bad shots or turned the ball over. But this team closed out on an 8-1 run scoring on each of their final five possessions. They also got two steals without turning the ball over themselves. It's play like this that has allowed them to get away with their horrible free throw shooting all season.

It was nice to see a game where the officials were not the big story. For the most part I thought they called a really good game keeping things clean while also just letting them play.

The Bad

It's never a good feeling when you let a poor team hang around when you should have run them out of your own building. Indiana is not a good team, and I would have preferred to make a statement by beating them badly. But they say there is no such thing as a bad win. I'll chalk this up to being emotionally drained from running the February gauntlet and make a little looking ahead to Illinois.

Jeff Brooks only played eight minutes. His lone basket came on an offensive rebound tip in. The ball was bouncing around a lot and I think he got three of his four rebounds just on that play. I hope this kid can put all that athletic talent together some day.

Andrew Ott was a complete non-factor. He played just three minutes. He pulled down a rebound and turned the ball over and then he went back to the bench. Next week he'll probably come out and get eight rebounds and ten points. I can't figure him out and I don't think Ed can either.

The Ugly

After a string of a few pretty good games, free throw shooting rears its ugly head again. The Lions shot an atrocious 7-of-17 (41%) from the stripe. Talor Battle is back to fading away from the shot. He hit just 2-of-6 attempts. Danny Morrissey is just consistently crappy at the line. Last night he shot 2-for-5. For the season he is now 13-for-23 (56.5%). Only Cornley (51.8%) and Ott (52.9%) are shooting worse.

Penn State Dominates Michigan

BSD — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:00:09 -0000

Final - 1.20.2009	1	2	Total
Michigan Wolverines	22	36	58
Penn St. Nittany Lions	29	44	73

Complete Coverage >

Okay, I'll admit it. When Michigan knocked off Duke and UCLA and managed to make a bried appearance in the national rankings, I was scared. I thought, "There's two games I thought we would win that we probably won't." At the time I recall Penn State was coming off their embarrassing loss to Minnesota and it looked like this team was in for another disasterous Ed DeChellis midseason collapse.

But last night Penn State put it all together in front of an energized crowd at the Jordan Center and embarrassed the MIchigan Wolverines.

The Good

Anything and everything. It was probably the most complete game we've seen the Nittany Lions play all year. Cornley, Ott, and Jones were dominating inside. When Michigan started bringing the inside double teams in the second half Battle, Morrissey, and Pringle killed them from the outside. Everyone was unselfish in making just the right number of passes and finding the open man. Truly an offensive exhibition in the Jordan Center.

On the defensive end they shut down Big Ten leading scorer Manny Harris and held him to just four points on 1-of-9 shooting.

As I mentioned, Andrew Ott looked fantastic. In only ten minutes of play he scored eight points to go with one rebound and two assists. I was particulary impressed with his defense and footwork when he got the ball down low. He has been a bright spot on the team as he has clearly improved in each game this season.

The team is now at 15 wins which ties the most ever for an Ed DeChellis Penn State team. It is also the earliest in the calendar year that Penn State has ever had 15 wins.

The Bad

The game started pretty ominously as Michigan jumped out, ok maybe crawled out to a five point lead. Penn State had three turnovers in the first three minutes as the Michigan stretch zone was giving the guards trouble. On the other end Michigan was getting open looks and threw up six three point shots in the first two-and-a-half minutes. They missed them all, but if they make half of those Penn State would have been in a double digit hole really quick. Ed countered with a three guard lineup for better ball movement and Penn State went on a run to take an 11-7 lead. They never looked back from there.

We got a glimpse at next year's team around the eight minute mark of the first half when Ed went with Battle, Jackson, Babb, and Woodyard on the floor. with Cornley Man, they looked terrible. There was no continuity on offense highlighted by Babb tossing an errant pass right out of bounds. The defense looked completely confused and allowed Michigan to go on a quick little run to cut the lead down to four. Ed thankfully ended that experiment quickly and sent Pringle and Morrissey in for Babb and Woodyard. I'm all for plugging in the freshmen to get them experience, but let's do it one at a time.

Penn State didn't have much of an answer for DeShawn Sims who scored 21 points to go with 11 boards. But it seemed like they were content to contain Harris, let Sims get his points and challenge someone else in Maize to beat them.

The Ugly

You guessed it. Free throws. Penn State shot a horrible 6-of-16 from the stripe. Jones and Battle get a pass going a combined 5-for-6, but Cornley, Morrissey, and Ott combined to go 1-for-10. YIKES!

Here is what I suggest. Danny Morrissey should step back from the line so he's standing just a foot inside the three point arc. When the ref tosses him the ball he should just jump and shoot like he's taking a pass from Talor Battle. Danny was 3-for-4 from the three point line last night, so why not go with that?

Cornley should turn his back to the basket when the ref gives him the ball. Then do a turnaround fade shot. He seems to hit those at a 60% clip or so.

Good Lord I've never seen a team suck at foul shots so bad. If I were an opposing coach and the game was coming down to the wire I would send in the freshman walk on at the end of the bench and tell him every time Cornley touches the ball just go tackle him. At worst you will give up one point and get the ball back. Absolutely unbelievable.

Next Up

Penn State can't feel too good about this win. The Iowa Hawkeyes come to town on Saturday at 6 PM. This is a winable game that Penn State needs in order to keep their post season hopes alive, but they have to be focused because any team in the Big Ten is capable of beating you if you don't show up.

Then Penn State will get a week to rest up before they start a brutal seven game stretch of games against some of the conference heavyweights. The Nittany Lions will have to travel to Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue and Ohio State while hosting Wisconsin and Minnesota. Beating Iowa will be crucial because it will mean going into this stretch with the momentum of a three game winning streak.

By my estimation this team still needs another six or seven wins to make the NCAA tournament. The crucial games will be at Michigan, the two games against Iowa, the two games against Illinois, and the home games against Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Indiana. That's eight potential wins. I'm writing off the road games at Michigan State, Purdue, and Ohio State as losses, so a win on the road in one of those would be a bonus.

Nittany Lions Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

Iowa	Sat 01/24	6:00 PM EST
@ Michigan St.	Sun 02/01	12:00 PM EST
@ Michigan	Thu 02/05	7:00 PM EST
Wisconsin	Sun 02/08	3:00 PM EST
@ Purdue	Wed 02/11	6:30 PM EST

Last 5 Games

Michigan	Tue 01/20	W 73 - 58
@ Indiana	Sat 01/17	W 65 - 55
Michigan St.	Wed 01/14	L 73 - 78
@ Minnesota	Sun 01/11	L 59 - 79
Purdue	Tue 01/06	W 67 - 64

Game #19 Preview: Look ma. No big men! Michigan Wolverines Travel to Happy Valley to Take on Penn State

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:28:03 -0000

Matchup: Michigan 13-5, (3-3); Penn State 14-5, (3-3)

TV/radio: Big Ten Network; WWJ-AM (950), WTKA-AM (1050)

Tip-off: 9 p.m., Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.

Line: Penn State by 2.

Two straight conference losses will take their toll on a team. After getting pounded inside by Illinois and Ohio State in back to back contests, Michigan takes on another surprising and vastly improved Big Ten team in Penn State.

At 14-5 the Lions are light years ahead of where anyone in their right mind thought they'd be this season. During the Big Ten/ACC tournament the Lions knocked off heavily favored Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and they've topped Purdue in Happy Valley. Not too shabby. But the Lions schedule is one of the weakest in the Big Ten, posted a woeful Ken Pomeroy schedule ranking of 222 and a non-conf schedule ranking of 322! By the way, their RPI is 86. Penn State has feasted on the lower end of the D-1 platter, making their most impressive win after Purdue, their victory over Northwestern. So, yeah, there's an opportunity here.

The Matchups

If there's a team in the Big Ten that Michigan actually matches up against, it's Penn State. For the first time in a week, Michigan won't face a 9 foot corn stalk in the middle of the floor. The tallest guy on PSU's team that sees any minutes is Andrew Jones III, a 6-9 forward who is second on the team in rebounding at 5.2 a game, but doesn't have a lot of offensive capability. What Jones does is fill time for Penn State's more dominant post player, 6-5 Jamelle Cornley. Cornley's failed to score in double figures just twice this season, and went for 26 against Michigan State when the Lions almost upset the Spartans a week ago. Despite his height, Cornley's a load under the basket and isn't afraid to take the ball up strong. As a result, he's taken 79 Free Throws this season, but made only 58% of them.

While Cornley is the inside, the outside belongs to Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle. Battle is definitely the more intriguing of the pair, though they're both damn good ball players. Battle is generously listed at 5-10, but it's the same as saying Kelivn Grady is 6-0. It's a lie. What Battle is, however, is aggressive. In the PSU games I've watched Battle has no reservations about putting the ball up from anywhere on the court. He's averaging 13 shots a game with around 7 of those shots being three point attempts. And he's not just content on the perimeter. Battle takes the ball to the rim with some consistency, as witnessed by his 122 FT attempts this season. (For comparison's sake, Manny Harris has taken only 116 FT). Battle's done a fairly good job of filling the bucket, shooting 43% FG and 40% from three. He's scored 19 or more points eleven times this year and has four 20+ point games in his last seven contests. He's short, but he's fast. To be honest, I'm not sure who's matching up with him. (probably LLP).

Pringle's another smallish guard who loves to shoot from the outside. Pringle doesn't attack the basket the same way that Battle does, but he really doesn't have to. Pringle's shooting 50% from three on 78 attempts. Again, for compairson Manny Harris has 82 three-point attempts and shooting 34%. Do the math and you'll figure out where Pringle's points are coming from. Pringle likes his jump shots, and oddly, he's a little better outside the arc than inside it, averaging around 46% when shooting for two. Those aren't number to sneeze at. Honestly, if he took a few more shots, he'd easily be leading the team in scoring, but seems content to play third fiddle for some reason. I've seen him go in and out of games. Pouring in points one moment and disappearing for long stretches before erupting again. It's worth noting that Pringle really is the Lion's barmometer. When he's scoring, PSU usually wins. When he's cold, as he was against MSU and Minnesota, PSU loses. Somehow I see Harris on him like glue the whole game.

With the aforementioned threesome averaging over 14 a piece, there's not a lot of ancillary scoring. Guard Danny Morrissey, Forward David Jackson, and 6-8 forward Jeff Brooks fill out the majority of the minutes with Jones III. Morrissey fancies himself a three point specialist, with 75 of his 98 FTAs being three pointers. But Morrissey's aim hasn't been the best, he's shooting just 32% from behind the arc. Still, he's a three point threat, so we've gotta watch him. Jackson and Brooks are inside 15 feet players, and put in between 18 and 20 minutes a game, a couple of rebounds and 4 points or so a piece. I don't expect them to hurt us, but if they do, throw things at the TV because we're in trouble.

Game Plan

Michigan's going through a horrendous drought from the floor right now that really shows no sign of abating. I'm willing to guess that 90% of that is playing teams that are a foot taller than they are and having to defend them down low. Fortunately, Penn State isn't that type of team so Michigan shouldbe able to play "their" game rather than expend extra energy trying to keep Tisdale/Mullens out of the lane.

But for Michigan to pull out a win, they're going to have to pick better shots. Michigan is the Big Ten's second-worst shooting team, at 43%, and the second-worst from three-point range, hitting just 33.8%.That's not good. Honestly, it sucks. But the key to fixing this is fairly evident: move your ass. Over the last three games Michigan has gone from out working their opponents to getting worked over. No one is moving without the ball and everyone is standing around outside the arc looking for an open three pointer to drop into their lap. Unfortunately when it doesn't appear, they're taking contested three pointers instead of doing the work to get down low and actually set up an open shot.

DeShawn Sims looks whipped right now. Just out of steam. 4 games in 10 days does that to a kid, but so does defending guys six inches taller than him. Michigan's got to take some of the pressure off Sims on the defensive end against opposing bigs, and PSU's lack of height might just do that. I expect Sims to return to his usual self and pot 7 buckets tonight, or at least shot a better percentage than his current 7-for-27 slump.

Manny will be Manny, but his supporting cast needs to step up. Novak continues to search for his shot, as do Grady and LLP. If Douglas can continue to knock back critical three's, keep him in the lineup, but I have to admit I prefer Novak's defense to Stu's.

If Michigan actually moves without the ball and creates their own opportunities, they can walk out of Penn State with a win. Stand around and pick their nose like they have the last two games and Michigan's looking at a 3-4 record and a nasty hill to climb for an NCAA invite.

See you tonight at the Open Thread.

Penn State Knocks Off #14 Purdue

BSD — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:41:29 -0000

Last night was another great win for Ed DeChellis and the Penn State Nittany Lions. After falling to Rhode Island and Temple earlier this season and watching teams like Michigan and Minnesota pull off major upsets I must admit I was feeling a little bit uneasy about going into Big Ten play. But Penn State came through last night with a 67-64 win over the Boilermakers who most people predicted to win the conference. Here are a few of my random thoughts on the game.

The Boilermakers were playing without Robbie Hummel and Chris Kramer, but it was still a difficult win. Penn State shot themselves in the foot too many times with turnovers, poor shot selection, and missed free throws. But they made up for it by dominating the rebounds and getting themselves more possessions to work with.

Andrew Jones was the star on the boards pulling in a game high 11. Eight of those were offensive rebounds. He's not a huge scorer, but if he can maintain that kind of rebound production and provide some interior defense we'll be more than ok.

Good God our offense looks terrible at times. They just kind of dribble around handing it off outside the circle while everyone stands around. Then when they get down to about ten seconds on the shot clock either Pringle or Battle take their man one on one and throw up a shot or dump it off to a teammate who has a guy in his face. Once in a while someone will decide to break this routine by throwing up a quick shot that really isn't there. It's maddening to watch long stretches where we struggle just to get a good shot while we're giving up uncontested layups on the other end.

David Jackson just doesn't seem right this year. He has lost his confidence and aggressiveness. Last night he uncharacteristically bricked his two free throw attempts. He isn't mixing it up going after rebounds in the paint. And beside all of that he just doesn't look right, almost like he's lost a lot of weight and feels tired. Maybe he's getting over the flu or something.

I thought Jeff Brooks looked pretty good in the early part of the game. He got the start but then he disappeared and only played 14 minutes. I don't recall seeing him at all in the second half. What's up with that?

Danny Morrissey played his best game of the season finishing with ten points and four rebounds. He also played pretty good defense and took a key charge late in the game.

As I keep watching these games it's exciting to see this team get better, but I'm starting to get concerned about next year. Ed isn't getting any playing time for Chris Babb and Cammeron Woodyard. And I already mentioned Jeff Brooks only playing 14 minutes. Next year we lose Pringle, Cornley, and Morrissey. Last night those guys combined for 38 points and 14 rebounds. Pringle and Cornley played 37 minutes each while Morrissey played 24. What is Ed doing to develop the younger talent?

But those are things we can worry about next year. For this year I'm just going to enjoy this team. We've got another tough game coming up on Sunday when Penn State travels to Minnesota. Then we come home next week to face Michigan State next Wednesday. If we can win one of these two games Cinderella can go and start picking out her party dress.

One Step Forward. Two Steps Back

BSD — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:00:07 -0000

Final - 12.6.2008	1	2	Total
Temple Owls	28	37	65
Penn St. Nittany Lions	24	35	59

Complete Coverage >

It figures that Penn State would follow up their greatest road win since 2005 by laying an egg against Temple at home. The Nittany Lions came out flat and never got it going. Though Penn State managed to close to finish within six points, it wasn't really that close. Penn State jumped out to a 10-4 lead, but then Temple went on a run to take a 15-14 lead halfway through the first half and they never looked back from there. They led by 6-10 points through much of the second half.

This team is just not good enough to the point they can just show up and win. They have to play hard every night, and on Sunday they didn't do that. They didn't play defense and they didn't play sharp on offense. The key part of the offense, the transition game, never got started.

The big blow was Stanley Pringle spraining his ankle in the first half. He didn't return, and the offense suffered for it. Hopefully they can squeak by these last four non-conference games without him, but the bench is pretty thin as Happy Hour Valley points out.

There’s barely a semblance of an inside game, particularly on the defensive end, and the backcourt becomes a hell of a lot weaker without Stanley Pringle in there. Danny Morrissey is a streaky shooter whose performance depends on how many wide open looks he get, and tonight he got zero because Temple’s strategy involved locking down on him and rendering him useless.

This brings me to my next question, why is ED so reluctant to go to his bench when the situation is dire? Could Woodyard and Babb done any worse out there? If he’s actually relying on a 7-man rotation to carry him through the season then we’re in deeper (BSD - bleep) than initially thought.

I have to agree that Danny Morrissey is more liability than benefit. He's good at getting open when Penn State is in transition. But in the half court offense he's too slow to get open off the screens. And his defense is terrible. So terrible that Penn State is forced to play zone when he's on the court. It would seem that he's all we got, but I have to agree with HHV. Could Woodyard and Babb be that much worse? I hope these kids see a lot of playing time over the next four games in case Pringle is slow to come back. And if Battle has to keep playing all 40 minutes he'll be dead by the end of the year.

So we ended our toughest stretch of the non-conference schedule 3-2. We gave up one we could have won, and we blew our chance to get the valuable RPI boost of playing Villanova. We should enter the Big Ten schedule with a 12-2 record barring a monumental collapse somewhere. That would mean we would probably need ten conference wins to make the NCAA tournament. I think that goal is on life support at this point. However, if we can pull off seven or eight wins I think we can still make the NIT. There's a lot of work to do yet, but first they have to focus on beating Army tonight.

Penn State Men's Basketball Preview

BSD — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:00:07 -0000

2007-2008 Recap

The 2007-2008 season was a tale of two seasons. There was the season with Claxton and the season without Claxton. The season with Claxton started out rocky but got things together and won two Big Ten road games to start the conference schedule. At 10-5 it looked like Penn State was going to qualify for their first post season appearance since 2005. Then Geary went down against Wisconsin and the season looked lost.

It certainly wasn't pretty the way Penn State closed out their final sixteen games, but upsets over ranked opponents Michigan State and Indiana combined with three wins in the last four games give reason for hope this season. The injury to Claxton along with a late season injury to Jamelle Cornley forced Penn State to give heavy minutes to their talented freshmen. They are hoping that valuable experience pays off this year.

The Back Court

Talor Battle figures to be a huge factor for Penn State after a sensational freshman season. He will be joined by seniors Stanley Pringle and Danny Morrissey. Sharp shooter Mike Walker has moved on after graduation, but Penn State is counting on freshman Chris Babb to fill in the outside shooter role. Freshman Cammeron Woodyard will also hope to crack the lineup.

The key word for this group is consistency. The duo of Battle and Pringle was fun to watch push the action, but they often turned the ball over too much. Pringle in particular has a tendency to get out of control and dribble the ball off his foot when he gets in the lane. Morrissey is as streaky a shooter as they come. He can be cold through 30 minutes and then hit five in a row and end the game with 20 ponts. Pringle took a lot of him minutes last season, and if Chris Babb is as good as advertised it's going to be even tougher for him to get playing time. He'll have to make the most of his opportunities this year.

Speaking of Chris Babb, he should eventually be a major upgrade over Mike Walker. Babb will lack the experience in the early going, but his athletic ability should allow Penn State to put a true shooting guard on the floor and not have to sacrifice any athletic ability on the defensive end. He should allow Penn State to play a lot more man-to-man defense than in the past when teams were allowed to shoot at will over the Penn State zone defenses. Babb was a scoring machine at the Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas averaging 31 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per game as a senior. Penn State is also hoping to get a contribution from freshman Cammeron Woodyard who averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists as a senior at Winters Mills High School where he led his team to the Maryland 2A State Championship.

This should be the best back court Penn State has seen since Danny Earl and Pete Lisicky were running the show.

The Front Court

Though it clearly sucked at the time, losing Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley last season was the best thing that could have happened to the 2008-2009 Nittany Lions. The injuries forced Ed DeChellis to play the three talented freshmen; Andrew Jones, D.J. Jackson, and Jeff Brooks. They struggled to find their groove early on, but by the end of the season you could see these guys gaining confidence and being more aggressive. Now they are all seasoned veterans and Jamelle Cornley says he is 100% healthy giving Penn State a formidable foursome to play down low. But the others will have to show progress if Penn State is going to be successful.

Andrew Jones will have to become a dominating force in the paint. But he's only 6'9" tall so he's not exactly a natural fit for the center position. He's put on a lot of weight and a lot of muscle and he's going to need it to compete with the other big men in the league. He plays with a lot of fire and emotion, but he tended to disappear at times last year. He averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in only 17 mintues per game last year. Penn State will need him to at least double all of those numbers with the key number being rebounds in my opinion.

D.J. Jackson was a solid player last year and I would expect nothing less this year. He was one of our most consistent and best all around players. But he'll need to work on creating shots and being more aggressive in his play. Though he redshirted his first year, it was due to a fractured leg that caused him to miss the entire season. Last year was really his first year in the program, so I expect we'll see more improvement from him.

Everyone was expected big things from Jeff Brooks last year, and we were all majorly disappointed. It was obvious he wasn't ready for the speed and physical play of college basketball. He really could have used a redshirt season, but injuries and depth issues forced DeChellis to play him. This year he coaches and teammates say he's greatly improved in his confidence and conditioning. We'll see if they are correct or if they are just trying to further his confidence. I seem to recall two years of hearing coaches and teammates talking up a certain quarterback on the football team that never lived up to the billing.

The only losses from a year ago are Brandon Hassell and Joonas Suotamo. Neither guy could score or rebound or even play defense, so nobody should consider these to be huge losses. You can expect freshman Billy Oliver (6'8" 210 lbs.) and sophomore Andrew Ott (6'10" 230 lbs) to also see some playing time. Ott is a transfer from Villanova and will have to sit out the fall semester due to NCAA transfer rules.

A major addition that doesn't necessarily show up on the roster or the stat book is new assistant coach Lewis Preston who has a history of developing low post players at Notre Dame and Florida. He wasn't a good fit for Florida, but a guy like him may be able to work wonders at a school like Penn State. If the low post players show major improvement he will undoubtedly deserve a lot of the credit.

BSD's Season Outlook

The team is talking big this year. Late season wins over Michigan State and Indiana along with all the talent coming back have them thinking a berth in the NCAA tournament is within reach. But I'm pretty skeptical.

The non-conference schedule is a joke with teams like Mount St. Marys and New Jersey Tech. But there is a potentially tough stretch where they play at Penn before playing in the Philly Classic against Rhode Island and potentially Villanova. Then they travel to Georgia Tech before playing Temple at home. This could be a disasterous season killing string of games if the Lions play poorly. But if they can come away from that run with two or three wins I think they can feel pretty good about themselves going into the conference slate.

The Lions managed seven wins in the conference last year, so you have to consider anything less than that to be a failure. But it's not going to be easy. Last year was a down year for the conference as a whole and Penn State was able to sneak a few wins over teams like Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois. Those teams should all be improved this year along with Minnesota and Ohio State. Purdue and Wisconsin are completely out of our league, but Indiana is rebuilding and should give us an opportunity for some wins. Once again the scheduling Gods are cruel and only give us one game against perennial conference doormat Northwestern to start the Big Ten schedule. This used to be the game both teams counted on to avoid a last place finish in the conference. I'll be disappointed if this is anything less than a 20 point blowout in our favor this year.

Is the NCAA tournament out of the question? No, but it's going to take a lot of work. The weak non-conference schedule is going to hurt them. Even if they can get ten or eleven wins, there just aren't enough scalps on that list to boost the RPI. A slip up against one of them will be a major coffee stain on the resume. They will have to beat all the teams they are expected to beat and somehow manage an upset or two over the Villanova-Georgia Tech-Temple run. Then they have to look impressive in the conference. That will take at least eight or nine wins with an upset or two over a major player like Michigan State, Purdue, or Wisconsin. And even then, they may have to win a few games and advance far into the Big Ten tournament at the end of the year. This would show a major improvement over a team that went 15-16 last season. I think they will be better, probably in the 18-19 win range, but I don't think they'll look impressive enough to qualify for the NCAA tournament. But mark this team down for a sixth place finish in the conference and an NIT bid.

SB Nation - Danny Morrissey

Penn State Basketball Preview - Part I

What Penn State Has To Replace

BtB 2009-10 Big Ten Preview

Big Ten Conference Standings

Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Who is your pick to win the Big Ten this season?

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Michigan

Michigan State

Minnesota

Northwestern

Ohio State

Penn State

Purdue

Wisconsin

Penn State Wins the NIT Championship

It's Gonna Fall In! [Penn State 64, Illinois 63]

Penn State Defeats Indiana...Barely

The Good

The Bad

The Ugly

Penn State Dominates Michigan

The Good

The Bad

The Ugly

Next Up

Nittany Lions Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

Last 5 Games

See Also

Game #19 Preview: Look ma. No big men! Michigan Wolverines Travel to Happy Valley to Take on Penn State

Penn State Knocks Off #14 Purdue

One Step Forward. Two Steps Back

Penn State Men's Basketball Preview

2007-2008 Recap

The Back Court

The Front Court

BSD's Season Outlook