SB Nation - Billy Oliver

Penn State Basketball Preview - Part III

BSD — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:32 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

8 months ago: Penn State's Talor Battle (12) drives past Notre Dame's Kyle McAlarney (23) during the second half of an NIT semifinal college basketball game Tuesday, March 31, 2009 in New York. Talor scored 17 points as Penn State won the game 67-59. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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We took a hiatus from the basketball previews to focus on the football game against Ohio State last week. But the season opener is this Friday, so I have to wrap this up fast. Previously we discussed what Penn State has to replace, and what Penn State is returning. So today let's introduce you all to the new faces wearing the Blue and White this season.

35 - F - Billy Oliver - 6'8" 215 lbs

Oliver had hoped to make a contribution last year as a true freshman, but two concussions suffered in short succession during the preseason forced him to put on the redshirt and sit out the 2008-2009 season. Oliver took it as an opportunity to hit the weight room and the training table to bulk up his frame in order to compete right away when he came back. He was successful in adding 20 lbs of solid muscle over the past year.

Here's what the PSU website has to say about his playing style.

A terrific passer with three-point range and strong perimeter skills, the 6-8 forward has also displayed the anticipation and long arms to block shots and grab rebounds around the rim and will compete for playing time at the front line positions.

In high school Oliver lead his team to a 26-7 record his senior year while averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game. Oliver had a fight with the flu a few weeks ago, so he's just now getting back into the swing of things. In the exhibition game last Friday he played four minutes scoring three points and a rebound.

Penn State will be looking for Oliver to take some of the minutes vacated by Jamelle Cornley. Though Oliver has a long way to go to replace Cornley's heart and leadership, Penn State would be thrilled if he could contribute 10 minutes per game with five points, five rebounds, and a blocked shot or two.

11 - F - Bill Edwards - 6'6" 235 lbs

At 6'6" and 235 lbs, Edwards entered preseason camp as the most impressive physical specimen of the freshman class. As a senior, Edwards was named the 2009 Ohio Senior Player of the Year after averaging 17.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He was also nominated as a McDonald's All American. Edwards saw considerable recruiting interest from teams like Wake Forest, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Xavier.

Edwards has a big body and a lot of versatility that make him a perfect swingman. He can put the ball on the floor and create a shot, or he can spot up and hit a left handed jumper. Obviously, it's too early to tell at this point, but he sounds a lot like Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley in his size and versatility.

DeChellis had high hopes for Edwards to step in with quality minutes right away in the frontcourt, but a partial tear of Edwards's MCL during a preseason practice session will force him to sit out until mid December. If he can get back into playing shape quickly we may see him, but without the benefit of the out of conference slate to gain some confidence and comfort with the system, it wouldn't surprise me if Ed decides to redshirt Edwards until next year.

21 - F - Sasa Borovnjak - 6'9" 235 lbs

Borovnjak is the latest in the series of the Ed DeChellis European player experiment/obsession. But unlike other European players in the past, Ed didn't have to fly to some small hamlet in battle-torn Serbia to find this kid. Sasa was already having a lot of success on American soil.

Borovnjak played high school ball for Veritas Christian in Fletcher, North Carolina. Veritas plays a national schedule against some of the stiffest competition in the country, and Sasa more than held his own as a star on the team. He's an exceptional low post player, and like most European big guys he doesn't mind dribbling and even shooting an occasional three point shot.

Ed's past European experiment players have been major disappointments. None of them could adjust to the physical style of American basketball and just get shoved around under the basket. But there is hope for Sasa because he's had a few years of high school basketball to adjust by now. His teammates called him "Sushi" when he first arrived in the States because he had never lifted a weight in his life. But his high school coach said he quickly took to the gym and morphed into a very physical player. I particularly like this quote from his coach.

I've been very blessed and had some great players. I had Donnell Mack who is at Memphis now and who was a prolific scorer in high school and a top fifty kid. And I had a 7-foot-2 kid, Catalin Baciuhere, who just finished up his freshman year at Clemson. He was a top fifty kid. But I'm telling you, Sasa scores better than either one of those guys. He can score on anybody, anywhere, anytime.

Sasa showed off that scoring ability last Friday when he recorded ten points to go with four rebounds, one block, and two steals in just 14 minutes of play. If Penn State can count on that level of production from him every night they will have gone a long way toward replacing Jamelle Cornley.

23 - G- Tim Frazier - 6'1" 160 lbs

You may remember me from such movies as...

All the reports on Frazier from preseason observations are the same. He's incredibly quick. Some say he's faster than Stanley Pringle. But DeChellis has been stressing that he doesn't know how to control that speed yet.

Tim is trying to go fast, and I think his speed will benefit him if he slows down some and then goes fast. He hasn't figured out that he can gear down and then when everybody is in his mode then he can go to the next level because he has a whole other gear. You can't always throw a fastball. You can throw an off-speed pitch and that is what we are trying to get him to understand. It doesn't always have to be 100 miles an hour. Go 80 and then go 100 and then you seem to go faster. The change of speeds is something he is going to have to figure out.

This is a typical adjustment for freshmen. They're used to high school where they can just blow past everyone. Try to do that in the Big Ten and more often than not you will dribble the ball off your knee or foot. So expect to see a few rookie mistakes, but you should also see flashes of amazing athletic ability like the video above.

Look for Frazier to play a lot of minutes this year. In the exhibition game he played 19 minutes and finished with four points (on a not-so-impressive 1-for-6 shooting) and five assists. His contribution will be critical in order to keep Battle's minutes down. Even if Frazier can just bring the ball up the court and get the offense started it will be a huge weight off of Battle allowing him to focus more on scoring and getting his teammates involved.

3 - G - Jermaine Marshall - 6'4" 190 lbs

Penn State is hoping they found a diamond in the rough with Marshall. A knee injury in his junior year of high school forced him to miss his senior year and fly under the radar, though he was seeing some minor interest from Temple and St. Joe's. ESPN graded him extremely high when they evaluated him as a 16 and 17 year-old before his injury.

Marshall's high school coach describes him as a highly versatile player. In high school he played all five positions on the floor, which also shows he's an unselfish player willing to do whatever was needed to win. His coach also raves about his vision on the floor and ability to anticipate things before they happen. He's very good at creating shots for himself and his teammates.

Here's what you won...

Due to his high school knee injury, Marshall hasn't played a lot of competitive basketball in recent years. So he may need some extra time to adjust to the college game. In the exhibition game last week he scored three points on his only shot, but only saw six minutes of play which suggests to me that Ed may have plans to redshirt him. The other factor at play here is that Penn State has just one scholarship player coming in next year in Taran Buie. Ed may want to space the scholarships out some so he doesn't have four one year and just one the next.

So those are the new faces. Before the opener on Friday I'm still going to try to get out one more preview post. In that edition we'll put it all together, look at the schedule, and I'll give you my prediction for where I see this team going this season.

Nitt Picks Vaguely Remembers Some Other Sport They Play On Campus In The Winter

BSD — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:18:13 -0000

More photos » by Ralph Wilson - AP

2 months ago: Tim Frazier looks to pass during practice at the Penn State preseason men's NCAA college basketball media day in State College, Pa. on Monday Oct. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson)

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Though we're in the thick of football season with big games against Michigan and Ohio State coming up, let's not forget about the other team that won our hearts last spring with an improbable run through the NIT tournament, the Nittany Lion men's basketball team. Yesterday was media day at the Bryce Jordan Center, so there is a lot to talk about the team today. Next week I plan on rolling out some preview posts of the team. It seems like a good time to do it since we're playing justNorthwestern. But for today here is a little basketball flavored Nitt Picks to get your mind thinking ahead.

The first thing you need to know is that thanks to the NIT run last spring, Ed DeChellis is rocking a three-year contract extension this fall. Cue the generic quote of endorsement from Athletic Department official.

"We are very excited about the significant progress our men's basketball program has made under Coach DeChellis and are thrilled that he will continue to lead the program into the future," athletic director Tim Curley said in a press release. "Ed and his staff have brought tremendous work ethic, passion and energy to the program and the Penn State basketball community."

There is no doubt that the excitement level for this team is higher than I have ever seen it in the preseason. Ticket sales are at an all-time high. But some people debate whether Ed earned this extension. Afterall, in six years he has yet to take a Penn State team to the NCAA tournament. On the other hand, anyone can see that progress has been made and winning the NIT is more than anyone could have dreamed just three or four years ago. But this much is known: In order for Ed to get another extension in 2012, he will have to take this team to the next level. Now that he won the NIT, just going to the NIT isn't going to cut it anymore.

But enough about nasty details of money and contracts. Let's talk about the team. Talor Battle will be the unquestioned leader of the team, and it's a role he is embracing.

Battle said being the leader is still a work in progress, and every day things get better for him as he adjusts. Aside from being a good communicator, the junior said keeping the energy high is something else he wants to do.

"All of the guys are looking up to me," Battle said. "So it's my job to try stay positive as much as I can even if my shot's not falling. That's been the toughest adjustment."

Battle played a lot of minutes last year, and now with Stanley Pringle gone one would think those minutes may go up. Which is why it's important true freshman Tim Frazier is (cue cheesy pun) ready for battle.

"Tim (Frazier) is exciting," Battle said Monday at the team’s media day. "Super-athletic and really quick. In some ways it’ll be similar to playing with Stan. He doesn’t shoot as well as Stanley right now but as far as getting out in transition and baskets and someone running with me, he’ll be right there."

The other big loss is Jamelle Cornley who served as the heart and soul of the team the past two years. Billy Oliver will hope to take over a lot of Mel's vacated minutes. Though he can't repace Cornley's heart, he might be able to replace some of his production.

The forgotten man in the Penn State lineup, redshirt freshman Billy Oliver, reported to the season's first practice Friday and showed coaches and teammates signs of the player he could be when healthy.

"He was tremendous," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "He was very, very good."

Finally, last Saturday the team put on a fun exhibition that featured a three-point shooting and dunk contest.

Cammeron Woodyard defeated Edwards in the final round to win the 3-point shooting contest and Frazier narrowly edged Jones in the dunk contest. The 6-foot-1 freshman, who threw down a two-handed jam on a breakaway in the scrimmage, windmilled home a ball that he caught off the bounce to earn a score of 36 from the judges. The 6-foot-10 Jones drew points for dressing up as football coach Joe Paterno but his bland final-round dunk couldn’t score enough points to pass Frazier.

We'll leave it at that for now. Like I said, I plan to do a few more in depth posts next week so I'll save some for that. For now just click on the media day link in the opening paragraph. There's lots of good reading there.

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

Looking Ahead To 2009-2010

BSD — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:00:15 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Penn State will need Jeff Brooks to step up if they hope to continue their success. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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It was mid-February when Penn State had dropped their third straight game with a 47-61 defeat against Purdue. Talor Battle was held scoreless for the third time in his career. Jamelle Cornley had 16 points, but nobody else stepped up. Through much of the season Penn State was depending on Stanley Pringle, Talor Battle, and Jamelle Cornley to do the bulk of the scoring. If one or two of those three guys failed to score in double digits, it pretty much meant Penn State lost. Even during the thrill of the hunt for the NCAA tournament, I couldn't help thinking next year would be a major drop off when Cornley and Pringle are gone. But as the season wore on, some of the role players began to come around. Late season injuries to Battle and Cornley forced many role players to step up their games, and by the time the NIT came to an end, Andrew Jones, David Jackson, Jeff Brooks, and Chris Babb were playing their best basketball of the season, giving us hope that maybe next year won't be so bad after all. Let's look at each member of the team returning next year. We'll discuss what they need to focus on during the summer and take an overall look at what the team will look like.

Talor Battle

The 2009-2010 Nittany Lions will undoubtedly be Talor Battle's team. Without the emotional Jamelle Cornley, the team will take their cues from the fiesty point guard.

It's hard to think of any way Battle could improve his game, but he's certainly not perfect. He was called on to share the load of carrying the team with Pringle and Cornley, but next year he's going to put even more weight on his shoulders. By the midway point in the season, he was visibly gassed and his scoring average dropped considerably. His jump shot also suffered as his legs went soft.

Summer Homework: Battle has to improve his strength and conditioning to better endure the rigors of the Big Ten season. He also needs to work on perfecting his jump shot and foul shooting.

David Jackson

After playing well in the first few games, Jackson went into a major sophomore slump. It got so bad that disaster struck nearly every time he touched the ball. He had simple passes go through his hands out of bounds. Or he would get the ball all alone under the basket and travel. At one point he scored only five points over a ten-game stretch, and against Ohio State he only logged three insignificant minutes of play. It was obvious he confidence was in complete shambles.

But once the Big Ten tournament started, Jackson became a new player. Showing improved confidence and aggressiveness, Jackson scored in double digits four times in seven games and became a lot more aggressive in his rebounding.

Summer Homework: Hit the gym and eat a lot of cheeseburgers. Jackson routinely gives up 30-40 lbs to the guys he's battling inside.

Jeff Brooks

There probably isn't a player on the team as physically gifted as Jeff Brooks, but in two seasons he hasn't been able to put it all together. He shows flashes here and there, but so far he hasn't been able to put two consistent games together back-to-back. At times, he has looked downright horrible in turning the ball over and playing out of control.

Most disheartening with Jeff is his obvious lack of confidence. He beats himself up after every little mistake. At one point in the season the camera zoomed in on his face as he was about to attempt a foul shot. He had a look on his face like a gambler who had lost everything he owned and was betting his last chip on one last desperation spin at the roulette wheel. He knew he was going to miss it, and he did.

Brooks scored his first double digit game against George Mason with 13 points in 29 minutes. After hitting a few shots you could tell his confidence was sky high and his play reflected it. Penn State will need him to be a factor next year.

Summer Homework: Work on the ball handling and cut down on the turnovers. And, I dunno, see a psychologist?

Andrew Jones III

No player showed more improvement this season than Andrew Jones. Something happened midway through the year where his confidence went up and he became a lot more aggressive. At the same time he began playing with control allowing him to stay on the court instead of sitting on the bench in foul trouble. By the time the NIT came around Jones was playing his best basketball of the season. In seven games he scored in double digits four times and registered two double-doubles.

Jones has shown to be deadly with his mid range jumper, and he has developed a nice baby hook shot from the low post. If he can develop a little drop step move or a turnaround fade away shot with his back to the basket...lookout.

Summer Homework: Keep hitting the gym and putting on the muscle. Try to develop a second post up move to compliment the baby hook. Also work on his defense, playing under control to avoid silly fouls and work on becoming a shot blocker.

Chris Babb

Babb played well for a kid in his true freshman year. He was obviously lost early in the year and didn't know what he was supposed to be doing on offense. But even then I could tell he was a good defender. He often got out of position as he adjusted to the speed of the game, but when he was asked to guard someone one-on-one, I liked his footwork and hands.

As the season wore on his play and numbers improved. He scored 11 points against George Mason and 13 points against Rhode Island in the NIT. With Stanley Pringle leaving, Babb will competing to be the guy starting with Battle in the backcourt.

Summer Homework: Babb already has a quick release and pretty jump shot. He has to work on his ball handling and defense if he hopes to claim Pringle's spot.

Cammeron Woodyard

Woodyard showed confidence and aggressiveness from the moment he stepped on the court. Maybe too much so, as he often launched some ill-advised shots. Evidently, Ed became tired of his inability to play within the system, because his minutes diminished as the season wore on, and he didn't log a single minute during the NIT.

Summer Homework: Learn the system, and learn to play within that system. Maybe slim down a bit to pick up some quickness.

Andrew Ott

Ott had one good game where he scored eight points against Michigan. Other than that he was a disappointment. But Penn State didn't really need Ott to be a scorer. They just needed a big body that could pull down rebounds and provide a big defensive presence in the middle. At times he would show flashes with a key block ro rebound, but then he would give it back by losing his man or giving up position for an easy basket.

Summer Homework: Show up in Lewis Preston's office every day with a roll of tape. Then go out and battle Andrew Jones one-on-one for two hours. Bulk up, play some tough defense, and rebound.

The Other Guys

So let's look at what the team is losing this year. We lose a good inside presence in Cornley. We lose a terrific guard in Pringle who can play defense, shoot the long ball, and drive the hoop and finish. And we lose Morrissey, a non-athletic three-point shooter with poor ball handling skills.

What are we picking up? Tim Frazier supposedly possesses tremendous ball handling skills, so maybe he can replace Pringle's driving ability while Babb replaces his three-point shooting.

By all accounts, Sasa Borovanjak is an excellent low post scorer, so maybe he can eventually replace Cornley in that area. If he can rebound, that would be great.

Billy Oliver is somewhat of a mystery to me. From what I've read and heard about his high school career he likes to work the perimeter on offense which is not ideal in my mind for a guy who is 6'8" tall. But then he also blocked 144 shots his junior year, so maybe he can provide another interior defensive presence.

Jermaine Marshall, I know nothing about. Maybe he's good, or maybe he's not. But I expect he's at least as good as Danny Morrissey.

So overall we lose three bodies, but we pick up four. Sasa and Marshall may redshirt, but I would expect Frazier to play right away. Oliver will take off his redshirt. Babb and Woodyard should be better. Jones has been steadily improving. Jackson seems to be out of his slump. So we lose a lot, but it's not like the crappy years where we're holding tryouts for a walk-on to start at shooting guard in September. There will undoubtedly be a drop-off. You don't replace guys like Pringle and Cornley with freshmen without some decline, but I don't think we'll see a slip back into the basement of the conference.

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.