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peterjswift
01-17-2011, 10:37 AM
This story seems to have lived in relative obscurity in the basketball world, especially in an ACC-centric forum, but Penn State has been a really interesting team to watch recently that many people are missing out on.

Has anyone noticed what Penn State has been doing to the Big Ten? They won back to back games against MSU and Illinois, and lost a heartbreaker to Ohio State. Other than getting rolled by Maryland at home (62-39...ouch!) and losing to Maine, PSU has played a tough schedule and has a bevy of quality wins.

According to ESPN, they are near the worst in the country for PPG, RPG, APG and FG%, yet they are grinding out wins against tough opponents. Eight of their final twelve games are against ranked opponents. It will be really interesting to see if PSU can keep up this ragged intensity through the rest of the season. They can play their way right into the NCAA tourney, and could be an upset waiting to happen. I can't remember the last time PSU's basketball team was in the top 25, but as a Pennsylvanian, this is really exciting to see.

Taylor Battle is a talented player and exciting to watch. I'm guessing most of PSU's games down the stretch will be televised - definitely worth watching, despite how painfully slow the pace is.

gumbomoop
01-17-2011, 11:32 AM
This story seems to have lived in relative obscurity in the basketball world, especially in an ACC-centric forum, but Penn State has been a really interesting team to watch recently that many people are missing out on.

Has anyone noticed what Penn State has been doing to the Big Ten? They won back to back games against MSU and Illinois, and lost a heartbreaker to Ohio State. Other than getting rolled by Maryland at home (62-39...ouch!) and losing to Maine, PSU has played a tough schedule and has a bevy of quality wins.

According to ESPN, they are near the worst in the country for PPG, RPG, APG and FG%, yet they are grinding out wins against tough opponents. Eight of their final twelve games are against ranked opponents. It will be really interesting to see if PSU can keep up this ragged intensity through the rest of the season. They can play their way right into the NCAA tourney, and could be an upset waiting to happen. I can't remember the last time PSU's basketball team was in the top 25, but as a Pennsylvanian, this is really exciting to see.

Taylor Battle is a talented player and exciting to watch. I'm guessing most of PSU's games down the stretch will be televised - definitely worth watching, despite how painfully slow the pace is.


1. Odd spelling - Talor rather than Taylor
2. NCAAT hopes - they have to win the easy ones [e.g., Iowa, Mich at home], maybe sweep both NW and Minn, and get a big win at home v. either Wisconsin or Ohio St.
3. Not much TV [at least on ESPN], as there are so many other marquee names this season in BigWhatever.
4. ragged intensity - good description

peterjswift
01-17-2011, 03:09 PM
1. Odd spelling - Talor rather than Taylor
2. NCAAT hopes - they have to win the easy ones [e.g., Iowa, Mich at home], maybe sweep both NW and Minn, and get a big win at home v. either Wisconsin or Ohio St.
3. Not much TV [at least on ESPN], as there are so many other marquee names this season in BigWhatever.
4. ragged intensity - good description

re #1 - my bad.

I agree with #2 for the most part - I'm not sure sweeping both NW and Minn would be required, but a good showing in the big ten tourney could get them in.

After watching a few of their games, the one thing I'm convinced of is that their conditioning is really great...both physically and psychologically. I think they are convinced they can hang with anyone, and they don't crumble. It isn't pretty, but they just wear people away.

peterjswift
01-24-2011, 09:59 AM
a one point loss to purdue last week. I feel bad for PSU basketball fans - this is becoming a season of missed opportunities. 3 point loss to OSU and a 1 point loss to Purdue....that's rough.

DukieInKansas
01-29-2011, 06:30 PM
1. Odd spelling - Talor rather than Taylor
2. NCAAT hopes - they have to win the easy ones [e.g., Iowa, Mich at home], maybe sweep both NW and Minn, and get a big win at home v. either Wisconsin or Ohio St.
3. Not much TV [at least on ESPN], as there are so many other marquee names this season in BigWhatever.
4. ragged intensity - good description

They just got that win against Wisconsin.

gumbomoop
01-30-2011, 11:51 AM
They just got that win against Wisconsin.

They are an interesting team, gritty, sneak up on people.

I could see them at 8-6 after their next 5 games, but, jeez, then their last 4 are: @Wisc, @NW, OSU, @Minn.

So, if [big if] they could sweep NW and Minn, they get to 10-8. Could they beat OSU??? I wonder whether 9-9 and 2 wins in Big 10 tourney would get them into the "First Four."

I also wonder whether that early season drubbing from Md, and worse, the home loss to Maine, will, in the end, do them in.