This is Part 2 of a three-part basketball preview here at NittanyWhiteOut. Stay tuned for the third installment, which will be posted before Friday’s season-opener against Penn.

Penn State will make the NCAA Tournament this season.

I’m well aware of the losses of Jamelle Cornley, who led this team both emotionally and with his play, of Stanley Pringle, who emerged as a bona fide star of his own,  and even that of Danny Morrissey, whose shooting ability allowed Penn State to fight their way back from deficits.

But the most important piece of last year’s 27-win, N.I.T.-champion Nittany Lions returns for the 2009-10 season.  And that’s Talor Battle.

Yes, there might be better players than Talor Battle around the country.  But the list of collegians I’d trade Battle for is about as long as the number of recent Philadelphia sports championships.  Not only is Battle a superlative player, as evidenced by his all-conference selection of a year ago and the fact that he was chosen to represent his country at the World University Games this summer in Serbia, but he has an intangible quality that few players can match.

How else would a 5’11 point guard rank 11th in the Big Ten in rebounds?  How else would he come through so often in the clutch, leading Penn State to wins over Illinois, Michigan State, and through the N.I.T. championship?  Battle comes up big when his team needs it the most, and that’s the mark of a champion.  Talor Battle is much more important to Penn State than are his 17, 5, and 5 a game, numbers that are sure to go up as the Nittany Lions lean even more heavily on their lone remaining star.

But, of course, no one player can do it alone, not even one so great as Talor Battle, who will probably go down as the greatest player to ever wear the blue and white when his illustrious career comes to a close.  And despite the losses of Battle’s top two sidekicks, Penn State will be able to use their depth to their advantage.

Last year, the offense revolved around Battle, Cornley, and Pringle.  It was Battle driving, Cornley battling down low, and Pringle hitting three ball after three ball.  It was a system that worked, and it was the reason that after Pringle, the drop off to the team’s 4th highest scorer, Andrew Jones, was one of 6 points per game.

The advantage of losing two members of the Big Three for Penn State is that it will bring more players into the spotlight.  Indeed, one need look no further than the team’s N.I.T. run to see how players stepped up in the absence of one of their stars, Jamelle Cornley.  Cornley was forced to leave the George Mason game early with an injury, and Andrew Jones came to the forefront, chipping in 11 points.  Without Cornley for an entire game, against Rhode Island, Penn State had one of their most impressive offensive showings of the season, scoring 83 points with four Lions in double figures.  Without being able to rely on the Big Three, Penn State was forced to spread the ball around, finding success in doing just that.

Notably, it was Jones, who Penn State fans hope will have used the N.I.T. as a springboard to success in the upcoming season, who played some of the best basketball of his career during the 5-game tournament.  Against Notre Dame, Jones set career highs with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and held potential All-American Luke Harangody to 5 of 16 shooting on defense.  Jones will be asked to pick up much of Cornley’s production inside, and has even come to replace some of Jamelle’s leadership with the team.  Would it surprise anyone if his 6 and 6 from a year ago jumped to 11 and 8, as he becomes Penn State’s top post player?

Also poised for a breakout season is Chris Babb, who will undoubtedly see a major jump in minutes, from little-used role player to starting wing, and if his performance in practices and the scrimmage are any indication, Babb has come a long way from last year.  His shot is a thing of beauty, and if he’s willing to play a physical game too, as evidenced by his 9 rebounds against Slippery Rock, Babb could become a candidate for the Big Ten’s most improved player award.

The forwards will be David Jackson and Jeff Brooks, and while D.J. looked awful at times last year, the issue was one of confidence.  There were instances were Jackson couldn’t hit an open lay-up, much less a jumper, and even looked lost on defense, typically his strong suit.  However, Jackson has proven that he can be an effective player in the past–as a freshman he averaged 6 points and shot 39% from downtown, though the numbers slipped last year.  And it’s not like Jackson was wholly awful all season, he scored 7 or more points in the Lions’ first 7 games and came around again at the end of the year, scoring in double figures in Penn State’s last two regular season games, and twice in the NIT.  With 9 points in just 20 minutes against Slippery Rock, Jackson looks ready to take a big step forward from last year.  As far as Brooks goes, I can’t even give a prediction, due to his nature, which erratic doesn’t even come close to describing.  But he is still a phenomenal athlete, probably a better defender than was Cornley, and if he puts together his terrific talent, could be a valuable piece in 2009-10.

While the freshman class is full of question marks, we know that Tim Frazier will see the court, and judging by his pedigree and athleticism, he will add a dimension of speed that Penn State so often lacked last year.  With a significant part of the offense being the low post game, Penn State was content to play a slow tempo game last year, despite their athletic advantage over many opponents.  This won’t be the case this year, especially when Frazier is on the court. Tim can fly, and Penn State will try and push the ball when he’s out there.  In the “slow” Big Ten, this can be a major advantage, especially against teams like Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Yes, Penn State faces an uphill battle, but nothing in life is guaranteed.  Last year, the only think keeping Penn State from dancing was a horrendous non-conference schedule, one that presented Mount St. Mary’s as the Lions’ best win.  But this year, Ed DeChellis and Tim Curley went out and fixed it.  This year could feature wins over teams like Virginia Tech, Temple, Miami, South Carolina, and Virginia in the pre-conference slate, and an improved Big Ten will present plenty of chances for Penn State to pick up marquee wins.  Last year, a 10-8 conference record didn’t get Penn State to the Big Dance, but this year, even an 8-10 mark could.  With the Big Ten being bandied about as the best conference in the NCAA, if Penn State can finish just 6th or 7th, if not as high as #4, like a year ago, they should be headed to the tourney.  That’s certainly attainable for this group.

So, yes, haters, Talor Battle can’t do it alone. But he won’t need to, because Penn State’s supporting cast will silence the critics.  Ed DeChellis got the ball rolling last year, setting program records in wins, conference wins, and winning their first ever tournament, and winning coach of the year in the process.

It’s up to him and his star point guard to keep the momentum going.  Another N.I.T. run wouldn’t be anything to complain about, especially considering the strength of the conference, and the losses from a year ago.

But now, this program is hungry. The only thing that could satisfy the Lions, and their rapidly growing fanbase, would be a NCAA tournament run.

And as Penn State seeks to prove that we’re not just a football school, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Releated Posts:

1. The Glass is Half Empty
2. Penn State Handles Penn to Open Season
3. Penn State Storms Past Robert Morris
4. Well, Taran Buie’s Starting Now: Chris Babb Transfers
5. Talor Battle Enters NBA Draft

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