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Penn State Basketball: 'It's Never That Simple'

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Penn State Basketball: 'It's Never That Simple' BASKETB ALL TIMES 15 Penn State basketball: ‘It’s never that simple’ Brendan F. Quinn UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — It was one of those DeChellis is the guy who can do it,” but quickly follows “We were really far down the ladder in terms of moments Ed DeChellis wants to cup in his hands, put in a that with, “but it absolutely won’t be done easily.” where we needed to be in comparison to other Big Ten snow globe, and freeze in time. The athletic department in Happy Valley is as suc- schools and basketball programs in general,” DeChellis Penn State students were dancing on the Bryce Jor- cessful as any institution this side of Stanford. The school said. “We’ve come up in talent and revamped the facili- GDQ&HQWHUÁRRU7KHVFKRROEDQGZDVEODULQJLQWRWKH has claimed 56 Big Ten titles in the last 15 years and six WLHVE\UHGRLQJWKHORFNHUURRPVÀOPURRPVFRDFKHV night air. Senior forward Andrew Jones smiled widely as NCAA championships since 2007. The football program RIÀFHVDQGSUDFWLFHJ\PWKHODVWWZRRUWKUHH\HDUVEXW Big Ten Network cameras zoomed in for a postgame in- is a meteoric force. State College goes from being the we’ve had hurdles along the way.” terview. Senior guard Talor Battle jogged off the court 13th largest city in the state to the third largest during a Recruiting is at the top of that list. Landing high-ma- ZLWKKLVLQGH[ÀQJHUSRLQWLQJWRZDUGWKHKHDYHQV football Saturday at Beaver Stadium. If four faces were jor talent. When DeChellis took over in 2003, he stressed Above the court, the massive scoreboard read: Penn carved into Mt. Nittany, they would simply be four dif- the importance of securing the best players in the state State 57, Illinois 55. The Nittany Lions had knocked off ferent facial expressions of Joe Paterno. and carving out a recruiting footprint in the Northeast. WKH1R,OOLQLWRPDUNWKHSURJUDP·VÀUVWEDFNWREDFN And then there’s Nittany Lions men’s basketball. He learned quickly that that’s not entirely feasible. Penn victories over top-25 opponents since 1954. Only three To call it a culture of losing is too harsh. More to State football raids talent in states like Pennsylvania, days earlier, it was No. 18 Michigan State scrambling off the point, it’s a culture lacking tradition and consistency. New Jersey, Maryland and New York because it’s a great- WKHFRXUWDV3HQQ6WDWHVWXGHQWVZLOGO\UXVKHGWKHÁRRU Since an appearance in the 1954 Final Four, Penn State er commodity than any program found in the Big East. This is how it could be — how it should be. KDVUHDFKHGWKH1&$$7RXUQDPHQWÀYHWLPHV,QLWV The exact opposite exists for Penn State hoops. Top The Bryce Jordan Center, however, is not a snow \HDUVDVD%LJ7HQPHPEHUWKHSURJUDPKDVÀQLVKHG players in the North Atlantic typically land in the Big East, globe. And even in the depths of a Central Pennsylvania RUEHWWHURQO\IRXUWLPHVDQGÀQLVKHGZLWKÀYHZLQVRU while players in the South gun for the ACC and players winter, no one can freeze time. less on 10 occasions. Over the last 10 years, the Nittany in the Midwest look to the traditional Big Ten basketball “Things are never that simple with Penn State bas- /LRQVKDYHUHJLVWHUHGVL[ODVWSODFHÀQLVKHV7KHVFKRRO schools. Philadelphia kids? They’re even harder to get. ketball,” said Joe Crispin, star of the 2001 Sweet 16 team. KDVQHYHUSURGXFHGDÀUVWURXQG1%$GUDIWSLFNDQGKDV “We’ve had to go and recruit nationally and get a guy Following the upset over Illinois, Battle seemed ea- had one player (Calvin Booth, 1999) selected since 1984. here and get a guy there,” said DeChellis, whose roster ger to saddle up for the postgame news conference. The Those are imposing facts to maneuver around, and features six in-state players. “It’s been a major challenge lionhearted team captain scored a game-high 26 points DeChellis is hamstrung with the abstract job of trying to and we’re trying to sell kids on coming in here and being to get within 278 points of Jesse Arnelle’s 55-year-old “create a tradition and a culture every single day.” a part of something special and doing their own thing.” school record of 2,138 career points. Battle pulled his “At Penn State, you have to win and you have to win Outside of recruiting handicaps, it doesn’t help that chair close to the table and slid the microphone toward big because the program across the street (the football Penn State ranks in the bottom three in the Big Ten in op- his chin. On cue, he was asked how the team had put a team and it’s 107,282-seat Beaver Stadium) has set the HUDWLQJH[SHQVHVWRWDOH[SHQVHVWRWDOUHYHQXHSURÀWDQG GUHDGIXO ORVV WR 0DLQH ZKLFK RFFXUUHG ÀYH JDPHV EH- standard for not only winning, but winning big,” said attendance. While the conference led the nation in atten- forehand, behind it to turn things around. DeChellis, who came to Penn State from East Tennessee dance for the 34th year in a row, averaging 12,591 ticket- “You know what’s funny?” Battle said. “Whenever State in 2003 and served as an assistant from 1986-96. holders, Penn State averaged 8,150 in the 15,261-seat we win, someone mentions how we lost to Maine.” “You can’t just get wins here and there. You have to be Bryce Jordan Center, topping only Northwestern (5,089). Therein lies the problem of Penn State basketball. at a certain level to generate that enthusiasm and energy. The team hasn’t drawn over 10,000 per game since 2001 Even when the Nittany Lions get going, it’s Happy Valley That’s where the bar has been set.” and it dipped as low as 6,830 in 2006. However ... human nature to keep one foot on the brake. It’s a distrust The preoccupation in Big Ten country of, “Penn “Anytime we showed any level of constancy during based on apprehension. Penn State football is blindly State basketball cannot compete with Penn State foot- my career, there was a genuine atmosphere and interest,” followed by pious foot soldiers. Penn State basketball is ball,” is both absurd and obtuse. Penn State basketball said Crispin. “The Bryce Jordan Center is tough, in that it met with devilish cynicism. That’s the way it is. No one does not have to compete with Penn State football. It has has to be full for it to have a great atmosphere. It wasn’t mindlessly jumps on the basketball bandwagon, because to compete with Minnesota basketball and Michigan bas- built for basketball, and you can tell. But if you get things every follower of Penn State basketball is struck with two ketball and Indiana basketball. packed and you get things going, it can be a great atmo- irreconcilable emotions — an undying love of all things That’s exactly what DeChellis sees his task as – cre- sphere.” 1LWWDQ\DQGWXJJLQJPHPRULHVRIXQIXOÀOOHGKRSH DWLQJ D SURJUDP WKDW FDQ EH VHOIVXIÀFLHQW DQG FRQVLV- Though DeChellis’ detractors endlessly point to four “That really hurts (the program),” said head coach WHQWO\ÀQLVKLQWKHWRSKDOIRIWKH%LJ7HQ&RQVLVWHQF\ ODVWSODFHÀQLVKHVLQKLVVHYHQ\HDUVWKH\HDUROGLV Ed DeChellis, a 1982 alum. “There’s no question about it, is the key. The program’s last three postseason appear- well liked in Happy Valley. He’s considered one of “the DQG,·PWKHÀUVWWRDGPLWLW,W·VYHU\IUXVWUDWLQJµ ances (2001 Sweet 16, 2006 NIT, 2009 NIT champions) good guys,” runs a clean program and is active in the Now in his eighth year as the man asked to bring ex- UHVXOWHG LQ ODVWSODFH FRQIHUHQFH ÀQLVKHV WKH IROORZLQJ community. Tim Curley, the A.D. since 1993, steadfastly istence to a nonentity, DeChellis is the latest architect try- season. That can’t happen. That’s how apathy is born. stands by DeChellis and gave him a contract extension ing to install support beams under Penn State basketball. The team’s run to the NIT title two years ago resulted in 2009 that runs through 2013-14. And in an era where He is trying to answer the question that has perplexed in 32 busloads of students traveling to Madison Square coaches get turned over more than hotel beds, signs point philosophers and professors alike: How can Penn State Garden to scream, “We are, Penn State!” Last season, that toward DeChellis seeing his contract to fruition. basketball become a consistent winner? It’s up there with passion was extinguished by an 11-20 (3-15) campaign. But, while that’s all well and good, can he win? who built the pyramids and what happened to Atlantis? ´,W·V YHU\ IUXVWUDWLQJ WR KDYH WR ÀJKW IRU VXVWDLQHG Can anyone win? The answer is yes and DeChellis “Yeah, it’s a tough question,” Crispin said. “To give success,” Crispin said. LVWKHÀUVWSHUVRQWRVD\VR7KLVLVQ·WDERXWPDNLQJ3HQQ one answer ... well, I can’t.” To be fair, some of DeChellis’ most anticipated teams State a “basketball school.” It’s about fostering a legiti- Crispin has been looking for a solution ever since (2006 and 2008, notably) were besieged by injuries. He’s mate program. Remember, though, nothing is simple. guiding the Nittany Lions to their last NCAA Tourna- had some hard breaks that have cracked a rebuilding pro- Those January upsets of Michigan State and Illinois ment 10 years ago. Now a professional playing in Italy, cess that’s as fragile as an eggshell. His 2009 NIT title ZHUHQ·WÁXNHV1HLWKHUZDVWKDW'HFHPEHUORVVWR0DLQH the 31-year-old still owns a house near Happy Valley and team proved after the fact that it was worthy to dance, but That’s life in Happy Valley. Shake the snow globe. SUDFWLFHVZLWKWKHWHDPLQWKHVXPPHU+H·VXQÁLQFKLQJO\ a weak non-conference strength of schedule popped the Brendan F. Quinn is a freelance writer in Philadelphia. optimistic, saying, “There’s no doubt in my mind that Nits’ bubble. Additionally, the program he inherited from He covers college basketball for The Philadelphia In- Penn State can have a high-level program and that coach former head coach Jerry Dunn was in utter shambles.
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