The Penn State Men’s Basketball team lost to the Temple Owls in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on a last second, circus shot by Juan Fernandez. The shot brought an end to a great game and, unfortunately for the Lions, a great season. From the beginning of the year, the seniors knew the goal was to make the NCAA tournament. It certainly was a year full of ups and downs, but the team ultimately reached its goal and fought the Temple Owls to the final whistle. Though the loss is devastating, the Penn State basketball program should be proud of the team’s success and effort this year.
The team began the year 4-0 with wins over smaller conference teams such as St. Joseph’s and Fairfield. With the nice start, the team had high expectations for the season; however, the next seven non-conference games resulted in just three wins and a disappointing 7-4 overall record. Most notably, Penn State lost a home game against an inferior opponent in Maine and lost the opportunity to get a notable win against two solid teams in Maryland and Virginia Tech.
Therefore, the Lions entered Big Ten Conference play with much work ahead of them. After a few tough losses, Penn State put together its best stretch of the regular season in January with three home wins over top 25 opponents (Michigan State, Illinois, and Wisconsin). During the same stretch, the team lost to then #2 Ohio State and then #13 Purdue by a combined four points. While the team had appeared to have found a groove, it did not last long. The team sputtered down the the final stretch of the regular season, which included bad losses to Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. At this point, the Lions were unsure of their postseason future. Penn State finished with a respectable 9-9 record in a tough conference, but the bad losses out of conference left their resume unfit for the NCAA tournament.
The Lions knew they had to boost their resume by winning in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The Lions had to win at least two games, and most likely three, to have a reason to huddle around the television on Selection Sunday. At this point, many people outside of the program counted the team out. As had happened at certain moments during the regular season, it seemed that the goal of playing in the NCAA tournament was too far out of reach. Yet, the senior-laden team defied the odds, and knocked off Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan State to advance to the Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship game against the number one team in the country, Ohio State. Though the team lost 71-60, Penn State never backed down from the bigger and more talented team and proved it deserved a chance to play for a national championship.
As noted earlier, the team was given that chance to play for the national championship, but lost to a good Temple Owls team. Although it lost, the team should take pride in the season. The team reached the goal set at the beginning of year of playing in the NCAA tournament. At home, the Nittany Lions defeated 3 ranked Big Ten teams (Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin). On the road, they took Ohio State and Purdue to the brink of defeat, only to lose on the last possession of the game. They played some of their best games in postseason play, with victories in the Big Ten Tournament over Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. Finally, the team provided one of its most complete games of the year in a thrilling battle in a loss to the Temple Owls in the NCAA tournament.
Most importantly, at no point in the season did the members of the team give up on each other. Even when others counted them out, the players and coaches believed in themselves and their ability to compete with some of the best teams in the country. Their perseverance was exemplified when Jeff Brooks was lost to injury in the second half of the final game against Temple. The team could have accepted defeat, but instead the players continued to fight. Furthermore, they got help from the bench players, including Jermaine Marshall and Cammeron Woodyard, who embraced the big stage and kept the Lions in the game.
Even when execution fell short, the players and coaches poured their heart on to the court each night in an attempt to get a win. Additionally, the effort of this talented group brought national relevance to the Penn State basketball program. The seniors who had worked so hard in their time at Penn State were rewarded with victories as well as national recognition. Though four starters will be leaving, the team showed that Penn State basketball has been moving in the right direction and has the potential to play in the postseason in the future.
Finally, the fans should be thankful for the memories provided by the Penn State basketball program this year. The seniors worked so hard for four years, and accomplished the dream of earning a bid to the NCAA tournament. The fans should be thankful for the careers of seniors Talor Battle, Jeff Brooks, Andrew Jones, David Jackson, and Steve Kirkpatrick. The fans should be excited about the improvement of Tim Frazier, as well as the other young players, who will be the leaders in the years to come. All those involved with the Penn State basketball program should take pride in this past season and use it as a model for the future.