2013-2014 Big Ten Basketball Preview: #8 Penn State Nittany Lions

(Warning: This is Penn State and I haven't missed a game in nearly 5 years, I am a homer, and I will likely write WAY too much. That said, I know what I'm talking about, and you may learn something, so READ)

Last Season: This one isn't so pretty for Penn State fans to revisit. From the minute Tim Frazier went down early in the non-conference season, it was essentially a given that Penn State was going to be in for a rough stretch. Without a backup PG on the roster, Pat Chambers was forced to improvise. The Solution? Sophomore transfer D.J. Newbill played PG for the first time since... his year at Southern Miss? nah. AAU? Nope. High School? Wrong again. MIDDLE SCHOOL?! That's more like it. Nevertheless, he showed tremendous improvement throughout the season, and Junior Jermaine Marshall scored in bunches, but Penn State struggled to only 2 wins in conference. One of those two wins though... miraculously came versus the #4 overall Michigan Wolverines!

Departures: Jermaine Marshall (Transfer), Sasa Borovnjak, Nick Colella, Pat Ackerman (Transfer), Akosa Maduegbunam (Transfer), Jon Graham (Transfer)

Returning Players: Tim Frazier, DJ Newbill, Ross Travis, Donovon Jack, Brandon Taylor

Newcomers: John Johnson (Transfer), Allen Roberts (Transfer), Jordan Dickerson (Transfer*), Graham Woodward, Geno Thorpe, Julian Moore, Payton Banks

What to Expect: Corny catchphrases (#ATTITUDE and #RELENTLESS). This team excels with motivating one word catch phrases. But actually, this is not an easy question to answer. In the last preview, I said there may not be a team with more turnover than than Illinois in the entire country, and I may have just refuted my own statement. There is a lot going on here, so why are (some) PSU fans so optimistic? Two words: Tim. Frazier. Frazier is, in my opinion, one of the 5 best players in this conference, and when you have a player that is as quick as Frazier and as smart of a passer as Frazier, everything else becomes easier for the team. Additionally, Newbill gets to slide back to his natural position. While the departure of Jermaine Marshall does hurt, the additions of John Johnson, a transfer from University of Pittsburgh who shot 38% from 3 as a freshman, and Allen Roberts, a grad transfer who was Miami (Ohio)'s leading scorer last year, provide Penn State with one of the best backcourts in the B1G. Yet, the frontcourt of Penn State is thin on depth, and slightly undersized. Ross Travis will start at the 3 spot, but he is one of the leading returning rebounders in the conference. Brandon Taylor saw major minutes at the 4, where he will start this year, although he is undersized for the position. Donovon Jack will start at the 5, and he is also slightly undersized. These 3 players essentially comprise PSU's frontcourt, as freshman Julian Moore likely isn't ready to go yet. One thing that stand out about this frontcourt is that all of these guys can shoot the 3, especially Taylor and Jack. So, if these guys can pull opposing big man away from the hoop, there might be open driving lanes for Frazier and Newbill all day. Additionally, with positive reports about freshman guards Graham Woodward and Geno Thorpe coming out, expect to see PSU run a lot of 3 and 4 guard sets that attempt to take advantage of the team's quickness.

#ATTITUDE

Storyline to Watch: Pat Chambers finally has the type of team he wants: Fast, athletic, versatile, and heavy on Philly players (Insert Chambers quote about "Philly toughness:"). With almost no holdovers from the DeChellis era left, this should be the year that we see real progress in the program.

Final Prediction: 17-13 (8-10)

Frazier will be one of the best players in the conference, and if Penn State's small versatile lineup can avoid major rebounding problems and take advantage of their relative quickness, this should be a bubble season.