Mid Season Report: Penn State Men's Basketball's Non-Conference Season

Summary: Talk about a whirlwind, roller coaster ride, up and down affair. This Penn State team is much more exciting than PSU fans are used to. Ed DeChellis came to Penn State promising an up tempo style of basketball, and well... (http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310700275) To be fair, no one wins more games in the 30s than Ed DeChellis. It just don't happen! But, under Pat Chambers, PSU finally has an up-tempo team. This years' Nittany Lions are 4th in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency, and 2nd in PPG at 81.2. With 5 players averaging double figures (if you count John Johnson) this team can simply fill it up. The team has 4 guards that can light up the scoreboard on any night in Tim Frazier, D.J. Newbill, Allen Roberts, and Johnson, while the forwards have all had their moments as well. Ross Travis is averaging 11.8 PPG and 8.4 RPG, Brandon Taylor is averaging double figures and Donovon Jack has dropped 18+ on two separate occasions. Yet, this team has found a way to lose 4 games despite leading in the second half of every game on the schedule. The worst offenders are a blown 20 point lead to Princeton in the "Return to Rec", and a 10 point loss to Bucknell (that may have been more about a historic shooting performance by the Bison, though). Simply put, this team has looked great at times, and also dropped a few duds late in games. With the additions of John Johnson and 7'0" C Jordan Dickerson going forward, this team is deeper and more talented than any team during my lifetime, but they have quite a few ills that still need to be cured.

MVP: Tim Frazier. The senior guard is still not at his best, as it is clear that at times there is still some residual rust from his Achilles injury. Yet, that should make opponents more worried as Frazier is currently putting up 18.2 PPG and 7.5 APG. However, he seems to make a few more careless passes than usual, and Pat Chambers has been quick to remind everyone that Frazier still has a little more work to do. However, his effect can be seen on the rest of the team, with Newbill, Travis, and Taylor all shooting significantly better than last season as a result of the open shots they get from Frazier's penetration and vision. Simply put, Frazier is worth multiple wins with how good he is. How many? That is yet to be seen.

Most Disappointing Stat: Oy, the Nittany Lions are last, dead freakin' last, in the B1G in defensive efficiency. Sure, teams like Bucknell deserve some credit for just shooting great, but they also got countless open shots. The recent flux in Penn State's roster will  undoubtedly create some additional defensive chemistry issues going forward, but all season long PSU's rotations have been a touch slow, and have often resulted in wide open looks for the other team. Fortunately for PSU fans, defensive adjustments are usually easier to make mid-season than offensive adjustments, so PSU's D still may have a fighting chance. Undoubtedly though, it has a long way to go.

Key Going Forward: This one is easy: C Jordan Dickerson. The day before Penn State's last non-conference game vs. Mt. St. Mary's, Dickerson was granted a legislative waiver on his waiting period as a transfer, and was granted immediate eligibility to play. Dickerson is massive, shockingly athletic (he can really, really jump), and adds some extremely important frontcourt depth. Quite frankly, Dickerson is also very raw. You won't see the Nittany Lions dumping the ball into the paint and letting him go to work, because he does not have a lot of reliable post moves. Yet, Penn State scores plenty already, and all they need is a player who is going to be able to bang with players like Adriean Payne, A.J. Hammons, and Mitch McGary, and also be able to grab rebounds. Dickerson seems to fit that role perfectly. He has the athleticism to alter shots, and his presence earlier in the season would have solved a lot of issues Penn State had with foul trouble. While John Johnson (who also saw his first action against Mt. St. Mary's and managed to score 20 points on 8-11 shooting) is clearly the better play right now, Jordan Dickerson seems to fill a more desperate need.

Revised Win Prediction: I'm going to say 9, largely because I really want this team to be on the bubble before heading to the B1G Tournament. In reality, this number could be anywhere from 6 to 11. The team has depth and talent, especially at guard, and they will be competitive with every team they play. This much has been proven already, but whether or not the team can learn to close games (the nightmares of Princeton haven't stopped yet) will likely prove to be the deciding factor on how many games this team will win. Color me cautiously optimistic. Regardless, this team will be unbelievably fun to watch, and Big Macs shall be had for all.