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Posted: Friday October 25, 2002 3:29 PM Updated: Thursday October 31, 2002 4:22 PM Penn State Nittany Lions
The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis
When Penn State opened last season with a 13-point home loss to Yale, it was a fitting omen for a disappointing season. Fresh off their Sweet 16 season, but minus four starters, the Nittany Lions wound up finishing 11th in the Big Ten with only three conference victories, and won back-to-back games only once. But don't think head coach Jerry Dunn is ready to resign himself to spending this season in the nether regions of the Big Ten standings. In fact, he says the future's never been brighter. "The state of the program is good," Dunn said. "We're headed in the right direction. Obviously we had a tough year last year but you're going to have those years." Especially when you have only one senior playing more than 10 minutes a game, as Penn State did last year. "I think we played more freshman and sophomore minutes than anybody in the country," Dunn said.
With Tyler Smith (12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) gone, the Nittany Lions will rely on youth again this season. And when you're playing young kids at a place like Penn State, where the roster's not exactly filled with McDonald's All-Americans, you have to expect some struggles. Dunn explains his theory on the Nittany Lions' growing pains last year. "A kid who's the quality of an NBA player who can come in, play a year and leave you -- that kind of kid can make mistakes and they're not as glaring because their talent level makes up for it," he said. "We don't have guys like that. What we do have are good Big Ten-level players who now have more experience. They've gotten stronger too, and I expect to have a more physical team this year." That physical presence is important, especially in the notoriously rough-and-tumble Big Ten. More power inside means more trips to the free-throw line, which stops opponents from going on big runs and keeps games close. It also leads to better defense and tougher shots for the opposition, which was a problem last year for the Nittany Lions, who allowed 72.5 points per game. "Depth was probably one thing that was not a plus for us last year," Dunn said. "But this year we should be deep enough at each position to allow us to be a better defensive team. The players seem to have a better understanding of what's required of them on the defensive end. "We've got to defend and rebound the basketball better -- those two things will help us significantly. Toughness -- both physical and mental -- coupled with more maturity will make us a better basketball team this year." Fortunately for Dunn, one of his toughest players is also one of his best. Senior point guard Brandon Watkins (13.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.9 apg) is a 6-foot ball of fire who will set the tone for the offense. He'll often be the lone senior on the floor for Penn State, but Dunn expects him to be a "stronger and a savvier leader" because of the experience he gained last year. "He's one of the quicker point guards in the Big Ten," Dunn said. "From free-throw line to free-throw line, I'm not sure there's many people better with the basketball. His decision-making will improve as he gains more confidence. He understands each guy on the floor and where they need to get the ball to be successful. And we're working on getting him to shoot off the dribble more. Finding shots is not a problem for 6-1 junior guard Sharif Chambliss (14.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg), who jacked up 235 3-pointers last year, hitting 99 for a percentage of 42.1. He led the Big Ten with 3.5 3-pointers made per game and his .891 free-throw percentage was also tops in the conference. Chambliss was the team's leading scorer for the season and in 10 games last year, including a 20-point effort in a 51-49 victory over Big Ten co-champion Wisconsin. "He had a good year for us, obviously," Dunn said. "He was a pleasant surprise. We expect him to pick up where he left off in the offensive end and be better off the dribble. He'll be more difficult to guard if he can put it on the floor more efficiently and get to the line more. Defensively, he and Brandon are both capable of being better." Another junior, 6-6 swingman Jamaal Tate (6.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg), is looking to bounce back from a difficult season, but Dunn likes the progress he's made in coming back from offseason surgery to correct a shoulder injury that dogged him in 2001-02. "He had a disappointing year last year," Dunn said. "It was disappointing to us as a staff and to himself. He realized that he was struggling. We tried a lot of different things to get him going and nothing worked. But he came into the spring with a different mindset. If he's back on track mentally he can be effective." The tallest player on the roster, 6-11 sophomore Jan Jagla (7.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg), is back after leading all Big Ten freshmen in rebounds and blocked shots (31) last year. The Berlin native, who caught Dunn's eye as an exchange student in Ohio, has added 10 to 15 pounds to his frame, bulking up to 225, which should help him hold his own among the big men of the Big Ten. "He's got great potential," Dunn said. "He wasn't typical of most freshmen -- he had some growing up to do in terms of the physical part of the game. But he's probably one of the most skilled big guys we've had here. He's one of the best passers on the team and is a good ball-handler as well. This year he should get to the line more." The power forward spot is up for grabs, with three players fighting for playing time. Among them, 6-7 sophomore Daren Tielsch (4.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg) saw the most playing time last year at 17.8 minutes per game. He made nine starts, while 6-6 junior Ndu Egekeze (2.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg) started 12 games but battled a knee injury all season. The other candidate is 6-7 senior B.J. Vossekuil (1.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg), who missed the first half of the season but came off the bench to contribute in the second half. Sophomore Jason McDougald (0.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg), 6-9, represented Penn State on the Big Ten's all-star tour of Europe this summer. Dunn says he's best suited to play center, but "he's very active and runs the floor as well as some of our perimeter guys. He will be a better shot-blocker and offensive rebounder this year. He's very active on the glass." McDougald scored 16 points in five games on the European tour. He started once and averaged 3.2 points per game and 1.8 rebounds. He also had two blocks and two steals. The other backup big man will be 6-10 sophomore Kevin Fellows (1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg), who suffered a midseason ankle injury last year and never regained his early form. Backing up Watkins at the point will be 6-0 freshman Brandon Cameron, a Gary, Ind., product who has Dunn raving already. "He understands how to win," Dunn said. "He's got a true point guard mentality -- he's competitive, tough, and understands how to make his teammates better. He's going to compete for a lot of playing time." Other newcomers are 6-11 freshman Robert Summers of Gahanna, Ohio, and 6-6 freshman DeForrest Riley of Cincinnati. Dunn's optimism might appear misplaced, but if you consider that the worst is probably behind him, he's got to feel like a man who spent a year putting money in the bank and is now ready to reap the rewards. Watkins and Chambliss will make up one of the better starting backcourts in the conference, but the Lions' depth at guard is suspect. Jagla's an intriguing young big man, but the rest of the inside game is something of a crapshoot until somebody emerges. A berth in the NCAA tournament this year is probably too lofty a goal, but a .500 record and a return to the postseason is a definite possibility.
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