By Mike 05.26.11 at 6:00 am  In a week dominated by Ed DeChellis’s sudden departure from Happy Valley, a bunch of news was shoved to the side, particularly for the Penn State fans, many of whom are still left wondering, “WTF, Ed?” USC lost its appeal against the NCAA sanctions–you know, that whole no-bowl for two years thing? While another program is really skating on thin ice down in the Tar Heel State. Some old foes from the Rip Engle era might make some waves in East Coast Football once again. And oh yeah, LOL PITT!
Enough! Linkage, ho!
Super-seriously, Butch Davis “didn’t know” there were shenanigans abound on his football team.
Sounds an awful lot like the NCAA is maybe, possibly, growing a set, at least when it comes to non-SEC programs. So much for seeing USC in a bowl game until 2013.
Yeah, yeah. No throwing stones in a glass whatever. But c’mon. This is the only sort of rivalry we have nowadays with Pitt. So I’m going to point and laugh at Anthony Gonzalez, who got nabbed for weed possession and has been suspended. He was probably their second-best QB going into this year, and could have pushed Tino Sunseri for the starting job. Penn State recruited him a few years ago.
If I didn’t do the Tressel-itis headline, this would have been the second choice for a theme. Penn State will apparently try to make Beaver Stadium into one big smart phone arcade.
Guido D’Elia must really like the “Code Blue” name for stuff. Too bad most people associate it with a miserably-failed attempt at a pre-White Out stadium color coordination. Greg Myford said they will use the name for a Student Athletics Rewards (-ish) program to entice higher attendance at games and events. It’s a good idea, honestly. But the name still sucks.
The Lady Lions will draw North Carolina in the 2011 BigTen/ACC Challenge. Rough, but this team should be up for the challenge.
Phil Steele pegs the Nittany Lions No. 24 coming into the season. Not a bad place to start. Though, you can bet the main stream polls/rankings will generally leave out Penn State.
In the world of a program that set the gold standard for hypocrisy and cheating, albeit 60 years ago, Army is a team being thrown around as potential entries into the Big East, along with its counterpart/arch-rival Navy. For some reason, I really like this idea. But then again, I’m a sucker for both East Coast Football and the military.
Penn State fans know the Liberty Bowl. At least, those Penn State fans with a sense of program history. Well, the bowl that helped put the Nittany Lions on the map is heading back to a major broadcast network, ABC. Now, if they could only ship the game back to Philly…
Off-season is the time for player profiles. Safety Malcolm Willis is one of the more intriguing players heading into 2011, and Jared Shanker at PennLive.com caught up with him. Shanker has also been doing a series on each month of the football schedule this year. Check it out and stay tuned for November; horrible, cruel November.
PSU Basketball Stuff : I know you’re probably tired of this, but worry not. This will be a quick update. Penn State has apparently hired Eddie Folger to help with the coaching search. Who’s Eddie Folger? An experienced coach with PA ties. Then there’s this: “According to multiple sources, Penn State will consider East Carolina coach Jeff Lebo, who is from Carlisle, Pa. Lebo was also recruited to play at North Carolina by Fogler when he was an assistant to then coach Dean Smith.” Speaking of which, former Philadelphia 76ers Larry Brown said he would interview for the job if asked. Also, Larry Brown won’t be the next head coach. Finally, PSU alum and fantastic ESPN hoops reporter Dana O’Neil caught up with Tim Curley.
Lastly for this morning, it seems you all need a bit more prodding to dive into the forums. Remember, your regular LBU login works, so if you’re signed up for LBU, you’re signed up for the forums. Not yet signed up? DO IT NOW!
We had a great topic started yesterday afternoon by one of you, regarding non-conference scheduling. It’s been a nice, lively discussion. But we want MORE! Only you can help. Get in the forums and have fun!
By Mike 05.18.11 at 8:00 am For the past few days, mostly on Twitter, you’ve been seeing some not-so-cryptic Tweets from me about blogging platforms. The topic of WordPress has come up. And as you might imagine, there is going to be a change around here in the very near future. I would say keep your eyes peeled this weekend, but that would be giving away too much.
Oops! Darn, now the cat’s out of the bag.
Anyway, there won’t be any more details about what will happen. Not yet, at least. But I can promise you that LBU is movin’ on up.
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This man has little use for folks like us.
We don’t blame him. |
And now, the linkage…
Genaro Armas reported for the AP how Joe Paterno has little use for… um… anything nowadays. But especially when anything includes interacting with the media.
Matt Fortuna wrote this weekend that Pitt head coach Todd Graham would like to see the Penn State vs Pitt rivalry restored. You will hear more on this from LBU, I assure you.
The Patriot News’s Sara Granim reported on Austin Scott’s claim that the dismissed rape charges brought against him were part of a conspiracy. While the word “conspiracy” automatically makes anything sound like it came from someone wearing a tin-foil hat, read this article. There’s nothing crazy about what’s in it.
Kevin McGuire noted that 71% of Big Ten football fans prefer a 9-game playoff.
50-Yard Lion blogger Mike Justus offered up a little optimism (I like to call it ‘sanity’) about Penn State’s “Under the Radar” label bestowed by the media already this year.
Lady Lions head coach Coquese Washington was selected for the 2011 BCA Women’s Coach of the Year award.
ESPN announced the 2011 ACC/Big Ten Challenge lineup. Penn State will play Boston College.
Guy Cipriano at the CDT profiled wrestling legend Art Weiss, who died at the age of 102 this week.
Jenny Vrentas (glad to see her finally embrace the big Jersey hair now) profiled one of the all-time enemies of Penn State football: Alabama’s Marty Lyons.
Slow States pointed us to the most important stats in football.
More Brandon Ware reactions from Nittany White Out, Victory Bell Rings, and Black Shoe Diaries.
What a moron.
Speaking of morons, how ’bout those Fiesta Bowl guys? In the Bleachers offered up both a synopsis and opinion on the latest Fiesta Bowl probation news. Also, they want their campaign donations back.
So it begins. Today Phil Steele launched his top-30 countdown, starting with Air Force.
And at CollegeFootballNews.com, looks like they’re picking up where our old Big Ten Bloggers roundtables left off when we all got too big for our britches.
The Big Ten Championship location is set for Indianapolis, but for only this year. The future is still up for grabs. So far, Chicago is in the running with Indy.
MGoBlog’s Misogopon took a crack at re-naming the Big Ten Divisions.
Hawk Central reported Kinnick Stadium’s audit by Homeland Security. Here’s a thought, how about starting by forcing fans to check their bloody pig heads at the gate?
The Wiz of Odds asks, ‘The Bowls: Silly Extravagance or Worthwhile Tradition?’
There will be a Kilimanjaro Bowl. This is not a joke.
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By Mike 04.02.11 at 12:46 pm
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| Maggie Lucas (Photo: PSU) |
In the world of so-not-a-shock-it’s-almost-not-news news, Penn State Lady Lions freshman Maggie Lucas earned freshman all-America honors for here inaugural campaign in Happy Valley:
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. – Penn State guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) capped a stellar freshman campaign by being named to the Full Court Press Freshman All-American second team. She is one of 15 players selected to the Freshman All-American squad and one of only two Big Ten players to earn the honor (Purdue’s Courtney Moses – third team). This is the second-straight season that the Lady Lions have had a representative on the Full Court Press Freshman All-American team, joining Alex Bentley who was a third team selection a year ago.
The record-breaking freshman is just one of several on this team–all but one of whom return for 2012–that sparked the best season in six years for the Lady Lions. Lucas earned every part of this honor, which will surely not be the last she receives while playing for Penn State.
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By Mike 03.21.11 at 9:42 pm Penn State’s season will end at home. The season finale location may not have come as a surprise to many. But the situation of that final home game would. The Lady Lions fell to DePaul, 75-73 tonight, in the 2nd Round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Was it bad enough that Penn State was eliminated from advancing to the Sweet 16? Yes. Was it bad enough that the loss came at home? Definitely. But it was worse, much worse, as the Lady Lions held as much as a 14-point lead in the early 2nd half of the game, only to see it evaporate into the night.
Some positives: Alex Bentley had another monster game, dropping 23 points on the Blue Demons. Julia Trogele had a double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds. Too bad she couldn’t go out a winner. Nikki Greene had a very nice 12 points, but was injured for a stretch of the game. That was the same stretch that DePaul made the biggest part of their comeback. Penn State outscored DePaul 38-29 in the first half.
Some negatives: Maggie Lucas had a big jumper near the end, but was held to a paltry 7 points. That’s an inexcusable number, no matter how well the other team defends your best shooter. Mia Nickson was the only other teammate to score more than 7. Where was the rest of the team? I said earlier today, this had to be a full team effort today. It wasn’t, especially down the stretch. And what was THAT play called on the final inbounds with 4.9 seconds left? Penn State went with a short handoff that ran right into double coverage. The ball barely made it past mid-court before Trogele had to heave up a desperation shot. It was a sloppy ending to a sloppy half. And that’s a polite description of it. DePaul outscored Penn State 46-35 in the second half.
Now what: Penn State returns the ENTIRE roster next year, except for the lone senior from this season, Julia Trogele. So the promise is there, and it is a very bright future. The program is possibly back on track to the glory days it once enjoyed. But this was a terrible way to end this season. Even a loss in the Sweet 16–say, a blowout loss to Duke–would have been more tolerable than what was experienced tonight in Happy Valley. On to next season…
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By Mike 03.21.11 at 12:00 pm
TIME/VENUE: 7 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center, so there’s no excuse to not attend.
TV: The game will be televised on ESPNU and ESPN2, based on a coverage map, or on ESPN3.com.
LAST MTG: Regular Season: Dec. 30, 1992 – PSU W, 85-78; NCAA Tournament: 1992 – PSU W, 77-54.
It was a slow start for Penn State, but the Lady Lions fought off a 16-8 deficit against Dayton to win the first round NCAA tournament game Saturday at home, 75-66 over the Flyers. But as in any tournament play, it sure doesn’t get any easier. Tonight at 7 p.m., the Lady Lions take on the 3-seed DePaul Blue Demons (28-6, 13-3 Big East) in the Bryce Jordan Center.
It’s Penn State’s second straight “home” game in this tournament. Should the Lady Lions win, the regional games will also have a friendly feel to them, as the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will be in Philadelphia. In a way, that gives this game even more meaning and weight to Penn State’s chances for a deep run in the bracket. Not only does a win advance the Lady Lions (duh!), but it means they will have some of the most favorable game locations in the tournament.
The Blue Demons
DePaul broke open a tight game by keeping Navy without a field goal for the final 10 minutes, 28 seconds of a 56-43 win. Felicia Chester had a double-double for DePaul with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and six steals. Anna Martin and Katherine Harry added 10 tallies each to help the Blue Demon cause.
The Blue Demons are ranked 12th in the Associated Press Poll and 10th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. DePaul are 28-6 overall record and 13-3 mark in Big East play. Keisha Hampton paces five Blue Demon players averaging double figures with a 15.8 scoring mark. Felicia Chester accounts for 11.3 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game, while Anna Martin (10.9 ppg) and Sam Quigley (10.2 ppg) also average double-digits.
DePaul fell to Notre Dame, 71-67, in the Big East Tournament semifinals.
The Game
This is obviously a much tougher out for the Lady Lions than Dayton. But hopefully the home court advantage plays a role in getting Penn State over the hump and into the Sweet 16. Despite Maggie Lucas being held down most of the game Saturday, Alex Bentley stepped it up big time with 25 points. However, even with the leadership by Bentley and others, Penn State can ill afford to allow DePaul to stifle the Lady Lions’ best outside and scoring threat in Lucas. If Penn State can win this one, it will require a full team effort, and maybe a star or two.
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By Ryan Staloff 03.19.11 at 1:21 pm Sprinting out of the locker room, the Lady Lions and Dayton Flyers continued the pace the rest of the way to tip off the 2011 Women’s NCAA Tournament in the 75-66 victory over the Dayton Flyers.
Pacing the offense for the Lady Lions was not “Machine Gun Maggie Lucas” as we’ve come to expect from the freshman phenom, but rather sophomore Alex Bentley.
The first team All Big Ten guard has shown inconsistency this season, but really came to play in this first round game. Bentley shot 7 of 15 from the field for 14 points and four assists in the first half, including a Talor Battle-esque shot to close out the half just before the buzzer sounded.
In the second half, it was the same story. Bentley finished with TWENTY EIGHT shots in the contest, connecting on twelve shots and accumulating 25 points.
Dayton threw multiple defenders at Lucas throughout the entire game, making every attempt difficult to come by. She still however managed to hit two from distance, including one from somewhere around the Beaver Stadium parking lot.
It was her six free throws though, in the final minutes, that were her biggest contributions. Lucas finished with 12 points for Penn State, while Mia Nickson contributed 14.
While no one will complain with a nine point PSU victory, it was far from an impressive performance. Dayton turned the ball over an excess of 20 times, yet still managed to stay in the game. This should have been a blow out in Penn State’s favor. However, sloppy offense and allowing Dayton to connect on 10-24 three point attempts kept the game close.
The Lady Lions will need a much more balanced scoring attempt to make a deep run in this tournament. Alex Bentley’s 28 shots is far too many for any player to take, and she would be the first to tell you that.
Penn State will take on the winner of Depaul and Navy on Monday.
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By Mike 03.19.11 at 9:20 am
TIME/VENUE: 11 a.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center, so there’s no excuse to not attend.
TV: The game will air on ESPN2 with Justin Kutcher and Brenda VanLengen calling the action.
RADIO: Our boy Ryan will be calling the game today on ComRadio, and online at PSUComRadio.com.
LAST MTG: Nov. 12, 2010 / Recap
Unlike the Nittany Lions, the Lady Lions head into their opening NCAA tournament game having a long layoff, not unlike the layoff in between football’s regular season and most bowl games. And just as with those football teams who are sitting around at home getting fat and lazy, Coquese Washington had to answer questions about the 13-day break between the Big Ten title game and today’s game.
“It has not been an issue at all. In fact, we welcomed the time off. I think we needed it to get some bumps and bruises heeled and get bodies refreshed. Like I said, getting back into basketball this week, we were able to keep to our normal routine like we had in the Big Ten Tournament. So, I think it’s been helpful.”
Two weeks is a long time. But that is where good coaching comes in to play. Washington has had this team ready to play all season long. If the Lady Lions come out flat today, it would be a surprise. Both Dayton and Penn State should have very fresh legs to work on, but with 13 days off, practices can only keep your team so busy.
The Flyers
Dayton has only a few opponents in common with Penn State. They lost to Michigan State right after the Penn State game, then later played Boston College, also a loss. The Flyers were the Atlantic 10 runner-up to Xavier, after a scorching run through the conference tournament in which they beat Duquesne and Temple. The Dukes are playing in the WNIT, while the Owls are also in the NCAA tourney this week.
On offense, Justine Raterman and Kristin Daugherty combined for 922 points this season, with Raterman leading the team sinking 511. Raterman also played the most minutes and scored the most field goals of any player on the team, clocking 924 minutes and 190 field goals. But Daugherty is literally lethal from beyond the arc, shooting 50 percent on 3-point attempts.
Defensively, Dayton’s Casey Nance comes in with 45 blocks this season. The Flyers are improved on defense since the Penn State loss, but they’re not exactly smothering opponents into oblivion.
The Game
As for the Nittany Lions, this game is everything for the Lady Lions. It’s a familiar opponent; a beatable opponents. But even more encouraging is that it’s in the Bryce Jordan Center, where Penn State is 8-0 in NCAA Tournament games. The Lady Lions need to take every tournament opponent seriously, but this one should be a solid win. Penn State played a tough conference slate, with a young lineup that has grown tremendously over the past 3 months.
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In a week dominated by Ed DeChellis’s sudden departure from Happy Valley, a bunch of news was shoved to the side, particularly for the Penn State fans, many of whom are still left wondering, “WTF, Ed?” USC lost its appeal against the NCAA sanctions–you know, that whole no-bowl for two years thing? While another program is really skating on thin ice down in the Tar Heel State. Some old foes from the Rip Engle era might make some waves in East Coast Football once again. And oh yeah, LOL PITT!
