September 3, 2009

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer

Penn State guard Talor Battle insists he wouldn't trade his NIT championship for anything, but that doesn't mean he has his sights set on a repeat.

Battle would rather spend next spring playing in a different tournament. Even the joy of winning the NIT couldn't remove all the heartbreak Penn State endured on a disappointing Selection Sunday.

"We're definitely hungry," Battle said. "That was a bad feeling. Even though we were able to bounce back and win the NIT, when we didn't make the (NCAA) tournament a lot of people were down. We don't want that feeling again."

Penn State's chances of avoiding that feeling depend largely on Battle, who enters the 2009-10 season as one of the nation's most indispensable players.

The Nittany Lions went 27-11 and set a school record for victories last season by relying largely on the trio of Battle, power forward Jamelle Cornley and guard Stanley Pringle. Cornley and Pringle were departing seniors who recently signed contracts with pro teams in Europe, leaving Battle as Penn State's only player who averaged more than 6.2 points per game last season.

This isn't the best time for a Big Ten team to feature a young lineup. Michigan State and Purdue enter the season as legitimate Final Four contenders. Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State also return most of their key performers after reaching the tournament last season. Most preseason prognostications will have Penn State finishing in the conference's lower tier.

Battle believes it's much too early to predict whether this team can match or exceed its accomplishments from last season.

"I'm really excited to get going, but we haven't even practiced as a team," Battle said. "It's hard to tell. We've been playing pickup games, but that's nothing because the guys don't understand the defensive concepts yet. When we start practicing, that's when we'll have a feel for what we really have and what we need to work on and improve. Until then, we're going to continue to work hard."

The departures of Cornley and Pringle won't necessarily change Battle's role on the floor. He already was the guy who had the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

Although Battle made just 33.9 percent of his 3-point attempts last season - Pringle actually led the Big Ten in that category - he topped the Big Ten with 16.7 points per game and showed a flair for the dramatic. Battle delivered one of the biggest moments in recent Penn State basketball history when he sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime in an NIT first-round victory over George Mason.

"He has the ability to let it go, not to dwell on things and let it roll off his back," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said after that game. "That's a great trait to have when you are a player, especially in his position. If you are a quarterback and you throw a couple of interceptions, and all of a sudden you don't want to make a tough play or you don't want to throw, it's going to be a long night for you. But this young guy has the ability to let it roll. You make a mistake, let it go, and let's move on to the next play."

Battle has a tough time explaining his willingness to take every big shot.

"I guess it's something I was born with," Battle said. "I've always wanted those shots. Even my freshman year, I was in a huddle and told Coach (Ed DeChellis) I wanted the ball. Ever since then, I've had nothing but confidence and want the ball at the end of games."

Battle is so well-known for his shooting ability that it's easy to overlook the fact he set Penn State's single-season record with 189 assists last year. Penn State's chances of returning to the postseason and challenging for an NCAA bid this season likely will depend on how well Battle facilitates his younger teammates - on and off the floor.

His assist totals underscore how Battle can make his teammates better. Now he also must serve as more of a leader off the floor. Setting that kind of example could prove challenging for someone who admits he's still learning to become a better player in his own right.

"I try to tell them as much as I know, but I only know so much," Battle said. "I'm still learning on the job myself. Each and every day I come in, the coaches are teaching me something new."

Battle got to know quite a bit more about the game while being away from his teammates this summer. Battle played alongside some of college basketball's biggest names in the World University Games and led the U.S. team with 10.3 points per game.

"Playing with some of the best players in the country is going to raise your level of play," Battle said. "It taught me a lot. I wasn't out there playing 40 minutes (per game) like I'm used to. I had to take a different role and a different mindset into these games. It was a learning experience. I think I got better as a player."

The World University Games was a bittersweet experience in some respects because the U.S. team settled for a bronze medal. The U.S. team lost 69-68 to Russia in the semifinals despite heading into the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead.

That represented one more near miss for one of Battle's teams. Penn State might have earned that elusive NCAA bid last year if it hadn't closed the regular season by losing to Iowa in double overtime.

"We blew it," Battle said of the loss to Russia. "One bad game is all it takes."

That's one more lesson Battle can pass on to his younger teammates as they attempt to make the leap from the NIT to the NCAA tournament.

TIP-INS

Florida International has backed off on its threat to withdraw from the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and will play defending national champion North Carolina in Isiah Thomas' college coaching debut. FIU officials had complained after learning the Golden Panthers would open the tournament at North Carolina instead of at Ohio State. As we mentioned last week, FIU's argument seemed counterproductive. FIU would be a heavy underdog against either North Carolina or Ohio State. At least facing the defending national champions would give Thomas' program some national attention. Ohio State might represent a tougher matchup than North Carolina this early in the season because the Buckeyes return all five starters and the Tar Heels only return one.

Ohio State's potential balance was evident during its recent tour of Canada. The Buckeyes went 3-0 on the trip and had a different leading scorer in each of their games. P.J. Hill led the way in the first game, William Buford was the top scorer in the second game, and Dallas Lauderdale set the pace in the third game. It's worth noting that the Buckeyes didn't need All-America candidate Evan Turner to lead them in scoring in any of the games.

Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez played for the Venezuelan National Team and averaged a team-high 5.5 assists per game in the FIBA Americas Tournament. Venezuela went 1-3 in the tournament and failed to advance to the quarterfinal round. The Venezuelan team also featured Rutgers forward Gregory Echenique.

Former Arkansas guard Ronnie Brewer has won the Silas Hunt Legacy Award that goes to African Americans who have made significant contributions to the community, the state of Arkansas and the nation. Brewer, now a member of the NBA's Utah Jazz, donated $50,000 last year to fund a scholarship for students from Arkansas with an interest in journalism who are part of the African American Studies Program.

Mississippi State center John Riek has received clearance from the NCA to play after serving a nine-game suspension. Riek, a 7-foot-1 freshman from the Sudan, was suspended because of unspecified benefits he received before enrolling at Mississippi State. Riek spent last season recovering from a knee injury at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Riek could team up with five-star prospect Renardo Sidney and senior Jarvis Varnado to give the Bulldogs a formidable frontcourt, though Sidney has his own NCAA eligibility concerns and Varnado was hospitalized this week after becoming nauseous during a workout. Varnado underwent a round of tests that couldn't reveal what caused his illness.

Nebraska had one of the nation's shortest teams last season and could be undersized again this year. The Huskers announced last week that 6-10 center Christopher Niemann will miss the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Barry Honore, the Southwestern Athletic Conference's 2007-08 freshman of the year, announced this week he plans to transfer from Southern to Oklahoma, where he will join the team as a walk-on. The 6-7 forward will sit out the 2009-10 season under the NCAA's transfer rules. Honore averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 25.5 minutes per game in his two seasons with Southern.

Pittsburgh and Duquesne will square off Dec. 21 in the final basketball game ever to be played at the 50-year-old Mellon Arena, the home of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. The Mellon Arena is closing down after the upcoming hockey season, as the Penguins prepare to move to the 19,000-seat Consol Energy Center. Pittsburgh and Duquesne officials announced plans for the Dec. 21 game at a Tuesday press conference.

Steve Megargee is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at smegargee@rivals.com.