Dec. 18, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Off to the program's best start since the 1995-'96 season, the Nittany Lion basketball team (10-1) is focused on finishing the non-conference portion of the schedule in a positive manner.
Penn State will begin its final two-game stretch before the Big Ten opener (Dec. 31 at Wisconsin) against Drexel (2-7) on Saturday inside Allentown's PPL Center (2 p.m.). The Lions will then closeout the non-conference slate at home on Monday against Dartmouth (4 p.m.).
After knocking off George Washington last Sunday (64-51), the Nittany Lions were off during final exams week. The team shot around in the gym on Wednesday before a full practice on Thursday. Thanks to it's 10-1 start, Penn State received votes in the Associated Press poll this week. While it's great news for the direction the team is headed, head coach Patrick Chambers is not focused on anything but getting better this week. The Lions know they still have plenty of work to do.
"We are in unfamiliar water right now," Chambers said. "The great thing is, though, our staff has been there before. We can continue to keep them humble and hungry and stay on task of getting better...They know about the Top 25 stuff. They know about the projections of the NCAA Tournament. They see all that stuff. But we've got to say, hey man, it's December 18th. That stuff really doesn't mean much right now. It's great for the fans, great for the University and great for recruiting. There are a lot of positives, but we've got to stay on task and continue to get better."
Chambers highlighted how challenging the final two non-conference games usually are. Playing at a neutral site is never easy without the benefit of a homecourt advantage, and the final game of the non-conference slate is always up against the team's holiday break. Nonetheless, the Lions are focused at the task at hand and understand the importance of taking momentum into the Big Ten season.
"This week, (with more time) we can really get back to the drawing board and focus on making better habits," senior guard D.J. Newbill said. "Rebounding, some of our schemes, defending the basketball, cleaning up some of our offense, really it has been about working on everything."
After playing at Bucknell in November, the Lions will visit the Lehigh Valley on Saturday. During the past three seasons, the Lions have done their best to play games scattered across Pennsylvania, whether it be Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. Chambers sees games in a variety of locations as way to energize the fan base across the state.
"I'm just trying to engage with the fan base," Chambers said. "I know we have a great alumni base in the Lehigh Valley, so it was a no-brainer to go down there. Students are going home (for break), so I thought it was a good time to do it...Moving around (the state) can only help (with awareness)."
Drexel enters Saturday's game on a three-game slide after dropping contests to University of Sciences (54-52), La Salle (65-55) and at Buffalo (80-70). Prior to the three-game skid, the Dragons tallied two-straight victories against Cornell (61-59) and Southern Mississippi (59-36).
Junior guard Damion Lee is Drexel's top offensive threat. Lee is the lone Dragon player averaging double-figures, but he has been superb thus far during the 2014-'15 season. Lee is averaging 20.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The scoring leader in the CAA, Lee has five 20-point games this season, including 32 markers against USC. As a team, the Dragons are averaging 56.7 points per game.
The Nittany Lions and Dragons will be meeting for the fifth time on Saturday afternoon. Penn State leads the all-time series, 4-0. The two teams have not met since the 1992-'93 season.