Dec. 7, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The players couldn't ask for a better string of days on the hardwood than the one in front of the Nittany Lions this week.
Beginning on Tuesday at George Washington, the Nittany Lion basketball team will play three games in a span of five days. The stretch is capped off with a pair of games inside the cozy confines of Rec Hall.
"If you are a player, you are excited," said head coach Patrick Chambers. "You played Saturday. You play Tuesday. You play Thursday. And you play Saturday again. They would rather play in games than practice (laughter)."
With a tight window to fit in the number of non-conference games needed before final exams, the team is prepared for the opportunity to play a grand total of four games in eight days before finals. Coach Chambers gave the team a rest day on Sunday to prep for the busy week ahead. The Lions will hold a short practice on Monday before traveling to Washington in preparation for the Tuesday night title against George Washington (7 p.m.).
"Everybody is very engaged (with everything) right now," Chambers said. "As long as you are engaged and focused on the film sessions and short practices, then you are going to continue to get better."
The Nittany Lions will head into the game at GW with momentum having won three-straight games. Senior Brandon Taylor tallied a career-high 27 points in an 81-70 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. The win over EMU came on the heels of a road win at Boston College and a hard-fought win over Bucknell.
"I think they are confident right now," Chambers said. "I think they are believing right now. They know that we have a lot of work to do. They know we have a long way to go to get better. We watched film of Saturday, and we played really well for 32 minutes. And you want to make that a point to show those last eight minutes; we need to get better. I think they are confident now...Guys are starting to step up and feel good about their rotation and role."
Tuesday night will be another good non-conference test for the Lions as they prepare for the Big Ten opener (Dec. 30 at Maryland). The Colonials enter the tilt with a 7-1 mark on the season. George Washington's lone loss came to No. 24 Cincinnati (61-56) at the Barclays Center Classic. GW's non-conference win total includes a triumph over then-No. 6 Virginia (73-68).
The tandem of Patricio Garino and Tyler Cavanaugh leads George Washington. Averaging 15.3 and 15.1 points, respectively, Garino and Cavanaugh are two of six players who average 7.8 points per game or more for the Colonials. Penn State topped George Washington in the BJC last season (64-51).
"They are older. They are wiser. They had a tough schedule last year," said Chambers. "You look at the slate they've had these last two weeks. It's been a very tough schedule. They play hard without fouling. They share the basketball. They get to the free throw line. They make timely threes...They are deep. They are talented. They are long. It's going to be a great challenge. I look forward to this challenge, like I did with BC to see where we are."
Following the George Washington trip, the Lions return to Rec Hall for games against Canisius and Lousiana-Monroe.