UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Late on a Monday night, for the last 32 years of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, familiar notes of an iconic hoops anthem start to play and screens across America filled with March Madness highlights.
"The way everything just…ended, it was important to have that 'One Shining Moment' for our team, for our alumni and fans, for all of us, to acknowledge that we shared a special year, and some incredible memories," said Penn State men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers.
The Penn State men's basketball team collected 21 overall wins and 11 Big Ten Conference wins, totals that included eight-straight Big Ten wins to set the program's record for its longest conference win streak. Consecutive victories over four ranked teams during the course of the 2019-20 season set another record as the Nittany Lions positioned the program for an NCAA Tournament berth.
The 21-win season would be just the sixth season with 20 or more wins in Penn State's Big Ten history. The 11 league wins ranked second all-time, and the combination of at least 20 overall wins and at least 10 Big Ten Conference occurred for season for only the third time since 1992-93.
WATCH VIDEO 📺: "One Shining Moment" songwriter and composer David Barrett tells Mitch Gerber about the creation of the iconic song that has been a part of March Madness for more than 30 years.
Penn State's four Big Ten road wins in 2019-20 were the most in a single season in program history and came at venues where victories had been rare for the Nittany Lions. Prior to four wins at Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Nebraska, PSU had just six total wins in 81 away games and PSU handed Purdue only its eighth loss against 89 wins over the last six seasons in Mackey Arena.
Basketball fans across the country witnessed Penn State climb as high as ninth in the national rankings, tying its highest-ever ranking. The Nittany Lions occupied a spot in the top 25 for 10 weeks, tying another program record from the 1995-96 season, which was also the last time PSU was ranked in the national polls.
The team's success attracted three of the largest crowds in the last decade to the Bryce Jordan Center, including its first sellout since 2011. Penn State's 14 home victories were the third-most in program history and the 13-game home winning streak, which included four wins from the end of 2018-19, was the second-longest in BJC history.
The story of success began well before the season opener. A team retreat during the summer of 2019 strengthened the team's bonds and relationships. The love and trust, combined with the Nittany Lions' leadership in the locker room and on the court, further formed the identity of the team.
"(The success) started there…but the shared experiences from the previous season really shaped this team and what they were able to do this year…and really finding success," Chambers said.
Penn State ended the 2018-19 season as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning seven of its last 10 regular-season Big Ten games. The fortitude the Nittany Lions displayed after a difficult start to conference play carried into the offseason and the team was determined to play for each other.
Eleven marks went in the win column before the end of the 2019 calendar year, a total that included a victory over fourth-ranked Maryland, an early road win at Georgetown and gritty wins vs. Yale and Alabama. A reversal of fortunes from its previous January, Penn State fought off No. 23 Iowa for a heart-stopping win at the Palestra, then topped No. 21 Ohio State at home, the start of the eight-game Big Tenwin streak.
For the first time in program history, and for the first time by a Big Ten team since 2012, the Nittany Lions won at Michigan and at Michigan State. They added wins at Nebraska and at Purdue for the record-setting number of conference road wins. A last-second 3-pointer vs. Rutgers gave Penn State its 11th league win and 14th overall win at home in the BJC.
"There are so many defining moments, I talked about moments all year long," Chambers said. "…And these moments defined us, these magical moments kind of all came together for us to lead to our own 'One Shining Moment."
The seniors leave Penn State as the winningest class in the program's Big Ten era with 76 overall wins and 33 conference wins in a four-year span. The Nittany Lions' 61-win total in the last three seasons compares with the top teams in the league.
"I have a lot of ideas to honor this team," Chambers said. "…and an incredible celebration at some point…for this group and their accomplishments in a historical year. Lamar is going to go down as one of the greatest players and this team is going to go down as one of the great teams in the history of Penn State."
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