After playing through chronic back problems (three degenerated disks) plus a broken nose last season, it's safe to say that Lion power forward Matt Gaudio is a warrior.

But even a warrior can only endure so much pain.

"A couple of weeks ago I couldn't get out of bed," Gaudio said. "It hurt when I tied my shoes."

Not surprisingly, it was his back that troubled him again. This time, though, degenerated disks were not the cause of his pain.

This newest twist to a long history of back problems was a bulging disk and it has relegated Gaudio to the sidelines in Penn State's first official week of practice. As you might expect with a warrior, sitting out is not sitting well with Gaudio.

"It pretty much sucks," Gaudio said. "I love to be on the court, I love to practice."

"It's a real shame," added Lion Coach Bruce Parkhill.

But Gaudio is not spending his time idly. While the team practices, Gaudio can be seen riding a stationary bike. In addition, the Follansbee, W.Va. native has recently begun to work out on the court -- shooting jump shots.

"I've been getting better and better each week," Gaudio said. "Right now I'm starting to get back in shape. I'm hoping to get back out there next week."

Parkhill also has his fingers crossed.

As Penn State's sixth man last season, Gaudio provided Parkhill with quality minutes on the inside and he ended up as Penn State's fifth-leading scorer (8.6 points per game).

This season, the former West Virginia High School Player-of-the-Year was looking forward to bigger and better things, thanks to a rigorous off-season training program.

"I gained a lot of weight and got my wind up so I could play as many minutes as I could," Gaudio said.

Though his plans have been temporarily altered, Gaudio remains upbeat about his prospects.

"I'm keeping a real positive attitude and I'm hoping I won't miss a beat once I get out there," Gaudio said.

As a rugged Big Ten slate looms on the horizon, Gaudio will be a necessary ingredient for the Lion interior defense.