Ivory boasts hidden Lion leadership

OK, so it wasn't the NBA Finals. It wasn't a Big Ten title or even a state championship. It was a high school intramural basketball league but it meant more to me and my teammates than anything.

The only team standing in our way of a title was a team of football players "too studly" to run track in the spring.

We had all the components: strong shooters, solid passers, athleticism and chemistry. And a secret weapon. We had one strength the football jocks didn't have -- DaVon.

DaVon was the most deceiving player in the league. He stood a mere 5-foot-9, he weighed a paltry 150 pounds, wet. He wore Pumas and his socks hiked up to his knees.

He wasn't the most proficient scorer, but he sure could jump. He rebounded, he banged down low and he sent back any shot that dared enter his radius. Most of all, he was our pride and soul.

He was a lot like Dennis Rodman. He yelled at the officials, he pushed his defenders, he was hot-headed and if a cameraman had for some strange reason appeared at our games, DaVon might have kicked him -- repeatedly.

But that's what we loved. He inspired us. He rose the level of our play. He'd slap us around if our heads weren't in the game. He would chest bump us so hard our lungs caved. His contribution wasn't measured on a stat sheet, but instead felt on the court in his intensity.

We won the intramural championship -- I won't mention how I hit the game-tying and game-winning free throws with less than a second remaining in the game to finally oust the football players -- and we did it because of DaVon's spirit.

The Penn State Nittany Lion basketball team is obviously not gunning for a Big Ten title, but it has a DaVon. The Lions have a player who feeds off intensity, is willing to do the dirty work and plays hard for a full 40 minutes. Someone who rallies the team when it's down. Someone opponents overlook because he leads the Big Ten in nothing.

His name is Titus Ivory.

For 40 minutes against Illinois last Saturday Ivory slapped, grabbed, held, pushed, screamed at and tugged Illinois small forward Jerry Hester and shooting guard Kevin Turner.

Despite Hester's 18-point, 10-rebound performance, he was an awfully worn-out basketball player.

"He's a very good defensive player," Hester said about Ivory, "and a very emotional leader. It's too bad we had to pull one out on him."

No, it's too bad the Lions couldn't pull one out for him.

Ivory is the blue-collar worker of the Lion basketball team. He works harder. He hustles faster. He gives more effort. He's in your face every time down the court. He rarely gets credit when the team plays well. He never gets credit if it wins.

When Penn State is winning, Ivory is still commanding his team. "Get going. Hustle. Don't stop." When Penn State is losing, which is usually the case, Ivory is even more the leader.

When the Lions play Indiana tonight, Ivory will once again be asked to shut down one of the best guards in the Big Ten in A.J. Guyton. Ivory is the starter nobody knows about.

"He fights, and he's got active hands on defense," Illini power forward Brian Johnson said. "He always there. As a compliment, he's a pest. If you're not talking about him, he'll sting you."

Obviously, Ivory is not going to propel this team to a title this year, but take notice of who's leading the team when it rallies to upend an opponent. Look who's fist-pumping. Look who's beckoning to the crowd for some noise. Look who's in his opponent's jock strap at every opportunity. It's not Pete Lisicky or Calvin Booth.

Ivory is the leader of this team -- defensively and emotionally.

DaVon would sure be proud.