Cagers five steps away from NCAA

The Lions showed from the start of the season they intended on accomplishing their goal -- making the NCAA Tournament. They won their first six games, including a 61-57 victory over North Carolina State. No one knew at the time that the win over the Wolfpack would serve to show what could have been.

A week later, point guard Dan Earl tore his anterior cruciate ligament and his season was finished. Penn State lost six of its next nine games.

"That injury to Danny really was a challenge to our team," senior guard Pete Lisicky said last week. "It took us a while to get to a point where we said, 'All right, we know what it takes to win with the players right here.' "

That point came on Jan. 28 when the Lions knocked off then-No. 16 Iowa. Penn State looked like it finally gained back the confidence it lost when Earl was injured. In February, the Lions put together a three-game winning streak and defeated then-No. 5 Purdue to finish the regular season 15-11, 8-8 in the Big Ten.

The record was enough to get the Lions into the NIT. Penn State made the most of the opportunity, defeating two teams on the road and making it to the finals. But what exactly does this mean for next year and the future of Penn State basketball?

-- Calvin Booth must keep improving. The potential this 6-foot-11 junior showed in his first two seasons finally paid some dividends this year. He had 137 blocks and averaged 11 points per game. Now, Booth must begin hitting the boards. For the Lions to be successful, they must get more than 6.5 rebounds a game out of Booth, especially if Jarrett Stephens is unable to return.

-- Find someone to fill Stephens' shoes. There is no guarantee Stephens will be in a Penn State uniform next year. The torn ACL in his left knee might not be ready to go until December or January. If that is the case, he may redshirt next season. Without him, the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder, there will be a big hole in the Lions' frontcourt. Neither Titus Ivory nor Greg Stevenson has the size to play power forward, so those duties fall to Carl Jackson and Gyasi Cline-Heard. Jackson, who started 19 games this year, had more fouls (52) than points (46) but seems to be one of Penn State coach Jerry Dunn's favorites. Cline-Heard is bursting with potential. His leaping ability and sheer athletic talent make him the leading candidate to step into Stephens' role. He'll need to add some muscle to his slender 220-pound frame in the offseason and learn to take it to the basket more aggressively. These are all things easily improved on, though. The coaching staff will surely have its eyes planted on Cline-Heard during Penn State's three-week tour of Italy in May.

-- Use three guards. Dunn used a three-guard offense against many teams this season. The combination of Lisicky, Joe Crispin and Greg Grays worked effectively. All three were good shooters and it gave the frontcourt a rest. Next year with Grays and Crispin returning and Earl coming back if the NCAA grants him a sixth year, Dunn will surely use this set again to create match-up problems for bigger opponents.

-- Become more fan friendly. Penn State took a step in the right direction this year by providing free buses to New York City for the NIT final four. The school and basketball program have to continue that now by moving the students back to where they belong -- closer to the action.

-- Recruit. More than anything else, the future of Penn State basketball lies in recruiting. The Lions landed three big men this recruiting season. Tyler Smith, Rob Walls and Stephen Bekale are all over 6-foot-5. One of these three can probably replace Stephens but there is no one to replace Booth. Scott Witkowsky just isn't going to cut it. If Dunn can find a dominant center in next year's recruiting season, he could be on the right path to escalating this program to the next level.

The next two years are key for Penn State and Dunn. This could be looked back on as when the program became big-time or when it blew it big-time.

"I think anytime you get to the NIT final four you have to use that as a springboard," Lisicky said. "With the kind of team we had and me being the lone senior, it's definitely there for the taking."