Jerry Dunn said that each year, more is expected from his upperclassmen.

This year, the Penn State men's basketball coach should expect a lot.

Coming off a disappointing season where the Nittany Lions finished with a 21-14 record and a postseason NIT appearance, this season's Penn State squad expects nothing less than an NCAA Tournament bid in March.

But first, the Lions must address their lack of big men in the middle as Jarrett Stephens and Carl Jackson are no longer on the squad, leaving a gaping whole and a question mark on who is going to fill it.

That spot might be filled by 6-foot-8 senior Gyasi Cline-Heard, who contributed as a role player last season in the paint by being a shot blocker and rebounder.

Cline-Heard worked hard in the offseason trying to improve his mid-range jumpshot and free-throw shooting, which were his weak points.

Those additions to his overall game this season will not make him a target for teams to put him on the free-throw line.

But Dunn said having a center in the middle isn't a necessity for the Lions, because they can use many different rotations and still have a presence in the paint.

"We could play with two big forwards," the sixth-year coach said. "A guy like Gyasi can certainly step his game up on both ends of the floor."

Playing with two big forwards is a possibility.

Especially since the Lions are stacked with forwards such as Cline-Heard, Tyler Smith, Marcus Banta and others that will be vying for minutes in the middle.

The problem with the Penn State frontcourt is that no one has proven himself as a solid starter who can contribute like Stephens did last season.

Smith said he plans to be more of an inside threat this season, since the Lions perimeter game is filled with depth and scorers.

The guard play for the Lions is experienced and skilled as Joe and Jon Crispin, 6-foot-4 guard Titus Ivory and sophomore point guard Brandon Watkins return as the nucleus in the backcourt.

Two recruits that can contribute are 6-foot-1 Sharif Chambliss and 6-foot-5 Jamaal Tate who were both talented scorers in high school.

Joe Crispin said if the Lions are to be successful this season, the senior leadership that he and others can bring must be evident in everything the team does.

With a returning core of the Crispins, Ivory, Smith and Cline-Heard — who all saw major minutes last season — the elder Crispin expects a lot from his final year in Happy Valley.

"We definitely can compete in the Big Ten this year," he said. "We can have one of the strongest backcourts in the league."

"I may be biased, but guards are the key."

Another key the Lions have to be concerned with is team chemistry, which lacked from time to time during the struggles of last season.

But Jon Crispin puts that concern aside.

"Expectations this year are high, there's a lot of experience on the floor," he said. "Joe's going to score a lot of our points. Titus is going to score a lot of our points. Excepting our roles is the biggest thing for our team chemistry."