When Jarrett Stephens exited the Madison Square Garden floor in the NIT Final Four last March, he left behind a gaping hole in the Nittany Lions lineup.

Stephens not only took his team-high 18.8 points and 10.5 rebounds a game with him, but he also hauled away his intimidating presence in the paint. As Penn State coach Jerry Dunn's focus turns to this season and the expectations that come with it, he can't help but to think about where similar production will come from.

Unfortunately for the sixth-year head man, that answer has not come easily. There is a good chance senior forward Gyasi Cline-Heard will get the starting job, but beyond that there are no definite positions taken.

"I have no idea who is going to start at center," Dunn said. "Once again we could play with two big forwards, we could play with a big forward and a center."

Although it seems unlikely that one player will take on the role that Stephens played, Dunn said a frontcourt by committee might be the temporary solution. Other than Cline-Heard, forward Tyler Smith looks to be one of those committee members.

"We might have to play a little different kind of ball this year," Smith said. "I think it is going to take a collective effort on the part of everybody. In order to be successful, the big men have to do their part."

Smith started 12 games last season, adapting to the demands of Dunn. The junior will most likely get a large share of playing time, and could earn a starting spot, but Cline-Heard seems to be the man expected to take the biggest chunk out of Stephens' production. The senior averaged 6.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the 1999-2000 season.

Cline-Heard's numbers obviously aren't quite those Stephens put up last year, but Dunn said he worked hard in the off-season improving many aspects of his game, such as his footwork, free throws and medium range jump shots. Perhaps even more important, Cline-Heard has earned the respect of his teammates.

"I think Gyasi is going to be a huge part of filling Jarrett's role, as far as being a scorer and a force down low," Smith said. "And we have to have that. We have to have guys down low who are threats to score, otherwise, Jon and Joe and Titus are going to get pressured way too much outside."

He might have to if the Lions are to have what they consider a successful year. And, despite the doubts in the paint, many players don't think a trip to the Big Dance is out of the question.

"Our expectations this year are high," sophomore Jon Crispin said. "We have a lot of veterans. We have experience on the floor and last year, it really wasn't like that. We've all been playing with each other for a while and we expect to at least make the tournament, if not advance. I'm not talking about the NIT Tournament, either."