"I think it's obvious that Gyasi has to stay out of foul trouble, no matter what he has to do," senior guard Joe Crispin said after the game.
"He still has to be aggressive, but at the same time he's got to be real smart because he cannot get in foul trouble ever. He's, definitely, by far, our strongest inside presence."
That inside presence could be the deciding factor for the Lions in many games this season.
There isn't much question about the Lions' backcourt, as Joe and Jon Crispin are a solid combination of guards, stabalizing the backcourt.
But the frontcourt is still searching for that big man similar to last year's Jarrett Stephens.
"You've got none," Marathon Oil coach Glenn Sergent said about those big bruisers.
"You've got none now, unless these young kids come along.
"The old rule is what? Good teams win in the paint.
"Without him (Stephens) in there doing his thing, they're going to get hurt this year. Heard's going to have to take more of a burden."
But the Lions are not as quick to judge about their production in the paint as Glenn Sergent.
After all, it was just the first game against another opponent, and there is still some time before the season starts to try to find consistent play from players in the frontcourt.
Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said he sees some potential with the big men on the team.
"I think our big guys are coming around," Dunn said.
"It's early and, before it's all said and done, we'll have some productive minutes out of our big guys. I think once we settle into a rotation, we're going to get some productivity there."
Among those Dunn mentioned as players he saw some good things from Friday were sophomore Marcus Banta and senior Scott Witkowsky.
He also said that he expects junior Tyler Smith to be a "solid performer" for the Lions this season.
So does Penn State have enough size to compete in the Big Ten?
I think we do," Crispin said.
"Essentially, if Gyasi stays out of foul trouble, that's the biggest thing. Tyler's in his first game. This was Tyler's first game of playing inside. He's still kind of feeling his way in and out.
"And then we're really going to have to find somebody to step in and be a physical presence coming off the bench."
And even if there is a disadvantage there, senior Titus Ivory said don't just count Penn State out yet.
"For the lack of size, we have a very strong heart," Ivory said.
"We're not intimidated by anybody. We're not going to bow down to anyone," Ivory said.
The game was a disappointing loss for the Lions, though it might have given them a better perspective of what they need to do to be a threat this season.
