Ohio State men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien knows it won't be easy for Bruce Parkhill to watch tonight's game against Penn State.

"He is not looking forward to this game," the Buckeyes head coach said. "He wants us to win but he still has ties to Penn State. It will be an awkward game for him to be involved with."

What ties does Parkhill have?

Well, the first-year associate head coach of Big Ten-rival Ohio State coached the Penn State men's basketball team for 12 years. Not only was Parkhill the head coach, but he also was Penn State's all-time wins leader in men's basketball, a mark he still holds.

Parkhill's reign came to a screeching halt on Sept. 5, 1995, when he stepped down as coach, a mere five weeks before the official start of practice for the 1995-1996 season.

The current Ohio State associate head coach left a team filled with stars. When current Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn took over after Parkhill left the team, he started the season 13-0, the Lions were ranked No. 9 in mid-February and invited to the NCAA Tournament with a No. 5 seed in the East Region.

Dunn was coaching Parkhill's team with his own unique flare added to the mix.

And now the sixth-year Penn State coach has the task of not only coaching against the genius O'Brien brings in his fourth year as Buckeyes head coach, but must also face the wizardry of his former mentor in tonight's conference matchup.

"It feels so weird," Parkhill said. "I love Penn State so much. It's not just a place I've worked at for 17 years. It's a place I love. I will always love Penn State."

And even though Parkhill said there are many small differences between University Park and Columbus, he said the number of similarities between the two programs were surprising when he became acclimated to the Ohio State system.

"The one striking difference is that it is a big city," Parkhill said. "That's certainly different than Penn State, which is more of a college town.

"But the main similarity between the two schools is that everything here revolves around Ohio State, just like everything revolves around Penn State there."

Parkhill said at a press conference announcing his resignation in 1995 that a lack of passion for coaching was his main reason for stepping down, but his family also played a major role in his decision to stop coaching.

And even after a five-year departure, Parkhill still wasn't very interested in getting back into coaching. However, O'Brien's persuasion and Parkhill's friendship with the Buckeyes coach were the two factors that lured him back into coaching in the Big Ten.

"He's the main reason I came here," he said. "He's the only reason."

Now, Parkhill's role as coach has been slightly changed. He doesn't have the same responsibilities as a head coach has in one of the best basketball conferences in the country. He doesn't have to answer the tough questions and deal with the media.

All Parkhill has to do is understand his role as an assistant coach and do the best job he can for Ohio State.

So far, no one is complaining.

"I haven't tried to come here and make a mark," he said. "It's Jim's show, it's his program and he has a great system."