Jerry Dunn looked relaxed yesterday at his weekly press conference and he had good reason to. His Nittany Lions (11-3, 2-2) were coming off a Northwestern victory Saturday night.

In the game, Dunn saw his team respond from a 12 point deficit midway through the second half. Despite his team preparing for a four game road trip, that included stops in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, Dunn likes his chances based on what the Lions have already accomplished on the road this season.

"We have won at Kentucky and won in the Garden which gives our guys something that they can draw from," he said. "It gives them the confidence that would not have if they had not won those games."

Stepping up

Although Penn State has played solid in the past couple of games, one player who has stepped up big for the Lions is Brandon Watkins.

He was three-for-three from the floor in the win against Northwestern and played well against Ohio State.

Not only has Watkins given the Lions a boost on the offensive end, defensively Watkins has started to blossom.

The sophomore is playing tougher defense and forcing his opponents to make poor decisions. In each contest he has come away with a pair of steals. Despite seeing limited action since he plays behind Joe Crispin, Watkins best quality might be his patience.

"If you're a competitor you always want to play," he said. "But I'm a firm believer in good things come to those who wait."

Confidence Brewing

With a the four game road trip looming, Watkins described these next couple of games as "huge."

He believes Penn State needs to take at least two out the next three games in conference. Though he realizes the task will not be easy, he feels the team will be ready for what lies ahead.

"We have to play tougher on the road and we need to keep our minds focused the game at hand," he said.

While it is never easy to win on the road the next four games will surely prove to be a test for the Lions.

Indiana without Bob Knight

Dunn expects the environment to be hostile when the Lions play Indiana Wednesday night.

Although it will be the first time the Penn State plays the Hoosiers without the legendary coach, he feels the atmosphere might be a little different but the crowd's intensity will still be the same.

"It's always a hostile environment to play in," he said.

While the crowd may be filled with lots of energy there will be a noted absence on the Indiana sidelines.

" I think it will be different because when you see Indiana, you see Bob Knight," Dunn said.