Having the next week to rest will only benefit the Lions.
Penn State senior forward Gyasi Cline-Heard said the team needs a few days off and another couple days of light practice to get back in shape, both mentally and physically.
With the up-and-down roller coaster Penn State has been riding, after upsetting Illinois, then losing in overtime to Indiana, the Lions could use nothing more than some time to put their feet up.
"We definitely need some rest," Cline-Heard said after Wednesday's win against Michigan. "We just need rest."
This week off will be very crucial, because the Lions don't have another break until after the Michigan State game on Feb. 24. Penn State plays at Minnesota, hosts Purdue, travels to Northwestern and then hosts the defending national champion Spartans. With such an important stretch coming up for the Lions, fresh legs are of serious importance.
"I was pretty tired today," sophomore guard Jon Crispin said after the Michigan game. "I wasn't breathing heavy, but your body doesn't work sometimes. We haven't had a lot of time to sit off and rest."
Crispin said he is confident that with a few days rest, then getting back in the gym will not only help the team, but might help the perimeter players get its shooting touch back that has been lacking in recent conference games.
The Pitman, N.J., native added that sometimes players don't realize how tired they become during long stretches without any breaks. But the confident outside gunman said that when the Lions are hitting their shots, not many teams can compete.
"When we hit our shots, you can't beat us," Crispin said. "We're some teams biggest nightmare."
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