And then it happened.
"Man, we're waiting and waiting and then finally we saw our name," Jon Crispin said. "It was crazy. Everyone was jumping up and down yelling. It's just great to be in."
"It's one of those feelings I will never forget," added fifth-year senior Titus Ivory. "I couldn't watch. I was nervous, my stomach was turning and then finally I heard our name being called and it was like, 'Hallelujah, thank God were in, baby.' "
Many who have followed Penn State all season long know the Lions have relied heavily on the leadership of Joe Crispin, Ivory and Gyasi Cline-Heard, all senior members of the squad.
In the two wins this past weekend, all three players stepped up when the team needed them the most.
Heard hit the game winner against Michigan with less than a second remaining in regulation, giving the Lions an 82-80 win in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament.
Then with the game on the line against Michigan State and the clock reading just under two minutes, Ivory hit a crucial three-pointer that tied the game at 59. While Ivory's shot was big, Crispin's three-point shot with less than 10 seconds remaining left Penn State fans anxious.
Crispin split Michigan State seniors Charlie Bell and Andre Huston and knocked down the basket.
"That shot was something I will never forget," Crispin said. "We all wanted to make something happen out here and that feeling was so special."
In early November, Penn State players said they were playing for one tournament only -- a tournament which none of them has ever been in and one many believed Jerry Dunn needed to get to if he had intentions of being back on the sidelines next season as the Lions' head coach.
The Lions did not make it easy on themselves though as they lost to teams they were expected to beat, such as Northwestern and Ohio State late in the season.
But they managed to prevail with wins against some of the tougher teams in the country. The wins most people will talk about were against Illinois and Michigan State, who are both No.1 seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament. The Lions also knocked off SEC Tournament champion Kentucky earlier this season.
"Give Penn State credit, they're a good team," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said after his Spartans lost to the Lions Saturday. "You take away the two one-point losses to Northwestern and Iowa earlier this season and look at the first 30 minutes of their game against Ohio State and they're right up with some of the top teams in this conference. Jerry has a great bunch of kids, so give them credit, they've worked hard this year."
Penn State has earned the respect of its rivals and proved that it belonged in the tournament throughout the season — reasons why the Lions earned a seventh seed.
Now, however, the journey to the tournament is over and there is a new one beginning. This one includes 64 other teams from all over the country. Names like CS-Northridge and Alabama State have the opportunity to become this year's Gonzaga or Valparaiso.
"This is what March is all about," Brandon Watkins said. "It must be in the air because there are upsets everywhere.
"Everyone just seems to play their best at this time of the year. And if everyone doesn't go out and play their best then you go home. That's what makes this time of the year the best, because you never know who's going to win and who's going to surprise you."
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