He's been called a warrior and a hardcore player. He came to the tough, physical Big East because he wanted a change from the West Coast style of play. And he is the Providence men's basketball team's leading scorer.

Tomorrow night, Penn State has to face Erron Maxey, who is leading the Friars with 11.2 points per game and grabbing 6.4 rebounds. Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn said the Friars' forward is a concern to the Nittany Lions on both ends of the floor because of his athleticism and quickness.

"Everything concerns us," Dunn said. "He is good on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor."

And for good reason.

His quickness to the basket or his talent from the outside makes him a threat and a nuisance for defenders. If bigger opponents try to guard him outside, he uses his sleek body to drive around them. When they take a step back and force Maxey to shoot the jumper, he can nail the outside shot, too.

Penn State might counter his speed with 6-foot-4 senior guard Titus Ivory, who has the reputation of stopping big name players in key situations. But even if Ivory does a phenomenal defensive job on Maxey, he better be prepared to box out, because the Providence forward crashes hard to the boards.

"He's our warrior," Providence men's basketball coach Tim Welsh said in a CBS Sportsline.com chat on Tuesday. "He doesn't care about points or rebounds. He only cares about winning."

That's why Providence is going to New Orleans. Maxey, super quick guard John Linehan, 7-foot-2 center Karim Shabazz and the rest of the Friars are heading South to beat Penn State and look ahead to the second round, a possible matchup with second-seeded North Carolina.

With all of the festivities and hoopla surrounding New Orleans this week, Maxey doesn't want to let his Providence squad forget the one reason they are going south.

"I'm excited to go to New Orleans, but it is not a vacation, it is a business trip," he said. "We are going down there to take care of Penn State. If I have time to do some sight-seeing I will, but we have work to do."

Although his parents won't be in the Superdome tomorrow for the Friars' first round contest, Erron's mother, Marchier, said the whole family is excited because she knows going to the NCAA Tournament is her son's dream.

If the Friars can ride Erron's work ethic and determination, this weekend will be a nice ride for Providence. Although Maxey has never fit the mold of a position player, he is the kind of guy that has developed his game to a level where he has the confidence to step out for the jumpshot or go down low in the paint. Standing only 6-foot-6 and to have the will to butt heads with the taller players down low only speaks loads toward Maxey's desire to succeed.

"He likes the Big East, it's much tougher than the Pac-10," Erron's mother said.

"Erron's always been a hard worker. This was a real bonus, that it happened his senior year."