There's an obvious byproduct when a senior class with three of a school's top 20 all-time leading scorers leads that team to its first Sweet 16 in 47 years.

Big shoes to fill.

After their most successful season since the NIT Final Four team of 1954, the Penn State men's basketball team faces a 2001-2002 campaign with a number of such shoes, and a number of other questions yet to be answered. The graduation of guards Joe Crispin and Titus Ivory, forward Gyasi Cline-Heard and guard Jon Crispin's transfer to UCLA cost the Lions almost 80 percent of their scoring output from last season.

With the Crispin brothers and Ivory gone, a lot of pressure will be placed on those who inherit their spots in the backcourt.

That pressure will rest most squarely on the shoulders of junior point guard Brandon Watkins, who takes over for Joe Crispin, the graduated four-year starting point guard who left as Penn State's second all-time leading scorer. Though Watkins only averaged 3.2 points and 12 minutes per game as the Nittany Lions' sixth man last season, he is second among returnees in both categories to senior forward Tyler Smith.

Though seniors Ken Krimmel and Smith were named captains, Watkins will still be expected to step into a leadership role. He has experience in such a position, leading St. Joseph's H. S. in Chicago to an Illinois state title his senior year.

"I'm not even worried about being a leader," Watkins said. "I've already been thinking about stepping up. In practices I've been very vocal. People have really been focusing in on me and what I have to say and this group of guys especially the freshmen have been taking heed and listening which I like."

Much of the Lions' success last season depended on their outstanding shooting from the outside. The Lions led the conference in three point field goals, with Joe Crispin and Ivory ranked first and fourth respectively in the individual rankings. The Lions' first option from outside will likely be sophomore Sharif Chambliss, who is expected to start at shooting guard.

This summer he was selected to play for the Big Ten Foreign Tour team that finished 6-0 against teams from Ireland and England. Chambliss led the team in assists with 27 and was fifth in scoring with 10.5 points per game.

"I think that Sharif is an extremely hard worker," Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn said.

"I think he is a guy who on the defensive end is going to be able to pressure the basketball and on the offensive end I think he is very quick with the ball."

With the athletic Chambliss and Watkins manning the backcourt, the Lions should be able to exert stifling defensive pressure on opposing teams.

Like last season, the Lions figure to go with a small lineup most of the time. Sophomore Jamaal Tate, a 6-foot-5 swingman, will likely see minutes at both shooting guard and small forward.

Tate saw minimal time for most of last season but played more as the season progressed.

"My role towards the end of the year stepped up," Tate said. "This year I look to have a bigger role than I did last year and play more minutes than I did, and probably play a bigger role in scoring."

Tate had his breakout performance in the thrilling 82-80 victory over Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from outside the arc for a career high 12 points. The Lions hope he will eventually be able to carry his strong finish over to this season, but it may not happen early. Tate has been suffering from a stress fracture in his fibula, which affected him in his 2 for 13 shooting performance in the Blue-White game.

Senior captain Ken Krimmel is the other returning guard, and barring the emergence of a walk-on will be the Lions' first option to see time off the bench in the backcourt. The graduate of State College H. S. has averaged only 2.7 minutes per game in his career, but has gained the reverence of his fellow players after making the team as a freshman walk-on.

He also showed accuracy from three-point land in the Blue-White game, shooting 3 for 4 from outside and scoring 13 points. The youth and inexperience of the backcourt is, of course, a microcosm of this team.

Despite that, no one is willing to write this season off as a rebuilding year.

"I understand that we have a lot of young, inexperienced new faces," Dunn said.

"But we're gonna work at it. That's part of what keeps the fire burning is the challenge to get back where we were. While I have to remind myself that patience is required, we're hungry."

This backcourt will need to keep that fire going and a whole lot more to reproduce the season their predecessors had last year.

Their level of play will have to match that of Ivory and the Crispins should they hold any hope of an NCAA tournament return.