It's a hard time to be a Penn State basketball fan.

The team is struggling and the masses are calling for the head of coach Jerry Dunn. Things are grim and the light at the end of the tunnel seems nonexistent.

But tonight at 8, from your seats at the Bryce Jordn Center, look down on the floor and gaze upon a source of inspiration.

For as bad a shape as the Nittany Lions (5-11, 0-5 Big Ten) are in, tonight's opponent, Minnesota (10-6, 2-3), has been to an even darker abyss and fought its way out.

Back in March of 1999, right before an NCAA Tournament game against Gonzaga, the sordid details of a lengthy academic scandal went public and the Minnesota program went spiraling out of control.

When the dust settled, coach Clem Haskins was out, every victory from the 1993-94 season through 1999 was erased, including a Final Four appearance, scholarships were cut and the Gophers were on life support.

Coaching Gonzaga in the tournament against Minnesota that day was Dan Monson. Monson's team wrecked the Gophers to add to Minnesota's misery. But instead of looking on in pity or disgust and moving on with his career at Gonzaga, Monson decided the reclamation project in Minneapolis was a worthy pursuit and took over the Minnesota program.

After some lean years, Minnesota is back as a contender in the Big Ten and a candidate for the NCAA Tournament. The program is clean and the players are talented. No task is beyond the reach of hard work and perseverance and the Gophers are proof.

With the Penn State program in one of its darkest hours, solace can be taken in Minnesota's return from the dead.

"We can't get down on ourselves, the future looks good," freshman DeForrest Riley said.

"I have confidence in my class for the coming seasons."

The man who is at the eye of the storm, Dunn, is also keeping the faith.

"We're down, but were not counting ourselves out," Dunn said.

For the Penn State program to imitate the resurrection of Minnesota, the obvious correlation would come with a new coach. Although he has had his critics throughout his tenure, the volume and intensity of their message is at its highest level ever.

"It's easy to stand on the outside when you're not on the battlefield. Some of it's on his shoulders, but he's not out there turning the ball over," Riley said of his coach.

A win tonight, while not a cure-all, would help relieve some pressure on the entire program.

Winning tonight starts with stopping Rick Rickert, the Gophers' All-Big Ten forward.

Rickert became a symbol of Minnesota's return when he chose the Gophers over Arizona two years ago and when he chose the Gophers over the NBA last year.

"We're more concerned with ourselves going into every game, whether it's Penn State or anyone else. We need to get a win on the road," Monson said.

Penn State, on the other hand, just needs a win.