M. Basketball

It isn't easy to tell what's in store for the Penn State men's basketball team over the next several weeks.

In what is supposed to be the light portion of this season's rather mild schedule, the Nittany Lions are battling controversy on the court and making matters worse, in the locker room as well.

The home opener was lost by one point as a result of a bizarre defensive effort by Brandon Cameron.

Then the Lions rallied to go on an unfamiliar three-game win streak. And, in the last two games, they got a chance to reflect on last year while being trounced by Pittsburgh and Rutgers.

Then, if any confidence or team spirit remained, Cameron may have taken it with him back to his hometown, Gary, Ind. when he announced his transfer request this past Tuesday.

So here they stand, with a .500 record, a missing teammate on the bench and a lack of answers about what is to come.

With upcoming contests against Temple, St. Francis (NY) and then a trip to the Comcast Lobo Invitational in New Mexico before the first of the year, the Lions will need to regroup and establish a new foundation before entering the Big Ten season on January 7.

"I can't just say to [the team], 'Here, you'll play with confidence tonight'," Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said. "You have to earn confidence."

In Wednesday's press conference, even DeChellis didn't look like he had any self-assurance to offer.

A look of exhaustion overtook the face that had represented the newfound strength of a fragile program.

The first-year coach has not been beaten yet, but his team has lost some ground.

"They're trying to put 10 pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack," DeChellis said.

-- By John Fodi