Ohio State men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien couldn't find much positive to say after his Buckeyes were trounced on Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center. In fact, the hoarse-voiced O'Brien saved his only superlatives of the press conference for the Nittany Lions -- namely freshman guards Ben Luber and Marlon Smith.
"The guys I'm most impressed with are the two guards," O'Brien said. "This was their third consecutive 40-minute game, and you wouldn't have been able to detect that if you didn't know that. Those kids played very well today. They played with a lot of composure."
With the transfers of guard Brandon Cameron and swingman DeForrest Riley-Smith in the past month, Luber and Smith have been thrown into the fire and are facing the prospect of playing 40 minutes on a regular basis.
Faced with a seemingly impossible task, Penn State's rookie guards have matured rapidly in the span of just 13 games and are as big a reason as any for the Lions' 2-0 start in the Big Ten.
To ask anyone, let alone two teenagers, to come in and play without rest because of the circumstances is a risky proposition. But thus far, the pair has shown it is capable of carrying such a heavy load.
While Smith has shown the more tangible results of improvement, especially after his career and game-high 23 points on Saturday, both have exhibited that key trait that O'Brien mentioned -- composure.
With the Buckeyes winding down the clock to take the last shot at the end of the first half on Saturday, Luber stole the ball from Tony Stockman, drove it the length of the court and got two points after a goaltending call.
Luber has also shown confidence running the offense and, despite having some shooting slumps in the early season, has shown improvement in his shot selection. That confidence has been evidenced as the season continues, on and off the court. Luber has publicly said he welcomes the responsibility of playing 40 minutes every game.
"I think [Luber] has progressed very well," Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said. "He's done a solid job of running the team, handling the ball and making some shots. He's gaining some confidence and that's crucial."
The same can be said of Smith, who has improved his free throw shooting along with his elevating point totals. Smith hit two key free throws to ice the Minnesota game and shot 11-for-16 from the line against Ohio State.
Smith has also improved at the other end of the court, playing a solid defensive game against the Buckeyes in which he was matched up against three-point threat Nick Dials, who managed only two points.
"I'm probably more proud of playing defense," Smith said of his performance on Saturday. "That's where it starts from, that's where you get your energy from."
The downside comes from the inevitable wear-and-tear the duo will suffer with the rigors of the Big Ten season. How long they will be able to keep up their level of play while still seeing 40 minutes of floor time a night is the most pressing issue for them.
Sophomore forward Aaron Johnson is confident, however, that the two will be able to maintain their intensity -- with a little help.
"They're unbelievable," Johnson said. "To practice at full speed every minute and stay in the game all the time, 40 minutes. I'm going to do everything that I can to not let them get killed on picks and take care of them so they don't get hurt. I don't see any reason why they won't continue their success."
