Was it really just three seasons ago that this program was on its way to the Sweet 16? Is that all the time that has passed since the Nittany Lions used an upset over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament to propel them to the Big Dance?

That game, and the subsequent wins over Providence and North Carolina, seem more like an eternity than just three seasons to Lions fans. Back-to-back 7-21 seasons tend to make even recent accomplishments fade into obscurity.

And though it would be hard to argue that this year's version of the Lions has the same talent level as the 2000-01 squad, it would be equally hard to argue that they don't have as much heart.

Heart is what's fueling Ed DeChellis' team as it heads into the meat of its Big Ten schedule. How else can you explain an 8-5 overall record coupled with a 2-0 start in the conference?

"I feel very good about this team," DeChellis said. "I'm happy for our team because they like who they are. They've got a little bounce in their step. They've got a little pride. We feel good about ourselves."

But those intangibles can only take a team so far when weighed against the stone-cold facts facing it. Two freshmen are playing 40 minutes a game and no other scholarship guards are on the roster. The team's rotation features, for all intents and purposes, just six players.

The rigors of the Big Ten schedule may be such that the team won't have anything left in the tank by the time the conference tournament rolls around. Or perhaps sooner.

DeChellis has been working to turn the liabilities of his short bench into positives, however, and so far it's hard to complain about the results. If anything, the team is actually exhibiting chemistry on and off the court, despite the losses of DeForrest Riley-Smith and Brandon Cameron in the past month.

"Everyone is cohesive and has been together," freshman guard Marlon Smith said. "It takes time and starts off the basketball court. Everyone is talking to coach and building a relationship with him to build chemistry."

If the Lions look to continue the success they've had early in conference play, it may be as much because of what DeChellis does as what his players do.

The first-year Lions coach has hinted that his greatest fear about this team is not the record itself, but the team slipping back into a "here we go again" mentality when the inevitable slide occurs.

The Lions have jumped the first couple of hurdles with astounding success, but the next ones come in East Lansing and Champaign. And if they manage to clear either one of those, other Big Ten teams may have to start taking their trips to Happy Valley a little more seriously than the past few years.