Ed DeChellis has been through it. Aaron Johnson is stuck in the middle of it. And both are guiding the Nittany Lions through this transition period, fazing out the Jerry Dunn persona and embarking on the DeChellis era.

Reform is nothing new to the second-year Penn State men's basketball coach. DeChellis landed his first head-coaching job at East Tennessee State University, where he was greeted with a 7-20 Buccaneer squad. Seven years and three conference divisional winners, a conference tournament champ, and an NCAA tournament team later, DeChellis' resume garnered considerable attention.

DeChellis was offered two or three positions before patience again paid off for the 1982 Penn State graduate. He held out just long enough for the Lions' head-coaching job to open up with the resignation of Jerry Dunn in March 2003. DeChellis was welcomed back to the Lions squad, this time as a head coach, after a previously successful 10-year stint as an assistant. DeChellis would be treated to a struggling 7-21 squad. But why start from scratch again?

"I think number one is it's my alma mater and I love Penn State, and I always felt like we should be as good as anybody else in the country in basketball," he said. "You want to coach at the highest level and challenge yourself.

DeChellis met his match in then-sophomore forward Aaron Johnson. Visibly the most optimistic and hard-working member returning from Dunn's squad, the walk-on was caught in transition.

"When you have a hard situation, you shouldn't quit on it," Johnson said. "I think for me, staying here the whole time is going to help me out because I'm going through all this controversy and losing. I'm hoping we can turn it around and make a positive out of a negative."

Sharif Chambliss, Brandon Cameron and DeForrest Riley-Smith left Penn State by mid-season last year. Robert Summers transferred and Jan Jagla left the team to play overseas in the offseason. Seniors Jason McDougald and Kevin Fellows seem to be lost in transition -- something these upperclassmen can't afford with the athleticism of DeChellis' first freshman class.

Sophomore guard Marlon Smith is the only player DeChellis acquired in his first season because the coach, who favors recruiting inner-city kids, joined the staff so late in the signing period. Smith earned Most Valuable Player honors for the Lions last season, and was the first Penn State player ever selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Recognizing recruiting as a weakness that needed to be immediately addressed, DeChellis put together a highly touted freshman class for the 2004-2005 season.

"This recruiting class I think is gonna be one of the foundations for the program really turning around," freshman guard Mike Walker said. "And Coach DeChellis is really dedicated to turning it around."

These newcomers, including junior college transfer Travis Parker, not only provide depth, but also challenge the six returning lettermen for playing time. From freshman Geary Claxton, whose versatility makes him a perfect fit in the three-spot, to freshman Danny Morrissey, whose soft shot enhances the perimeter game, this handful will make an immediate impact.

"Our young kids did a good job," DeChellis said after the team's exhibition against East Stroudsburg. "They executed really well. At times we had four freshmen on the court. Overall it wasn't too bad for the first time out of the gate."

Little more than a rookie himself, DeChellis hasn't done so badly either. While getting his feet wet last year, DeChellis filtered out the players who didn't want to be at Penn State, relying instead on the cast he assembled in Happy Valley. And the players who prevailed did so for a reason.

Players say DeChellis brings out the best in them, particularly Johnson, who is now a scholarship player -- and a polished product of the mold into which DeChellis has shaped this team.

"I've been trying to change attitudes, perceptions and expectations," DeChellis said. "[When I first arrived at Penn State], they didn't expect much of themselves and weren't really motivated. I don't think, at times, they were in this thing to win."