With the ankle injury to Marlon Smith just three minutes into Penn State's game against Rutgers on Wednesday night, the most integral person on the Nittany Lion team was able to show off his talent.
Freshman Danny Morrissey, Smith's replacement for the remainder of the Nittany Lions' 83-80 upset over the Scarlet Knights, had an outstanding game, but the MVP, in this case, the Most Valuable Participant award, goes to Penn State coach Ed DeChellis. After playing five games of the season, two of which were home, and against less-than-challenging teams, DeChellis hauled his team to Piscataway, N.J., to face a squad that lost in the NIT Championship last year.
The majority of DeChellis' team has never experienced playing in the atmosphere it did against Rutgers. For starting freshmen Mike Walker and Geary Claxton, junior college transfer Travis Parker and sixth-man freshman Danny Morrissey, playing at the RAC was their welcome to big-time basketball. Sure, they've played a few games in the Bryce Jordan Center in front of the 6,891 people sports information insists attended the game. But the remaining empty seats in the BJC, which holds up to 15,261 people, are more discouraging.
In it's first true test of the season, Penn State played in the Louis Brown Athletic Center, better known as the RAC, as well as one of the more intimidating basketball arenas. There were only 6,347 people in attendance, but the building was almost filled to capacity, considering it only seats 8,000. Rutgers' home crowd sounded 10-times louder and more rowdy from the broadcast on the radio than anything the BJC has experienced as of late. But that didn't seem to faze the Lions or Claxton, as he opened the Penn State scoring with a two-handed dunk. Heading into the game against the Big East team, DeChellis wasn't sure how his team would fare. At Monday's practice, he seemed confident but wasn't feeding me the generic responses coaches usually feed the media. He has that sincerity and realistic persona about him. He has high expectations, but keeps in mind what he's working with.
"They'll get a taste really quickly of what [big-time basketball] is all about and that's part of the growing up process as well," DeChellis said. "The distractions and people in the stands can't play the game and you have to keep your focus and poise. Geez, are they ready for that, I don't know."
With Smith's injury and Ben Luber's inactive status, junior forward Aaron Johnson was the only player on the floor with starting experience, prior to the season. The thought of playing 36 minutes of any game without both of your true starting guards has to startle any team. But DeChellis conformed to his rather inexperienced team and had the mindset of playing four minutes at a time. He guided his team through four-minute segments that saw the Lions shoot 70.4 percent in a first half that ended in a 49-49 tie.
The Lions and the Scarlet Knights were even for the majority of the second half, but DeChellis and the depth of his team were tested again when Johnson ran into foul trouble, picking up his fourth foul with 9:40 remaining in the game. DeChellis efficiently utilized Jamaal Tate and Kevin Fellows and kept Johnson out until his presence underneath was absolutely necessary. Tate and Fellows combined for seven points and four rebounds, but more importantly didn't let Penn State feel the wrath of Johnson's absence.
The fact that four Lions, who played at least 35 minutes in the game, were three true freshmen and a transfer is pretty impressive, aside from all of them reaching double digits in scoring. Penn State played well as a team, and as cliché as it sounds, everyone contributed. But it's the guy who motivates these players that we need to give credit to. The players want to play for DeChellis. The joking at practice, the confidence players have under him and chemistry this team truly seems to possess is what makes playing for him fun.
They know he is capable of turning this program around because of his successful seven-year stint at East Tennessee University after inheriting a 7-20 Buccaneer squad.
If anything of the sort is going to happen in Happy Valley, whenever it might be, we can hold the MVP of the Rutgers' game responsible.
